THERE are only a few things that we can write about the opossum, as our paper is too small to give all the varied habits and a full description of its appearance.
It is what is called a marsupial animal, that is, an animal that has a pouch to carry the young ones before they are able to run around and care for themselves. Such is the provision God has made for them.
It has a long tail which is covered with scales, and short black hairs are scattered all over it. It is with this long tail and its hinder feet that makes it a splendid climber, for it has a thumb opposite the other toes and that enables it to grasp the branch of a tree with considerable force, and to suspend its whole body, together with the additional weight of its young. The total length is about three feet: the head and body about twenty-two inches, and the tail fifteen; its color is a, grayish white, slightly tinged with yellow.
Many of my young readers have perhaps seen them, and watched their habits.
We find it is very voracious and destructive, prowling about during the hours of darkness, prying into every nook and corner in hope of finding some young birds, eggs or young rabbits which it eats by the brood at a time. This, no doubt, as Scripture shows, is the result of sin, but it will not always be so, for when the Lord Jesus will come and reign in this world, “The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.” Thus we see that the voracious and destructive nature is not what God made, but what sin has brought in.
Sin is the cause of all the sorrow and suffering there is in this world, and while the Lord Jesus was here upon earth He entered into the sorrow, and in order to deliver us from sin and all its results, He took the sinner’s place on Calvary’s cross and bore the punishment in place of the sinner. So now each one who believes in Him may not only rejoice that the punishment which he deserved has been borne by Jesus, but the time is coming when there will be a new heaven and new earth where there will be no more sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain.
There is one more habit of the opossum that we may mention, that may be of interest to my readers and that is, when man attacks it, it will roll itself up like a ball and lie quite still with its mouth wide open as if it were dead, and many times they have been left for dead and when all was quiet they would get up and run off. Deception is not only to be found in that animal but very often Children- will practice it; too, thinking perhaps that it will not be as bad as telling an untruth, but it is just the same thing.
The Psalmist said “DELIVER MY SOUL, O LORD, FROM LYING LIPS, AND FROM A DECEITFUL TONGUE.” Ps. 120:2.
ML 11/06/1904