ABOUT CORN AND THE USES OF ANIMALS.
When Samuel had been at his uncle's about two weeks. Mr. Harvey told him
one morning, that he might go with his cousins to a field where early
corn was growing and pull some to cook, if it was ripe. They had a merry
time among the high corn. As they came back to the house, carrying their
basket of ears, Samuel asked his cousins, why corn was sometimes called
Indian corn.
"It is because it formed the chief food of the Indians, before white men
came to this country," replied Thomas. "Father says its proper name is
maize. It was first found in this country; and there are some parts of
America where it is used altogether instead of wheat or rye. Did you
ever taste cakes made from it?"
"Yes," said Samuel; "they were sweeter than wheat bread; but I would not
like to eat them every day."
"Nor I either," said John; "but I like Indian meal with sugar, eggs, and
milk in it, and then baked brown in the oven. Don't you, Samuel?"
"I never tasted it that way. But I think corn is best boiled on the ear,
and eaten with meat and vegetables."
Mr. Harvey's library, as I have already told you, was very large. He
spent much time in the room where it was, either reading or writing. In
the afternoon, after the boys had gathered the corn, he called them into
this room, and showed them some beautiful pictures of animals and
countries. While looking at them, Samuel asked him if he thought every
animal had been made for some useful purpose.
"Yes, my boy," answered his uncle; "we have reason to believe that even
things which appear to be entirely useless, such as gravel stones, or
weeds, have been made by God for some good end. The more we learn about
animals and plants, the more plainly this appears. I will show you the
picture of a very curious animal, called a Sloth. It looks a little like
a bear. Now listen, boys, to a few words about this animal. It lives in
thick, gloomy forests, so that it can scarcely ever be taken. When
placed on the ground it cannot walk, but drags itself forward, with its
fore legs, crying all the time, as if in great pain. Its claws are long,
and turn up under its feet. In the woods it lives all the time on the
trees, hanging from a branch, with its back toward the ground. Tell me
what you think of such an animal."
"I think it must be miserable all day long," replied Samuel.
"So every one thought, about fifty years ago," said Mr. Harvey; but men
who have gone to the countries where sloths are, and seen them in the
high trees, tell a very different story. They say that the sloth's home
is in the branches, as much as a fish's is in the water; and he is there
a strong and happy animal, although he looks so weak and miserable on
the ground. He lives on fruit, and moves from one branch and one tree to
another, with considerable swiftness. So you see that the sloth enjoys
himself as well as any of us; and I have no doubt that he was created
for some good purpose, although we may not be able to understand
precisely what it is.
"But do not some animals eat each other?" asked Thomas.
"Yes," replied Mr. Harvey; "but this is of great use to man. What would
the farmer do with all the insects that destroy his grain, if many of
them were not eaten by little birds; and how much of his fruit would
these very birds destroy, if they, too, were not eaten by hawks! If
animals did not destroy each other, they would soon become so numerous
as to crowd man from the earth."