The Summer Holidays | Page 9

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."

CHAPTER XI.
ALICE GRAY.
One morning, after the three boys had taken a pretty long walk, they
came to a small cottage, standing by a garden, round which was a neat
hedge. Part of this garden was planted with vegetables, and part with
flowers, while many vines and sweet brier bushes stood before the
cottage door. There were also large, white roses, which Samuel thought
finer than any he had yet seen; and in a corner of the garden farthest
from the house, stood two bee hives. As the boys passed by, a young
woman came out on the piazza, and asked them in. John and Thomas
had often been here; so they opened the gate and passed through with
their cousin. The young woman, whose name was Alice, brought out
chairs, and some new milk in bowls, for each of them to drink. Then
she walked with them through the garden, showing them through the
flowers, and telling their names. He was much pleased with the bee
hives; they were made of wood, with glass tops, so that the bees might
be seen at work. After watching them for some time, they returned
through the garden to the cottage door. At this moment an old lady
came to the door, and spoke to Mr. Harvey's boys. Samuel observed
that she was very feeble, and that her voice could scarcely be heard.
She looked like one who had been often sick. When they left the
cottage, he asked who she was.

[Illustration: ALICE GRAY.]
"Her name is Gray," said Thomas. "Alice is her daughter. Mrs. Gray's
husband was a sailor, and when Alice was about three years old, he
went on a voyage to catch whales, but was lost, with all the crew. Mrs.
Gray was poor, and had four children; and as no one in the town where
she lived would help her, she opened a school for