masterman ready-第32章

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At　last　the　storehouse　was　complete；　thatched　and　wattled　in　on　three　sides；　leaving　one　open　for　ventilation；　the　lower　part；　which　had　been　arranged　for　the　folding　of　the　stock　at　night　and　during　the　rainy　season；　was　also　wattled　in　with　cocoa…nut　boughs　on　three　sides；　and　made　a　very　comfortable　retreat　for　the　animals。　The　winding　path　to　the　storehouse　was　also　cut　through　the　cocoa…nut　grove；　but　the　stumps　were　not　removed；　as　they　could　not　spare　the　time。　All　the　stores　that　they　had　brought　round　were　put　into　the　storehouse；　and　they　were　now　ready　to　take　up　some　other　job。　It　was；　however；　agreed　that；　on　the　day　after　the　building　was　finished；　they　should　all　have　a　day's　holiday；　which　they　certainly　did　require。　William　caught　some　fish；　a　turtle　was　speared　and　wheeled　up　to　the　house；　and　they　not　only　had　a　holiday；　but　a　feast。　Mr。　Seagrave　and　William　had　been　walking　on　the　beach　with　Mrs。　Seagrave　and　the　children；　while　Ready　was　assisting　Juno　in　cutting　up　the　turtle；　they　had　shown　Mrs。　Seagrave　the　storehouse；　and　the　goats　with　the　four　kids　had　been　led　there；　as　there　was　no　longer　any　occasion　for　them　to　remain　in　the　house。　The　weather　was　beautiful；　and　they　agreed　to　go　and　examine　the　garden。　They　found　that　the　seeds　had　not　yet　commenced　sprouting；　notwithstanding　the　heavy　rains。

〃I　should　have　thought　that　so　much　rain　would　have　made　them　come　up；〃　said　Mrs。　Seagrave。

〃No；　my　dear；〃　replied　Mr。　Seagrave；　〃they　require　more　of　the　sun　than　they　will　have　till　the　rainy　season　is　nearly　over；　a　few　days　like　this；　and　they　will　soon　be　above…ground。〃

〃Let　us　sit　down　on　this　knoll；　it　is　quite　dry；〃　said　Mrs。　Seagrave。　〃I　little　thought；〃　continued　she；　〃that　I　could　have　been　so　happy　in　a　desert　island。　I　thought　I　should　feel　the　loss　of　books　very　severely；　but　I　really　do　not　think　that　I　could　have　found　time　to　read。〃

〃Employment　is　a　source　of　happiness；　especially　when　you　are　usefully　employed。　An　industrious　person　is　always　a　happy　person；　provided　he　is　not　obliged　to　work　too　hard；　and　even　where　you　have　cause　for　unhappiness；　nothing　makes　you　forget　it　so　soon　as　occupation。〃

〃But；　mamma；　we　shall　not　always　have　so　much　to　do　as　we　have　now；〃　said　William。

〃Of　course　not；〃　replied　Mr。　Seagrave；　〃and　then　we　shall　find　our　books　a　great　source　of　enjoyment。　I　am　anxious　to　go　to　the　other　side　of　the　island；　and　see　what　have　been　spared　to　us；　and　whether　they　have　been　much　damaged；　but　that　cannot　be　until　after　the　rains　are　over；　and　we　can　use　the　boat　again。

〃Look　at　this　minute　insect　which　is　crawling　on　my　finger；〃　said　Mr。　Seagrave；　turning　to　William：　〃what　a　number　of　legs　it　has！〃

〃Yes；　I　have　seen　something　like　it　in　old　books。　How　fast　it　runs　with　its　little　legs；　thinner　than　hairs　…　how　wonderful！〃

〃Yes；　William；〃　replied　Mr。　Seagrave；　〃we　have　only　to　examine　into　any　portion；　however　small；　of　creation；　and　we　are　immediately　filled　with　wonder。　There　is　nothing　which　points　out　to　us　the　immensity　and　the　omniscience　of　the　Almighty　more　than　the　careful　provision　which　has　been　made　by　Him　for　the　smallest　and　most　insignificant　of　created　beings。　This　little　animal　is　perhaps　one　of　many　millions；　who　have　their　term　of　existence；　and　their　enjoyment；　as　well　as　we　have。　What　is　it？　…　an　insect　of　the　minutest　kind；　a　nothing　in　creation；　yet　has　the　same　care　been　bestowed　upon　its　formation：　these　little　legs；　hardly　visible；　have　their　muscles　and　their　sinews；　and　every　other　portion　of　its　body　is　as　complete；　as　fearfully　and　wonderfully　fashioned；　as　our　own。　Such　is　his　will；　and　what　insects　we　ought　to　feel　ourselves；　when　compared　to　the　God　of　power　and　of　love！〃

〃Let　me　also　point　out　to　you；　William；〃　continued　Mr。　Seagrave；　〃the　infinity　of　his　creative　power；　displayed　in　endless　variety。　Amongst　the　millions　of　men　that　have　been　born；　and　died；　if　ever　yet　were　there　seen　two　faces　or　two　bodies　exactly　alike；　nay；　if　you　could　examine　the　leaves　upon　the　trees；　although　there　may　be　millions　upon　millions　in　a　forest；　you　could　not　discover　two　leaves　of　precisely　the　same　form　and　make。〃

〃I　have　often　tried　in　vain；〃　replied　William；　〃yet　some　animals　are　so　much　alike；　that　I　cannot　perceive　any　difference　between　them　…　sheep；　for　instance。〃

〃Very　true；　you　cannot　tell　the　difference；　because　you　have　not　examined　them；　but　a　shepherd；　if　he　has　seven　hundred　sheep　under　his　care；　will　know　every　one　of　them　from　the　others；　which　proves　that　there　must　be　a　great　difference　between　them；　although　not　perceptible　to　the　casual　observer；　and　the　same；　no　doubt；　is　the　case　with　all　other　classes　of　animals。〃

〃Yes；　William；〃　observed　Ready；　〃I　have　often　wondered　over　the　things　that　I　have　seen；　and　I　have　even　in　my　ignorance　felt　what　your　papa　has　now　told　you；　and　it　has　brought　into　my　mind　the　words　of　Job：　‘When　I　consider；　I　am　afraid　of　him'。〃

〃Papa；〃　said　William；　after　a　pause　in　the　conversation；　〃you　have　referred　to　the　variety　…　the　wonderful　variety　…　shown　in　the　works　of　the　Deity。　Tell　me　some　other　prominent　feature　in　creation。〃

〃One　of　the　most　remarkable；　William；　is　order。〃

〃Point　out　to　me；　papa；　where　and　in　what　that　quality　is　most　observable。〃

〃Everywhere　and　in　everything；　my　dear　boy；　whether　we　cast　our　eyes　up　to　the　heavens　above　us；　or　penetrate　into　the　bowels　of　the　earth；　the　principle　of　order　is　everywhere　…　everything　is　governed　by　fixed　laws；　which　cannot　be　disobeyed：　we　have　order　in　the　seasons；　in　the　tides；　in　the　movement　of　the　heavenly　bodies；　in　the　instinct　of　animals；　in　the　duration　of　life　assigned　to　each；　from　the　elephant　who　lives　more　than　a　century；　to　the　ephemeral　fly；　whose　whole　existence　is　limited　to　an　hour。

〃Inanimate　nature　is　subject　to　the　same　unvarying　laws。　Metals；　and　rocks；　and　earths；　and　all　the　mineral　kingdom　follow　one　law　in　their　crystallization；　never　varying　from　the　form　assigned　to　them；　each　atom　depositing　itself　in　the　allotted　place；　until　that　form　is　complete：　we　have　order　in　production；　order　in　decay；　but　all　is　simple　to　him　by　whom　the　planets　were　thrown　out　into　space；　and　were　commanded　to　roll　in　their　eternal　orbits。〃

〃Yes；　the　stars　in　the　heavens　are　beautiful；〃　said　William；　〃but　they　are　not　placed　there　in　order。〃

〃The　fixed　stars　do　not　appear　to　us　to　be　in　order　…　that　is；　they　do　not　stud　the　heavens　at　equal　distances　from　each　other　as　we　view　them；　but　you　must　recollect　that　they　are　at　very　different　distances　from　this　earth；　spreading　over　all　infinity　of　space；　and　we　have　reason　to　suppose　that　this　our　earth　is　but　a　mere　unit　in　the　multitude　of　created　worlds；　only　one　single　portion　of　an　infinite　whole。　As　the　stars　now　appear　to　us；　they　are　useful　to　the　mariner；　enabling　him　to　cross　the　trackless　seas；　and　to　the　astronomer；　who　calculates　the　times　and　seasons。〃

〃What　do　you　mean；　papa；　by　saying　that　this　world　of　ours　is　supposed　to　be　but　one　of　a　multitude　of　created　worlds？〃

〃Our　little　knowledge　is　bounded　to　this　our　own　earth；　which　we　have　ascertained　very　satisfactorily　to　be　but　one　of　several　planets　revolving　round　our　own　sun。　I　say　our　own　sun；　because　we　have　every　reason　to　suppose　that　each　of　those　fixed　stars；　and　myriads　now　not　visible　to　the　naked　eye；　are　all　suns；　bright　and　glorious　as　our　own；　and　of　course　throwing　light　and　heat　upon　unseen　planets　revolving　round　them。　Does　not　this　give　you　some　idea　of　the　vastness；　the　power；　and　the　immensity　of　God？〃

〃One　almost　loses　one's　self　in　the　imagination；〃　said　Mrs。　Seagrave。

〃Yes；〃　replied　Mr。　Seagrave；　〃and　it　has　been　surmised　by　some；　who　have　felt　in　their　hearts　the　magnificence　of　the　Great　Architect；　that　there　must　be　some　point　of　view　in　space　where　all　those　glorious　suns；　which　seem　to　us　confused　in　the　heavens　above　us；　will　appear　all　symmetrically　arranged；　will　there　be　viewed　in　regular　order；　whirling　round　in　one　stupendous　and　perfect　system　of　beauty　and　design；　and　where　can　that　be；　if　it　is　not　in　that　heaven　which　we　hope　to　gain？〃

There　was　a　silence　for　a　few　moments；　when　William　said；　〃They　say　that　there　are　people