The Portland daily press., 1862-11-08
MISCELLANY.
A LESSON FROM THE CoRNFIELD.

Il want 10 KNOW WHaIs Tue use OF studying
Latin ?" said boy, yawning, as he threw his
book upon the window-seat.
If the truth were told, not much Latin had
been studied that hour; he had been watching
the sunset stirring the fire, letting Carlo in
and pussy out of the door, and doing what
ever he could possibly find an excuse for doing
while pretending to study his conjugaton.
81 can be as smart man as / want to be,
without all this, l knoww
"And what's the use of sewing for ever, too,
wonder" echoed his sister from her window
seat, when one knows how?" l don't see
any sense in tasks; they're nothing but a
plaguew
Just then entered Master Mark with an
armful of wood; his face was discontinued
enough.
Externally something to do; . he murmured,
as he threw the wood into the box with an
emphasis; mo end of splitting and piling, and
unpliDg / should like to know what's the use
OF being kept at it, when father could afford
to hire every bit of it done as easily as not?"
Father sees the end from the beginning,
Mark, and that's happy thing for you," said
q voice from the next room where Ruth, elder
sister and foster-mother to these discontinued
young folks, was bestirrng herself about tea.
81 didn't know you were there" said Mark,
by way of an apology.
Besides continued Ruth, che couldn't
alter the case, if he would, very much; you
you are only fulfilling one of Gods greatest
laws in enduring all these trials"
Mark didn't pay much attention to this
philosophy; he was out of humor because he
could not please himself continually. But,
after tea and the evening froic out of doors
were over, Ruth announced from the window
that she thought she could give them story,
at which word they came romping into the
stting-room, cold, fresh, good-natured, and
eager. A sharp contest for seats commenced,
half in fun and half in sellishness, and when
that was settled, the story began, thus:
At the latticed side of a well stored corn-crib,
lay golden ear, covered with close-narshall-
ed glittering ranks of corn grains. The corn
looked out upon the world, that is, upon the
barn-yard, in lazy quietness, quite contented
with its place in life-though, for that matter,
1t was of no present use to any one. One day
the heap of grain felt mighty disturbance in
the ne.ghbourhood of the ear in question; a
general agitation prevailed; things began to
slide from under it; evidently its long, idle,
peaceful dream was at an end. With multi
tude or fellow-ears it was thrown into basket,
carried to the kitchen, and there forcibly
and painfully separated from its parent stalk
shetied, the farmers boy said. who did 1t; for
what end, farmers only could know.
"Well-a-dayw exclaimed the kernels, as they
lay buried In the basket. "This is another
thing to life in the corn-crib, where we were
a peaceful and united family. What will hap
pen next"
Next the corn was carried to the field, and
carelessly cast into the damp earth, where it
lay looking up at the sky and sun in amazement.
Never had it been as low as this before: but
there was no time for speech at this new phase
of life, for suddenly the earth closed, the light
disappeared, and the family of kernels lay
buried
aNhof he he - a.: ,,
claimed one. "Are we never to leave this dis
NAL hole?"
there's no telling. After all that's passed,
am prepared for almost anything"
"Change rules nowadays" replied another,
"We can't endure this long, however" re-
eponded a third; 1--WE shall die! Oh, is 1t not
hard to bear?"
"what dreadful place full of worms and
noisome insect. Oh! We were well enough
offin the corn-crib-what can be the use of all
this?"
Meanwhile change was passing upon them.
All the elements of their bodies seemed dis
solving, and If you had uncovered the hill the
nth or sixth day, you would have found the
pretty shining grains all blackened and mouldy,
stained and swollen out of shape. Ruined,
you see," they said to one another; 'ruined
and lost! live could have seen any use In
1t! Oh! If we could have staid in our corn
crib, then our life would have been happy.
But at length the mysterious change begins
to hasten; their substance seems to take new
shape: lie appears starting out of death. Yet
not one of the complainants could tell what
was happening, nor did they know, till, one
morning, they found themselves again gazing
into the sumo longer bare grain. God had
given them a new body, far superior to that
which had fallen into the ground. Each look
ed on the other with admiration, and all look
ed into the vaulted blue sky rejoicing. Had
they been little taller, they would have seen
countless brotherhood of similar plants, hold
ing up their glad heads above their mouldy
beds, which they counted their graves. "Tru-
ly, this is change" they all exclaimed, and
waited to see what the end would be.
The days passed, warm and shining and the
nights cool and dewy, while each young plant
shot up taller and taller, till at length they
overlooked the whole broad farm, and over
topped the farmers head, if he walked through
the field; they now waved blossoms and silken
tassels to each other, and gladly rustled their
broad leaves In the wind. The birds of the
air perched, singing, on their swayng tops,
and enormous yellow pumpkin-nowers look
ed up in envy from the ground far beneath.
I" This is a delightful world, after all,' said
one tall plant. bestirring its long leaves
Yes, indeed" replied its brother; when
one has become prepared for it, and has grown
tall enough to enjoy it."
Life never seemed like this when we dwelt
In the corn-crib." rustled third. How much
further We see and how much more we en-
joyr
yes; now we are living to some purpose
and on large scale. We have no reason to
regret being buried. But who would have
dreamed any good could have come ofit9"
"Give the farmer the praise" said the wind,
as 1t drove the cloud-shadows across the corn
field, and God who SO ordered your existence.
As to yourselves, you would have shrivelled
and moldered in the corn-crb to this day, and
would not have suffered one of the trials ne
cessary to your present happy state"
The corn bowed beneath this deserved re-
proof, and In its ear blessed the sharp disci-
pline of trial and the wise hand of the farmer
who had enforced it.
However," said Mark, when the tale was
ended, there's no such difference between
men and children as there Is between the seed
and the grown corn; so that your story hard
ly applies to u.s."
Nearly as much, If you look at those who
possess the greatest perfection of character
Yet men, even when they reach the highest
stage of earthly perfection, are far below what
they shall be, while the vegetable fulflls its
whole destiny here.
"Yet, think of the difference between little
Harry, or even yourselves, for example, and
John Milton, or Marks faVorite, Walter Scott,
and say if such children are more than mere
seeds-grains which must fall to the ground
and die if they would bring forth fruit. Which
would you rather to lie at ease and shrivel
into nothingness and insignihcance, or grow,