Harry was very much surprised, when his teacher told him that the camel could carry men and burdens like a horse or an ass, and could travel a great distance with a weight of eight hundred or a thousand pounds upon its back; and that it gave milk for drink, like a cow.
Harry asked why we had not camels in America, instead of horses and cows?
Mary told him that God had made this a very large world, and that it is divided into many countries. In some countries the weather is very hot, and in some countries it is very cold.
The animals and people, who are born in hot countries, such as Arabia and Africa, could not endure the cold of America. They are happier and more useful in the climate where they are born.
And Mary said, our heavenly Father was so good and kind to every thing that he had made, that he designed all animals, as well as little boys and girls and men and women too, to be useful and happy where he placed them.
Harry asked if a little boy like him could be useful and happy? for Harry was only four years old.
Mary told him, yes; and that when she had leisure, she would read aloud to him and his school-mates the story of a little girl who was only four years old, who was happy because she was useful.
Harry loved his teacher, because she was so kind to him, and though he wanted very much to know how he could be useful and happy, he knew she had not time to answer any more questions now; and he was willing to wait, for his teacher always did what she said she would do, and Harry was sure she would not forget her promise.
So he went to his seat as the other little boys and girls did, and while Mary heard the larger scholars say their definitions, Harry’s class made O’s, and strokes, and pothooks on their slates, as they are called, in this way.
