Mr. Carr smiled pleasantly. “Certainly, son, certainly. You see, coal shines like diamonds, and then, it’s worth more.”
“Worth more? Why, I thought diamonds were worth more than anything else.”
“No, indeed! If there weren’t any coal in the ground, all the diamonds in the world wouldn’t heat a house, cook a meal, pull a railway train, or run a machine.”
“Well, I never thought of that,” said Wallace. “You certainly could not burn diamonds in a cook-stove.”
“No, indeed!” said Mr. Carr, who seemed much pleased at Wallace’s interest.
II. In a Coal Mine
“Were you ever down in a coal mine, Mr. Carr?” asked Wallace.
“Was I ever down in a coal mine?” repeated Mr. Carr. “Yes, sir, I was a miner for years in the coal regions, and would have been in a mine yet, probably, if it hadn’t been for this,” pointing to his shoulder and bent back.
“Is it very dangerous work?” asked Wallace, with wide-open eyes.