Lesson:

1. Anna. O papa! I have stung my hand with that nettle.


2. Father. Well, my dear, I am sorry for it; but pull up that large dock leaf you see near it; now bruise the juice out of it on the part which is stung. Well, is the pain lessened?


3. Anna. Oh, very much indeed, I hardly feel it now. But I wish there was not a nettle in the world. I am sure I do not know what use there can be in them.


4. Father. If you knew anything of botany, Nanny, you would not say so.


5. Anna. What is botany, papa?


6. Father. Botany, my dear, is the knowledge of plants.


7. Anna. Some plants are very beautiful. If the lily were growing in our fields, I should not complain. But this ugly nettle! I do not know what beauty or use there can be in that.


8. Father. And yet, Nanny, there is more beauty, use, and instruction in a nettle, than even in a lily.


9. Anna. O papa, how can you make that out?


10. Father. Put on your gloves, pluck up that nettle, and let us examine it. First, look at the flower.


11. Anna. The flower, papa? I see no flower, unless those little ragged knobs are flowers, which have neither color nor smell, and are not much larger than the heads of pins.


12. Father. Here, take this magnifying glass and examine them.


13. Anna. Oh, I see now; every little knob is folded up in leaves, like a rosebud. Perhaps there is a flower inside.


14. Father. Try; take this pin and touch the knob. Well, what do you see?


15. Anna. Oh, how curious!


16. Father. What is curious?


17. Anna. The moment I touched it, it flew open. A little cloud rose out like enchantment, and four beautiful little stems sprung up as if they were alive; and, now that I look again with the glass, I see an elegant little flower as nice and perfect as a lily itself.


18. Father. Well, now examine the leaves.


19. Anna. Oh, I see they are all covered over with little bristles; and when I examine them with the glass, I see a little bag, filled with a juice like water, at the bottom of each. Ha! these are the things which stung me.


20. Father. Now touch the little bag with the point of the pin.


21. Anna. When I press the bag, the juice runs up and comes out at the small point at the top; so I suppose the little thorn must be hollow inside, though it is finer than the point of my cambric needle.


22. Father. Have all the leaves those stings?


23. Anna. No, papa; some of the young ones are quite green and soft, like velvet, and I may handle them without any danger.


24. Father. Now look at the stem, and break it.


25. Anna. I can easily crack it, but I can not break it asunder, for the bark is so strong that it holds it together.


26. Father. Well, now you see there are more curious things in the nettle than you expected.


27. Anna. Yes, indeed, I see that. But you have often told me that God makes nothing without its use; and I am sure I can not see any use in all these things.


28. Father. That we will now consider. You saw the little flower burst open, and a cloud rose, you say, like enchantment. Now all this is necessary for the nature of the plant. There are many thousand plants in the world, and it has pleased God, in his wisdom, to make them all different. Now look at this other nettle, which grew on the opposite side of the road; you see that it is not exactly like the one you have just examined.


29. Anna. No, papa; this has little flat seeds instead of flowers.


30. Father. Very right, my dear. Now, in order to make those seeds grow, it is necessary that the little flower of this plant and the seed of that should be together, as they are in most others. But plants can not walk, like animals. The wisdom of God, therefore, has provided a remedy for this. When the little flower bursts open it throws out a fine powder, which you saw rise like a cloud; this is conveyed by the air to the other plant, and when it falls upon the seed of that plant it gives it power to grow, and makes it a perfect seed, which, in its turn, when it falls to the ground, will produce a new plant. Were it not for this fine powder, that seed would never be perfect or complete.


31. Anna. That is very curious, indeed; and I see the use of the little cloud and the flower; but the leaf that stung me, of what use can that be? There, dear papa, I am afraid I puzzle you to tell me that.


32. Father. Even these stings are made useful to man. The poor people in some countries use them instead of blisters, when they are sick. Those leaves which do not sting are used by some for food, and from the stalk others get a stringy bark, which answers the purpose of flax. Thus you see that even the despised nettle is not made in vain; and this lesson may serve to teach you that we only need to understand the works of God to see that 'in goodness and wisdom he has made them all.'





DEFINITIONS


12. Magnifying Glass: An instrument used to make objects appear larger.


17. Enchantment: Magic art, witchcraft.


25. Asunder: Apart, into parts.


30. Remedy: That which removes an evil.


30. Conveyed: Carried.


32. Stringy: Full of strings.