194 THE EARTH MADE READY FOR MAN 



We are learning also how to find and how to use the 

 gifts which God has stored on the earth, under the 

 earth and in the au\ 



You have learned what a great storehouse there 

 is upon the earth, in the growing things that supply 

 us with food and clothing. The underground world 

 is just as truly a storehouse, with everything in it 

 packed away so methodically that it makes you 

 think of a real storeroom. It is almost as if that 

 rain water had fingers, and went under the earth's 

 surface hke a '^good and faithful servant," picking up 

 and sorting out the different minerals and putting 

 them, all labeled 'nicely, in their proper place upon 

 the shelves. For the minerals do have their proper 

 places in the storehouse within the earth, and it is 

 the percolating rain water that has carefully put 

 them there. The rain water follows God's law, and 

 it does not make a mistake. 



There are certain minerals that are usually found 

 together. It is as if some minerals make friends with 

 others and like to go where they go. Children and 

 grow^n people have special friends and live in groups 

 and families. Dogs and birds are friendly with cer- 

 tain others of their kind, and especially so with 

 human beings. And do you remember about the 

 plant societies, how certain plants seem to be happier 

 gro^dng together, and how some cannot seem to grow 

 ■comfortably with certain others? So even the rocks 

 and minerals are grouped in societies. 



Iron and sulphur are two of the minerals which 

 often get together. When the underground rain 

 water goes through the slate, it picks out the invisible 



