NATURAL HISTORY. 81 



first place, I think that I ought not to en- 

 courage a man who gets drunk, by employing 

 him ; for I would rather give my money to 

 a sober man who will not spend it for rum and 

 brandy, but will take care of his family : and, 

 in the second place, a drunkard would not 

 work faithfully without being watched all the 

 time. I never knew a drunkard who was 

 really and honestly an industrious man." 



" See, Uncle Philip, how strong that man 

 is ; what a large spadeful of dirt he throws 

 out !" 



" Yes, I see, boys : do you think that men 

 had the first spades in the world ?" 



" Ah ! now you are going to tell us some- 

 thing about tools among animals : that is 

 good ; we like to hear of that. What animal 

 is it that has a spade ?" 



" Oh, a very common animal indeed in 

 some parts of our country. The country 

 people call it a woodchuk, and sometimes a 

 ground-hog : its right name is the marmot ; 

 and as there are several sorts, ours is called 

 the Maryland marmot, to distinguish it ; but 

 it is in New- York, Connecticut, New- Jersey, 

 Pennsylvania, Virginia, and some of the other 

 states, as well as in Maryland, This is rather 



