THE BEAUTIFUL LADDER, 18 / 
every individual of the almost endless variety 
God has put the imprint of his matchless skill, 
but when their claims to usefulness are exam¬ 
ined, the verdict is sometimes against them 
from the facts most open to observation. Per¬ 
haps in this very aspect we get a key to their 
true economy in Nature: their obscure and 
humble labors are well fitted to teach us im¬ 
portant moral lessons. Lest we should fail in 
our dulness to learn what they are adapted to 
teach, God himself has more than once direct¬ 
ed special attention to them: ‘ Go to the ant, 
thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise.’ 
Let us take this divine hint, and perhaps we 
may gather some choice grains of wisdom in 
the search; a wholesome fear is the first step 
toward a true obedience. 
“ Ever since this divine proverb bade man go 
to the ant and gather wisdom from her indus¬ 
try and provident ways, the pertinence of the 
exhortation has become more and more em¬ 
phatic by every renewed and close study of her 
habits; and so, from that day, now more than 
half a century past, when my entire hours were 
spent, in preference to indulgence in youth¬ 
ful sports, prone and with chin resting on the 
