The Arkansas banner., 1843-10-14
THE SONG OF THE sTREAMLET
BY JOHN LYMAN.

J
 ing it glided over round smooth peoples, cleaning white in the reflected sunbeams that glanced down. as Il in love, upon the bo- som of the riyule,, through the openings made among the overhanging foliage by the iitful sighings of the breeze. Between yer t.ant margins ran the stream; margins ot soft green turf, enamelled here and there with flowers. Water-lilies lleatea on it's bosom, glorious in their simple beauty. Silence was around it; the deep blue sky of summer morning was above; beauty in thousand forms surrounded 1t on every side, crowned with the beauty of solitude and peace. The streamlet felt it's happiness, aud thus in wild but gentle melody ii sang:
 Gaily, peacefully, happily on glide to mingle my pure waters with those of the mighty river Thus for thousands of years have been running. and thus to the end of time shall continue to run my course, in sunshine CT in shade, unknowing whence came, uncaring whither go, or what IS to be my destiny when swallowed up ill the great seq, 10 which the river is hasiening also-- Such was tic course marked out for me b5'
 my Creator, and for no other have wish or ambition. To do that for which was as- signed, to be always doing--this IS my only thought And this, too Is the only thought of all that exists and does around me. The trees put forth their leaves in spring, and their fruits in summer; i'll autumn the leaves fall, leaving the naked and desolate branches to bide as they may the piercing assault of the winter blasts but spring comes again, and again the unwearying tree puts forth it's leaves, and prepares to live over again the same uuvarying round of duty. The grass and the flowers also fulfil, year after year, the task that is given to them; ;he birds build their nests and bring forth their young; the resplendent sun shines out at his appointed time, as he shone i'll ages long past; and the lovely moon pours down her radiance night ly to glitter upon my breast. All that Is ere ated knows what 1t has to do, and that does all except man the restless, the ever-dis- satisfied, the ever-rebellious against his lot.
 Oh man, wonderful and most favored among all created things, wise though thou art, and endowed with faculties like unto those of thy Creator, disdain not the lesson that may be taught thee even by Us thy in- ieriors and servants. Learn lrohi us that in doing is the purpose of thy creation to be fulfilled; for thou also hast thy appointed work to do
 As the drops of which the stream is com posed pass on, each in its turn and place, to be seen no more, to form part of the stream no more, so does each son or daughter of humanity emerge for brief space from the void of non-existenee, to form part of the great current along which the tide of human life is flowing each is but dfop--the least of all conceivable drops ill that mighty stream yet each has al assigned place to fill, an assigned share of performance to execute the place may be infinitely small the duty to be fulfilled may be infinitely unimportant of itself; yet of millions so small is the i'm mense whole made up. One here and an- other there may start aside from the course one here and another there may refuse to perform his part, and even put forth his strength to hinder the rest in their toll yet the stream flows on, the resistless current of mans destiny keeps on its course, even as the reslstless current of time keeps on, alike sweeping away him that flinders and him that helps. And even as to the drop of the flowing streamlet, which should be foolish enough to resist the perpetual flow that bears It on to be lost in the great river, dariing from side to side, or striving to mount upward 1 again toward its source in the mountain Till if drop so unwise there might be-cvcn as to such, the fruit of its foolish resistance would be only trouble and toll thrown away, while the streamlet would flow on uncheck- ed, so does the child of man, who puts not his hand 10 the work that is appointed for him to do, gain only trouble and toll for him ! self, while the stream of his kinds destiny flows on resistless and solemn, as if he were | not; and after little ume-less than mo- ment to the stupenduous whole, but to him. self an eternity of ages, because to him it is all time, he Is borne away to the vast sea of the unknown, and his power for evil or good, with himself, Is lost in the void for ever.
 Oh man, what wisdom 1t were in thee to know the excellence and the beauty of quiet Come to the humble streamlet, stand on its grassy brink, and see with what gladness of hear. it glides smoothly along; swiftly now, with an arrowy flight, where its approaching hanks grei it but narrow space, and now with amore gentle flow, where with its expanded surface 1t lies spread out like a lake under the clear sunshine and the celestial blue of the vault on high. See how it reloices in the accomplishment of it's destiny, having ever before 1t only the one object for which 1t was called into existeaee--to mingle its clear wa ters with those of the majestic river-striving only to do that, cherishing no delusive hope or ambition of being or doing save only that, putting forth all its powers for that, and mur- muring ever it's song of content and joy as it speeds along in the light of its own beauty, in the happiness of its duty fulfilled Never. save when hindered in its course. does it lift ! its voice in aught but the gentle song of con- tent and joy; where some fragment of rock opposes its progress, there its murmur IS changed to loud and complaining note but the rock eyaded by turn to the righ, or [ left, the streamlet flows on again peacefully [ as before, forgetful of the injury Il had sus- tanned, too happy for the memory of aught but its task, for the consciousness of aught but the blessing and the charm of that quiet which alone it seeks.
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