Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1870-05-05
Rainy Days.

Rainy Days.
of all days give me rainy ones for
memory and meditation. They some
how soften the mental surface, trampled
and trodden down by many-footed inter-
est, aud LET the buried germs of the past,
and tue hall-forgotton, up through the
parched and indurated soil-germs
bursting into the beauty of the days that
are no more-fowers of the heart, that
though it be rock, cling around its
cIelts aud deck its rude aud roughened
breast, with brighter order" than
ever glittered on the bosom of bravery.
If the dear departed ever appear to
US, it is when the sky Is overcast, dimly
through the mist Of rain and tears.
If the wondrous mirage OF the mind
ever brings to, view The shores of the
distant past, it is when the cloud is over
head; just as we sometimes see the sun
shine on tue swelling hills abroad, while
the veil of rain and shadow envelopes us
where we stand.
IL the footballs Of those who have gone
before, @
To that unseen and silent shore,
are ever heard by The listening heart, il
is when thew are so blended with the pat
tering of the rain, we cannot tell one
s-~.-. 49, ~tL-..
But, alasl the warmest, soitest, sweet
est fain-e'en the rain that mercy is
likened to-cannot restore to life those
vino have obsyed the hallOwiug touch Of
time, aud are I" dust to dust"
The other day we were favored with a
well behaved rain, best with an abund-
ance of gentleuess, and disposition as
sweet as June.
1t was none of your dashing, roaring
sort of Gains, that sIra0gle the cutters,
splash against the windows, and take
ones breath away with whole pailsfull o.
water al once.
Ii was none Of your cold, sleety freez
ing rains that come down point first, like
an avalanche of cam5rc needles; MOI
yet n clustering, whirling shower thai
sweeps up before YOU in sheets, with the
roll of thunder between, that makes YOU
think of banners in battle. Neithe,
was It one of those old fashioned steady
rains, that begin to get ready in the
morning with The wind g swocning over
hollow grounds" mist all the forenoon
drip, drip, all the afternoon, aud set into
a regular rattling, pouring rain, thai
rains you to sleep--that YOU hear when
away in the middle of your dream
that rains when You wake up, that keeps
raining till YOU begin to think of the old
covenants, and bless yourself, as YOU
turn over, that the seal of the rainbow
has not faded from the dark scroll of the
storm.
No it was none of these, but little
showers, that came one after another out
of the clouds, as il to see how eartl
would be pleased with them.
1t rainsI But don't imagine for &
minute that it always does the same
thing when it rains. There's the rain
insPrompt,t, the rain progressive, the
rain premedilated, aud the rain with =
"to be continued" the oblique, the per.
pendicular, the driving, the dripping. and
the sheet rain. There's YOUR dull, driz
cling, dreamy rain, that dampens the
day and the spirits, and makes one re-
member old sunsets and old friends; and
there's your blight, merry, living show.
er, that comes dancing down in the sun.
shine, or moonshine, or any time, all the
same.
But the grandest of all rains is that
with scenic and orchestral accompani.
ments; when the clouds that lay lurking
sullenly around the horizon have rolled
up almost to the zenith, and behind
them, without rent Oh. wrinkle, trails the
dark robe of the storm. A traiu, il il
shaken out over the trees: sail, il
curves from heaven to earth; men .of.war,
the dark hulls loom up in the offiug.-
There's Earring of machinery above, rs
stately aud steadily they sweep up in the
very teeth of the wind. There's a flash
ing Of crabines athwart their dim decks
There are red lights like battle-Ianterns
swinging aloft. The drums beat grum
mer and drummer /" to quarters" They
are lying broadside to broadside; they
have opened ports! The great shotted
guns of the gust roar at each other from
deck to deck. The roll of the rain on
roof and tree rattles brayely on the
while. and at last The battle is ended
The cloudy crafts wear away, all sails
set. and what pearly and purple signals
they show in the setting SUM-
"A great rainbow is bent around the
world; tbs half of the signet ring of the
Almighty, in token of peace and amity
between Heaven and Earth.-TAYLoR's
January and June.