The Plymouth Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1869-1941, 1870-06-09
YOUTHS DEPARTMENT.
IF WISHES WERE HORSES.
BY RUTH CHEsTERFIEID.

UOeS not Slgnl- =, bur SOmeW here about the
time when water ran up hill and bean
stalks grew hundred feet high-when
gorgeous palaces sprang up like n41sh-
rooms IN single night, and geese laid
golden eegs-in short, about the time
when wishes were horses" tn It hap
pened which am going t. relate.
Once upon time, then, a little girl was
walking by herself through quiet coun-
try lane. Her name was f 0ri'la and she
was on the way to spend the afternoon
With her cousin Myra.
She seemed in 10 haste to get there,
however, for she fiuttered in and out,
hither and thitner, like a butterfly. Nov
1t was field d-mOuSe'S nest which attracted
her nOtice-and anon she paused to listen
to the lifting song Of the oriOle, or TO
watch the dragon-fly in his wild waltz
over the pool. Thus enssrOssed, she gave
no heed to the weather, until she felt a
drop of rain on her forehead, and, looking
up, saw that the sky, which, when she
started from home, was as blue as her
frock, had now become as gray as grand
mammals best pOngee
40 dearl O dearw cried Florilia, dts
going to rain. 1t arrays rains when |
want to go anywhere"
She hastened on, but the great drops
began to patter down, leaving long eX-
clamation-points upon the flowing rib
bons of her hat a01 her pretty silk
dress.
She ran under an oak tree for shelter,
and, stamping her little foot impatientlY,
exclaimed: " wish it would stop rain
ing, and never rain again, never :"
Never is long time" said voice,
and, looking up, the child beheld stand
| IrC hnCI 10 haF fl,n r.cff lof
ever was seen.
He had merry face all dimpling with
smiles, and although it was a humaR face,
it at the sane time reminded one of a
great, jolly sunfower; his hair, which
hung down over his shoulders, resembled
ribbon grass, and over his head was a
bright arch, ike a rainbow. He was
dressed in a suit of vivid green, and his
shoes were male OF the cups of the nepen-
thes. In his hand he carried watering
pot of silver, tesjOOned with lilies and
cowslips.
'' am the Genius of the weather" said
he. Il have heard your wish, and if you
are really i'll earnest, | should like to
oblige you. But consider well necsr is a
long time"
"I am in earnest, and I don't need to
consider" exclaimed Florilla 90, shall
be so happy!"
Are you sure of that?" asked the
Genius Perhaps you have not thought
how much depends on the rain. Sup
pose We begin with a week."
80, no, that will not do at all" said
Florilla, "for next week there is to
be picnic at Strawberry Island, and the
week after is my birthday, and | am TO
have party on the lawn, and the week
after that | am to go with papa to the
seashore, and-O dear me, a week is
nothing at all =
at shall be as you say" said the
Genius" but take this reed" drawing one
from the watering pot, land if ever you
should change your mind, one blast upon
1t Will summon me-"
So saying he seemed TO fade slowly
away, and 10 become absorbed in the oak
tree under which they stood. At the
same moment the clouds parted and the
sun shone out gloriously, and with light
heart Florilla tripped away to her cousin
Myra's.
When she went home at night she put
the reed away in a drawer, "iust to re-
member the Genius by" as she said TO
herself, though she was quite sure she
should never want to use it.
4" Fine growing weather" remarked the
farmers one to another, as week passed
on without drop of rain but the second
week they began to shake their heads
doubtfully, the third to talk despondingly
of 90 the drought the fourth IA universal
wall was heard throughout the land The
crops which had promised so well now
threatened to come TO naught, and house
| Keepers were at their wis end to con-
trve meals for their families without
vegetables, and pickles and preserves for
winter use without fruit.
A. TO the washerw omen, they ran fran
tically about the streets with pals and
mops in their hands, crying, "Water.
water |! when there was not drop TO be
begged, borrowed or stolen.
The weeks went on, and the sun
rose and went through the heavens
and set, lurid ball, its rays untem-
pered by cloud as large as a mans
hand.
The fields which the mowers scythe
had passed over were dry and yellow.
The leaves hung scar and dropping, and
| if breath of air stirred their stiffness,
it was like the simeon that sweeps over
the desert.
Florilla learned that things can look
very dismal even in tair weather.
But that was not the worst of it.
Streams and rivers dried up which had
never been known to be dry before; cat
tie were driven miles To water, and many
of them died of thirst Men and horses
fell down with sun stroke, and at last a
grievous sickness broke out.
| FlOrilla heard all these things talked
about, but she was too mach a child To un-
derstand them fully. Sull it made her
feel uncomfortable, and one day, when
| the conversation ran upon ship at sea
| which was five days without fresh water,
she quietly slipped out of the room, and
went down to the brookside. But the
brook was no longer therel Only
broken, rocky channel remained, on the
pebbly bottom of which lay shoals of
dead minnows. This shocked Florilla
more than anything she had seen, for be-
tween her and the animal world there had
always existed wonderful sympathy.
Besides the minnows there was one old
trout who seemed to be Just breathing his
last. "Poor fellow" said Florilla, pity
ingly, "don't look so sad. I'll take you
home and put you in the water pail, and
then you'll revive again"
"Talk not TO me of water-pails," said
the trout; Z" for why should L wish
to live when all my companions are gone I?
Butsfor you, we might still be disporting
| ourselves in the cool water. You have
always pretended to be our friend, but
you have proved more hard hearted than
boys with their ishhooks. They only
kill two or three, or dozen at most, but
you have caused us To perish by hundreds.
Go away, cruel child, and leave me To die
in peace"
Florilla turned away without speaking,
and the next thing she saw was bird
sitting on bough with dropping head
and wing. Come, cheer up, little bird,
and give me song," said she.
The bird raised its head feebly. and
said, Il and my mate sang at your chamber
window every morning just as the dav
broRe until you caused this terrible drought
to come upon u.s. but, alas ! we shall never
c;.,.z thor.. min C.. alor,.r l;ttla .z.-l