The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1875-07-09
Working on the Fourth sfJuly.

working on tne fOnrth OF July.
What a hot day il was that Fourth of
July But the children wanted to 20,
just the same two long miles In open
wagons under the tu.l heat of blazing
sun was not 10 be thought of AS an objec-
Lion, when there was such "a delightful
picnic al tl.a end, with games without
number and nice supper. all under the
big trees in the shady grove.
"All the world - III for fun to-day, is
nfity' said Claude. as bob-o-link sail
cd by. lie was trying how close he could
go over the tops OF the tail me- dOw grass,
without hitting Nj glossy white and
black wings; and was 20 perfectly fun of
jolliiy, tina all the time il dubbed over IN
the very mcrrit ~ song YOU eyer heard
And when they reached the woods they
were surer than ever that IL was hOll-
day for tine whole world; the squirrels
were chattering, birds were singing. the
brook was dancing. ana there wa, "A play
ful rustic among the leave. overhead. as
little breeze came creeping among them.
But with all this mrth about him, there
was one old fellow who kept about his
work; he was the sun. IL Is true we
thought az first that iI was special fire
works, gotten upby him for independence
Day. that sent the thermometer up 10 %
degrees that noon; but In the end II
proved there was never biz of sport in
IL; he was doing his regular work. Up
80 far above, that he could sec the dusty
roads and The thirsty flowers with such
sharp ears that he could hear them crying
for water; with sight 50 keen that he
could peer away down uader the ground
and see how low the springs were getting,
and how empty the wells, this
good old friend decided he
had too much work on hand to
take a holiday. and so he went on with his
business. lie sent his very hottest rays
down upon the lake and The river, aud
some OF them TO the little brook. where IL
went lcapng through the meadow, and
the little particles OF water grew warm,
very warm; and rs they became warmer
they began to feel strangely light, - if II
would be very easy 20 fly, and they
whispered TO each other of this new feel
ing. And soon they grew so very light
that they were lifted mp by the air and
iloated away toward the sky first a few,
then more and more, until hundreds and
thousands Of these wee PARTICLES were ily-
ing away. Higher they went. and still
more followed. till the crowd reached
from the lake 10 the very tops of the noun
tains.
Pretty soon the first ones met with a
new friend "A gentle wind that was maxi
ing a journey. II had just called upon
Mt. Washington. and had brought some
Of her cool snowy air home with IL. Ii
was really refrc-hing ON this warm day,
and they stopped to chat with this cool
breeze "A moment; hut the very first word
with her chilled them through, and they
pressed up To each other 20 get warm the
Others coming up grew cold too, and az
fht4I srAxll,.I fnH4fbaf- ia ioplsI
from the picnic table and said. There's a
cloud coming up; hope IL wont rain be-
fere we get hone,' and then they very
soon forgot all about it.
But more and more of the water reach
ed the cool air, and larger grew the cloud.
Grandma Perkins opened all her blinds
and shut all her windows; Mr.. Merchant
drew up his awning and carried ia the
new prints he had stacked up in front Of
the store and the people AZ the picnic
wished the wagons would come to carry
them home. but the wagons were two
miles of.
Up in the cloud the tiny particles
pressed closer together till they made
great drops, and the same old heavy feel
ing came over them that they had in the
lake; then they began To fall, down into
the meadow and town over which the
wind had driftcd them, all over Farmer
Chapin's hay, left out to dry; down on
Grandma's windows to rinse them clean;
down into the garden, where the lilies
were holding up their cups To catch them,
and where the rosc-bushes clapped "A cor
dial welcome with their shaking leaves.
They visited the picnic grove too; thick
and fast they battered through the
branches there were no carriage to take
the children, there was no roof 10 shelter
them: they crowded under the table and
behind the rocks; some thought IL was
fun, and laughed; some thought IL any
thing else, and cried; those who wore
their best dresses were sorry; those who
came in the everyday prints were GLAD,
for hadn't they seen the wash-tub 100
often 10 be frightened by water9
But never mind, little people, who were
troubled. The sun didn't mean o hurt
You by working on holiday, and calling
the lake-water into the sky and sending
II sprinkling down; he was only doing
his work. And 1t soaked into the earth,
away down 10 the empty springs, ana
they ran bnbbling into the wells, and inc
sparkling water we drank at tea was an
the fresher for the shower; and the cl.-
terms were filed brim full, so that Peggy
eyes Frightened ut the thought OF ne,
Mondays washing. So what seems bad
for US now may prove good for us IN ti ne
end, or good for somebody else. ana W. ~
all be happy whatever comes, even II "
a shower IN the midst of our picnic
N A a. IL -. M