Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1875-06-02
The Little Stream.

81 shall never learn 10. Such horrid, long
difficult words. There is no use trying
And little Freddy Baker pushed back his
chair, put his hand in his pockets, kicked
his heels on the ground, and frowned at the
poor, torn spelling-book on the table, as if it
were his greatest enemy
No use trying 2" said kind voice Just
behind him care You quite sure of that 2
! rather think you have not been trying in
the right way. There is right and q
wrong way Of doing everything, you know.
! wonder If certain little boy has tried as
heartily aud as bravely to conquer those hard
words rs he did the other day to climb that
tall elm tree at the foot Of the garden2 lie
fell down great many times, but he jumped
up again, laughing every time, and at last got
TO the top Of what seemed to me very hor-
rid, long difficult branches But come let
me see these terrible words which are
frightening my brave little nephew"
Freddy looked little bit ashamed. but he
took up the book and said, Just look here,
Aunt Mary. at the very first word, AHegory.
is NOT that long and don't understand the
meaning of it one bit, and there are eleven
more Just as bad"
Well Freddy, ! will make a bargain
You have learnt your lesson in twenty min.
utes, ! will tell you an allegory."
d" Is an allegory story " inquired Freddy
Frightening up.
Mine shall be" replied Aunt Mary a
story with a moral in it,"
A moral in it," exclaimed Freddy; " then
| shall not like it at all, for always skip the
moral at the end Of fables. A moral is just
a sermon"
Don't be afraid, Freddy. There shall be
no Sermon as you call it, in my allegory
II shall be story all through, and | will
leave you to find out the moral for yourself"
II was wonderful how quickly Freddy
learnt the impossible " lesson, with the
prospect of story at the end In a quarter
Of an hour the book was brought to Aunt
Mary, and the twelve formidable words spelt
without a mistake, Then Freddy seated
himself on q comfortable stool at her feet
and looking up in her face, said, "Now
Aunt Mary, for the allegory. suppose you
will begin, as all the story books do, with
Once upon a time"
Very WE'LL" said Aunt Mary, smiling
Once upon n time there lived in a certain
green valley noisy little stream. What a
fussy little stream it was, and what a hustle
anu Nllhlitl u lllNtlF lNllNlllE ONtI ip STONES
and rocks II always seemed very busy.
that little stream, and so merry, too, dane
ing, and leaping, and sparkling in the sun
shine. On one side tall trees bent over it,
and on the other green field, covered with
daisies, sloped down to its edge; other flow
ers grew there, too yellow buttercups aud
blue iorget-me-nots, and trailing, sweet wild
roses In fact, it was as pretty home as
a. L
have.
"0ne fine morning, little golden-haired
boy, width happy face, and glad eyes, came
bounding down the field, filling his hands
with flowers rs he came. When he reached
the waters edge, n grave look came into his
blue eyes, and he stood looking at the brook
hur1ying by Presently he spoke
"1ittle stream he said, why do you al
ways run away from me as if | were going
10 hurt you Has any one sent You on a
message that you are in such hurry that
You cannot stop and play with me ?
But the stream did not stop. On it
went-over the rocks, and around the stones.
and in aud out the rushes, racing and twist
ing and twirling, like some frolicsome little
elG
The boy waited a minute, and then spoke
you not stop a minute and speak to me |
want to know whore you are going, where
You come from, and what YOU are singing so
merrily about DO make friends with me /;
see here are some pretty things for you :"
and he threw the flowers into the water.
But 10, il was of no use. OF course the
brook did not stop. 1t certainly seemed to
treat the flowers with great consideration.
bearing them quickly but teuderly around
the sharp rocks, singing to them, and rock
ing them, but never stopping-always go
ing on.
"The little boy watched the howers-red
and yellow and bmc-until they were out
of sight and then, am sorry to say,
the sunny face became clouded, and angry
words burst from his lips.
80 Naughty, provoking little stream he
said and he picked up some large stones
and dashed them into the water: 'you are
very unkind and very selfish. You won't
play with me, and You have run away with
my pretty flowers. do not like you at ALL
And he threw himself down upon the ground
in pet.
snow must say the stream did behave
in a most provoking manner just then, for it
and rattledon faster than ever, and
shook its shiny sides with laughter | did
fancy that heard some little sobs amidst
its inirth, as if it thought a child pouting a
sad as well as an absurd sight.
What do you think, Freddy?
Now among the branches overhead a
gentle breeze was nuttering, and it wills
pered TO the child and famed his curls, and
did its best 10 comfort him. But the child
would not be oomforted so the breeze tray
eled to the end of the long branch that bent
down close to the water, and murmured
something 10 a singing ripple Just passing
and the ripple turned aside at its breath, and
rolled ON the grass at the childs feet
SO Little boy it said, and its voice was
clear and sweet as bell, the breeze has
sent me to tell you my story. You want TO
know where | come FROM where | am 90.
ing and why | am always ia such a hurry.
| come from purple hillside far away, and
| am Fastening on TO the wide sea. When
| was baby stream among the heather, |
was not rs noisy as | am now. All could
do was to trickle slowly between the ferns
and brackens, and sing them gentle little
song. Then | noticed that wherever |
passed the grass and wild flowers looked
greener aud brighter, and ! began TO think
the good God had sent me into his beauti-
ful world TO be useful as well as happy. So
| made haste TO grow bigger and stronger
and spread out az wide as | could, and wa
tered the fields and the banks, and gave
more leaves TO the trees, and more brilliant
rolors TO the flowers.
"' Presently the thirsty cattle came down
10 drink from me, and helped the miller to
turn his great, stiif wheel, and by-and-by,
when get stronger and deeper, ! shall carry
great ships and lead them on 10 the far-away
sea, on their way TO distant countries.
90 Then ! let no obstacles turn me aside.
When the rocks and stones try 10 stop me,
ust jump over them, laughing and singing
III the more.
SO Don't you think, little boy, that this is
! merrier and wiser plan than II got angry
With them That would waste so much !
imei besides, | like TO conquer the rocks
md not let them conquer me. How weak !
nd foolish | should feel, and how pleased
hey would be J Now, little boy, you know
Why 60 SC quickly, why tumble and rush |
yer the rocks, and why sing all the time.
like to be useful and happy and busy.
iood-by Good-by +
Away went the stream. And the child |
ured back up the field, wishing that he
ias always happy and useful and busy |
nd wondering il he always conquered the
oeks, or II they always conquered him.
That is the end OF my allegory. Little
'reddy, do you see any moral in II 2"
Freddy sat quite still for few minutes,
nd then he said