Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1876-05-18
A CURIOUS LITTLE HOUSE.

IT was very small l carried it home
in my pocket, wrapped up in piece OF
paper. In fact, to have seen that little
package, you never would have thought
Of its being a real house; but it surely
was, and had been inhabited by living
being for a long time-several years at
least; and that the curious part of it was
that he had built it all by himself, en-
larging it, little by little, as he needed
extra room, for he did not like to be
crowded. He had been busy at it all his
life; this life had ceased, and all that re-
manned for remembrance of the little
fellow was his empty house.
[ took it carefully out Of my pocket,
opened the paper, and turned it thought
fully over and over. 1t was not what you
would call, at the first glance, handsome
residence, with its rough brown walls; no
windows through which l could peer in ;
but found door, and on opening this
door, although almost knowing what [
was to see, could notsuppress an exclama-
ton Of delight. The whole interior was
rich with sparkling beauty; it glittered
with soft waves of color, such as | knew
no human hand could have painted; and,
as l looked, knew and understood that
the life-Work of the little creature was one
of glory.
When we have known so much of his
work, we think of him as friend, and
naturally want to know all about him.
What was his name, and whence he
came 30
Well, he was, or rather had been, an
oyster; not, indeed, a common oyster,
such as you can see any day, but distant
relation. He had not even lived in this
country, but far away in land Of which
we really know but little: he had proba-
bly, had his home in one of the beautiful
bays of Japan. So many, many miles
from us, he had lived his happy life, lit
tie thinking with what care his empty
house would be brought to this strange
place, and with what eager curiosity it
would be examined
Ii We look at it little closer, we shall
find something that we have not noticed.
1t is that little white lump on the side;
look sharp, for it is wee little lump, not
half as large as pea; yet in it lies the
great value Of the house-a value which
is represented by many dollars, if we
chose to part with it: it is a real pearl :;
and pearl, you know, is so precious,
that the Bible compares it to saved soul,
for which rich man might be willing to
part with all he had that he might obtain
it; and here we find pearl in our friends
house.
The next question is, how did it get
there. 1t happened long time ago, one
day when he was taking his dinner. He
had been in the habit, when he was hun
cry, Of lying over on his side on the bot
tom Of the baylor you know he was way
down under the Water-and watching for
something to float near him that might
taste good, and, when it came within his
reach, to open his door and draw it in.
Well, On this particular day, grain of
sand got accidentally in with his food.
This he could not eat, neither could he
dispose of it any other way. A grain of
sand is to us very small thing; but, to
him, it was a formidable object; it
troubled him; he could not get it out of
his house; there it was, rubbing against
his side-scratching, irritating him all the
time.
What do you think he did? Very like
ly if we should have so great an aff1ictio on
as this was to him, we would give up to
it, complaining Of our hard lot, making
ourselves miserable; but lot so with our
friend; he did not stop for that, but went
to work to see how he could help him
self.
He had been covering the walls Of his
house constantly with a secretion that
made them beautiful: so he commenced
to cover up this grain Of sand the same
way. He fastened it to the wall, built
around it,-and plastered it over until it
was grain of sand no longer, but what
we find it here-a pearl. This was not
the work of one day, nor of two, but of
many. 1t filed up his life with patient
Toll. Out Of his great affection he pro-
duced jewel that the proudest of earth's
queens might delight to wear.
Scientific men tell us that the oyster be-
longs to the lowest class of animal life,
yet I think we can afford to listen to this
lesson OF patience and bravery, even from
this, the least Of Gods creatures.
Our knowledge of this fact of the ORR