River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1877-12-13
A Rainy Day.

1t is the universal fashion To rail at
rainy days, and TO get blue, cross and
bored, at such times. "Any temper may
be excused on rainy day." says some
body, whose "new novel" we were read
ing the other day.
Now we do not believe in this con-
domination of rainy days.
A rainy day is to many persons a holi-
day. Those whose employments are out
of-door employments should hail rainy
days as the children at school hail Satur-
days.
When we were a child, we lived on
farm, away back in the country, and on
rainy days the big old barn was our play
ground. What good friends we were
with the speckled hens and the meek
faced cows, and the red oxen, aud the
old white horse, and how many forbid
den handouts of corn did these friends
of ours receive as tokens of our good will
The farm hands threshed the rye and
oats on rainy days, for the fail had not
then been superseded by the horsepower
machine; or they shelled the beans, or
husked the yellow corn. and sang shatches
of old song long since forgotten and num-
bered AMONG the things that were.
And the air was sweet with smells of
clover hay and meadow brakes, and the
wide rafters were festooned with cobwe5s
whose fineness and delieacy no human
skill could rival; and the blue-green
swallows twitted in their nests beneath
cross-beams; and above all the soft patter
of the rain made music on the moss
grown shingles,
A.. - l..
dyed fresher green, and the parched
grass on the garden slope revived in the
grateful moisture, and the tall dahlias and
asters were heavy with diamond rain
drops; and in the swollen brook the snow
white geese padded, and were happy as
kings on thrones.
The monarch of the barn yatd, the red
backed rooster, weht about with his tail
at half-mast, and the gaudy peacock, with
all sail close-furled, sought refuge for
his disconsolate condition on the lee side
of the cOw-shed
How plainly it all comes up before us
to-day How distinctly the pleasant,
homely picture IL photographed Upon our
meinoryi
And even at this late time rainy day
has lost for US none of its weird charms.
Though wide vistas of JOY and sorrow lie
between then and now, we still love
rainy day. We have our life all to our
selves Outside cares ere laid aside for
the time, No visitors love US we'll enough
to brave the storm. We can rummage
old chests and bring forth treasures of
other days without fear of being disturbed.
We read over old letters full of affection
and sweetness still, though, perchance,
the hands ~hieh formed those faded lines
have long since moldered into their native
clay.
We try ON old garments of obsolete
fashion, and imagine ourself our own
grandmother, in embroidered petticoat
and short linen gown,
We fni-h odd jobs 81 work, which
Have lain for months, waiting Just such
an opportunity, and freshen our knowl-
edge of familiar quotations from our fav-
oritc poets, and we think of old friends
who have passed beyond, and wonder
vaguely what they are doing to-day in
far and mystic land rver the tlvet
AID what hundred years hence, shall
we be doing2
A rainy dayl To be alone with mem
ory-alone with duties to be performed
to live over the past-to realize the pres
ent-to indulge hope ofthe future.
But to sit at ease by ones own fireside,
surrounded by those who lore US, and
whom we lose-to know and feel that on
this RAINY day no alien presence will
intrude, what is betterl What is sweeter?
Kate Thorn in Nep N. Y. Weekly.