Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1878-12-04
The Streamlet and the Pool.

The Rev. A. A. Willis, ID. d., of Phila.
dephia, in illustrating the blessedness of
cultivating a liberal spirit, uses this beauti-
full figure
"See," he says, that little fountain yon.
der--away yonder in the distant mountain,
shining like thread of silver through the
thick copse, and sparkling like a diamond
in its healthful activity. 1t is hurrying on
with tinkling feet to bear its tribute to the
river. See 1t passes a stagnant pool, and
the pco' halls it:
"' Whittier away, master streamlet p
"'I am going to the river to bear this cup
of water God has given me-
I" Ah, you are very foolish for that--you'll
need it before the summers over. II has
been backward spring, and we SHAH have
a hot summer TO pay for it-you will dry up
them
"' WE'LL said the streamlet, if | am to die
so soon, had better work while the day
lasts. If am likely to lose this treasure
from the heat, had better do good with it
while have it.
$50 it went on, blessing and rejoicing in
its course. The pool smiled complacently
at its own superior foresight, and husbanded
all its resources, letting not drop steal
away. Soon the midsummer heat came
down, and it fell upon the little stream.
But the trees crowded to its brink, and
threw out their sheltering branches over it
in the day of adversely, for it brought re.
freshment and life to them; and the sun
peeped through the branches and smiled
pleasantly upon its dimpled face, and seemed
to say, It's not in my heart to harm you ;
the birds slipped its silver tide, and sung its
praises in the overhanging branches; flow
ers gemmed its border, and breathed their
perfume upon its bosom; the beast of the
field loved to linger near its banks, and
chewed the cud of content under its cool
shadows, and the husbandman's eye always
sparkled with JOY as he looked upon the line
of verdant beauty that marked its course
through his fields and meadows and so on
it went, blessing and blessed of all
&" And where was the prudent pool Alas
in its inglorious inactivity it grows sicky
and pestilentia The beasts of the field
put their lips to it, but turned away without
drinking; the breeze stopped and kissed
it by mistake, but shrunk chilled away. 1t in
hailed the malaria i'll the contact, and carried
the ague through the region, and the inlab-
itants caught it and had to move away; and
at last the very frogs cast their venom upon
the pool and deserted it, and heaven, in
q
and dried it upl
But did the little stream exhaust itself ?
o mol God saw to that. 1t emptied its
full cup into the river, and the river bore it
on to the sea, and the sea welcomed it, and
the sun smiled upon the sea, and the sea
sent up its incense to greet the sun, and the
clouds caught in their capacious bosoms the
incense from the sea, and the winds, like
waiting steeds, caught the chariots of the
clouds and bore them away-away to the
very mountain that gave the little fountain
birth, and they tipped the brimming cup,
and poured the grateful baptism down; and
so God saw to it that the little fountain,
though it gave so fully and so freely, never
ran dry And if God so blessed the foun-
tain, will he not bless you, my friends, if as
ye have freely received, ye also freely gve?'
De assured ho will. l."-Prosbytorian