Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1881-12-15

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they wish to close out at once. Sow
For the TRIBUNE.
Mr.. Editor:--I gave you last time
an allegorical story in which you
were the principal figure of literary
inspiration; l now propose to give
you more of the same style of com.
position, the moral application, or
hidden meaning, of which, may not
be uninteresting to many of the read
ers of the TRIBUNE.
You and your readers have doubt
less heard Of Pliny, the Roman au-
thor, who lived and tlourished in
the year A. d. 90. In some of his
numerous writings, (for he WAS a
| very learned and Industrious man.
this great and prolific writer tells us
of certain land IN which neither
| dew, nor rain, ever fell, consequently
the land WAS very fruitless and arid.
But in this land there was single
fountain, from which, when people
drew water, they were accustomed
to approach it playing on all kinds
of instruments, and to walk around
ii for a long while. The melody
which they produced from their in
sir9ments caused water to rise to the
mouth of the spring and flow forth
IA great abundance, so that sll men
had enough for their use.
Now Mr.. Editor, let me give you
the Interpretation, as l understand
it, of Pliney's allegory:
Wo know our life's experience has
often shown TO US, that our moral
nature often finds its fullest realism
in the many phases of physical life
around us. The dry arid land, to
which Pliny alludes, may represent
the life Of man; the fountain the
grace Of God. and the musical in
struments the good thoughts, cords,
and actions of our lives, which make
the fountain Of Gods grace overflow
and cover US with blessings and
fruitfulness.
Are not allegorical stories with
their hidden meanings interesting,
if we are but able TO read such rid
dies Alright? They teach US to think,
and we are taught through them,
that the simplest object or circum-
stance around us, can benefit us by
its didsctic philosophy, and that
very much is being lost to us from
being unobservant Of nature, for
every nut, we are told has its con-
cesled kernel if we only stop to
crack it. Hence by doing little
independent thinking for ourselves
every day we will gradually acquire
a large amount of knowledge bear
ing on almost all the questions of
life.
Thinking over the foregoing facts
as | came across an article sometime
ago, in one of our periodicals, de-
scriptive of Indian life in the far
west, thought l would lay it up in
my memory for future telling. 1
will give it you for the benefit of
your readers, AZ well as can remem-
Der it.
A number of young Indian braves
are represented at play, in which it
appears they Jake delight to indulge,
as well as their white brothers do,
at the national game of Chase ball. !"
1t WAS in the early spring and the
day was a lovely one. In the game
a young brave holds in his hands
the tail of deer with a string of
about six inches long, tied to the
end of it; and on this string two
wooden cups, of about an inch and
half in diameter. He throws this
! in the air, and as it decends he in
deavors to catch it by thrusting a
slender pointed stick which he holds
in his hand into one of the cups.
The words "Qut-tee, Ne.sha. Noch-
| ah, Nor-wah, Po-ta-nah, &c. are pro-
nounced in a loud, slow and method
| ical manner, by the player, from
! which it is evident that counting is
going on.
On this occasion the game com
! menced, when the tail was thrown
up and the words repeated, then a
kyause followed, there was an exult-
ant veil. the PLAYER evidently failed.