Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1882-12-08
WHEELS In GODS PLAN.

Had you known Uncle Richard you
would not have been surprised at this,
as he was so often taking things apart
and putting them together again; max
ing the clocks which went too fast 90
slower, and the slow clocks 90 faster;
making them all keep good time.
Uncle Richard was never better
pleased than when there was some real
work for his pincers and pliers, and
cute little screw-drivers, and all the
polished and unpublished little tools,
which he kept so snugly tucked away
in his box. The truth was, he knew a
great deal about wheels and cogs and
pivOts; shall not pretend to tell you
how much he knew, but l will tell you
that he usually succeeded in getting the
clocks and watches to run Just as he
wished them to do.
But to-day Uncle Richard had worked
great while. and seemed very much
in earnest, without accomplishing just
what he wished; worked with his funny
little glass to his eye. squirting into
every Speck of thing which seemed to
have to do with the trouble about the
watch, and was yet puzzling himself
over the tiniest wheel among the tiny
works. Certainly something very grave
was the matter with the wheel.
$50 you cannot think how the whole
world is like great watch?" said Uncle
Richard, suddenly. as he laid down his
pincers. and looked up at Rufus, who
stood by his side.
1t is such funny notion, uncle.
How can people be like wheels and
springs, and all those queer things?''
Easily enough. l wonder what
kind of wheel you are going to- be in
the great watch?"
Boys are not wheels, uncle; how
can they be?"
"They cannot be really wheels, but
they have their own work to do in the
great world, just as these wheels have
their work to do in the watch
Rufus understood this better. He
seemed amused. He seemed disposed
to twist around like the wheels of q
watch.
''Do the wheels Of the world have
to keep twisting all the timer" inquired
Rufus: 81 would get tired of it,
Every wheel in the great world,
and every scrap OF a part of the world,
has its own work to do, but it would be
quite pity to get tired of it. because
it is the work for which they were
made and put in their places"
g But God made us, Uncle Richard,
and surely He never thought about a
watch. am just boy.p 7o
g But what did He make the boy
| for?' sJs a {, e5 lar" - "' .
Rufus was as much perplexed as
ever. -
Il never thought about His making
me for anything special, Uncle Richard;
boys never do anything but learn their
lessons. and play, and ="
''Boys grow to be men," said Uncle
Richard, ''both boys and men have their
own work to do in the world, just as
the little wheels and the big wheels of a
watch have their work to do"
'It does not seem as if / had any,
does it, Uncle Richardp" inquired Ru-
fus, little earnestly. He had never
thought about this before.
Every good wheel or piece of ma
chinery in the watch stands still or
turns around, as it has been appointed
to do; every boy and girl, and man, and
woman, who is a good part of God 8
piece of machinery--the world-does
just what he or she is placed here to
do"
DO they, really, uncle?''
''lo be sure they do. Now there is a
great deal going wrong. all the time,
in this world; can you tell me the rea-
SOM"
Rufus thought he knew what his un-
Gle meant, but he hesitated a minute
before replying.
lis it because there are so many bad
wheels. uncle?" he inquired, smiling up
brightly in his uncle's face 81 think
it must be-
| wheels like this,'' said Uncle Rich
ard, holding up on his pinchers the
mischievous little wheel of the watch
he was trying to fix; wheels that are
not quite true, that have flaw in them
| somewhere" 5000
..And they spoil everything"
almost everything"
"And Gods big world does not go
right on this account? wonder which
are the bad wheels?'
"None of us are quite as we should
be: we are all a little fiawed."
1 s'How does the big watch 90 then,
uncle? should not think it would 20
at ALL
sit goes all wrong. and differently
from the proper way. The nearer we
each keep to the work which God in
tended us to do, the nearer His world
will be right"
but just one man or boy does not
count much.n
Rufus evidently was beginning to feel
uncertain as to his own help in God 8
work.
IF this little wheel could speak, il
might say: Il am such a scrap of q
thing: it can make no difference about
me; all the rest of the parts are good
enough. Nothing SO little as / am
could disturb anything;;' yet you see be
cause of that little wheel the whole
watch is in confusion
4 ssD,.t ,,,olo a = ~,.:a- Al