Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1883-11-16
SUNSHINE.

AZ don't see how 1 can ever pass
isn't thing l can do with myself. I
wish the sun would shine" She looked
out of the window with face fully as
cloudy as the sky which was pouring
down such torrent of rain that she
could not 60 to school.
"Plenty for little lassie to do" said
her mother.
I'm sure don't see what"
There is one thing You can do If
everything else fails. You can make
sunshine here in the house, even
although there may be none out of
doors"
"What do you mean, mammaP
"Why. when you get up in the morn
ing and 60 about singing like bird, as
you sometimes do, your dear little voice
fills the whole house, and seems to
make brightness and sunshine all
through it, no matter how Dame Ma
ture may be frowning and weeping out
side"
1t seems pity that Lucy should not
have fallen in with such a pleasant sug-
gestion, but it was plain that she was
not in n sunshiny mood. She whined
and whimpcred at the weather as if she
fancied that it would do some good.
She worried her mother for different
things with which to amuse herself,
leased the younger children till their
noise drove grandmother to her room,
and made such muss in the kitchen
that Nora at last remarked: "It's
the blessed thing intoirely ye'er not
at home much of the tonne, for it s
none of us'd have our wits left wild YET"
The next morning found the rain
coming down with as good will as
ever. Father rejoiced in the heaven
sent drops, each one of which was
bringing its kindly gift of help and re-
freshment to the growing crops. Moth
er was glad to see the cistern filling, and
the flowers smiling up their thanks as
they bloomed and frightened with clean
washed faces. All were satisfied ex-
cept Grabbed little Miss Lucy, who felt
more than ever abused, and looked as
if she believed the rain was sent for the
sole purpose of doing her grievous in
jury. She took an umbrella and walked
about in the garden, from which she
was brought in by Nora to her mother,
who was sadly troubled at finding her
feet soaking wet.
And she suffered for her folly, for on
the next day, when it raiped but little
and she might have gone to school. she
had such bad cold she could not 90
out of the house. Indeed, she was q
prisoner for several days afterwards, as
the weather continued damp.
would not like to tell you, even if
nnll1I hnVr r,Nt1nh fhnca nj L.
to endure from her peevishness and i'll
temper. 1t is sad to think how many
little ones who have bright faces, sweet
voices and active limbs, giving them the
power to cheer and help those they love,
seem to like better to sadden them by
their sullenness and idlenesS.
Lucy continued to growl and grumbie
at the weather through several weary
days, until one morning the sun peeped
suddenly from behind black cloud,
and looked around inquiringly, as if to
say:
50 wonder, now! if am really want
ed down there"
He seemed to decide that he was, for
he climbed clear above the cloud as fast
as possible and sailed up into the blue.
Plenty of light, feathery white clouds
were all about, but he laughed SO hard
at them that they scampered out of his
way and hid. And then he turned his
attention down to the neighborhood
where Lucy lived, and found things
quite wet and muddy and disagreeable
there.
"Ha! ha!'' he said, "here's little
solid work waiting for me-" So he sent
down liberal supply of his cheeriest,
warmest rays, and Lucy was soon at the
window with face as clear rs if she
had not all the week been running race
with the sky to see who could show the
most clouds.
"Oh, mamma" she cried, sits beau
tiful! Do come and see how the trees
are full of diamonds and how the flow
ers shine in the sun! Can't YOU smell
those lilies and the iessamine? And
hear those darling little birds, what a
twitter and a chatter they are keeping
up. There's a robin picking up the
crumbs you threw out. Oh, do love
suns hiner'
''But you don't try to make much of
it yourself, my little daughter. You
seem to prefer to cast clouds about. No
one would think you were fond of sun
shine" i
But, mamma, my sunshine would
shine only such little way, no matter
how hard 1 tried. Now, when the sun
shines he shines all over the world, he
is so great and grand, but / am only a
little bit of a girl.''
Eyes, but there is only one great sun,
and think how many little girls there
are-and boys. too. If every boy and
every girl made his or her own littlc
share of sunshine, how much would
there be, do you think?"
"Why, mamma-it would reach all
over the world!''
Every nearly"
''But we can't get every little boy and
girl to do il, mamma"
"Pm afraid not; but the best way to
begin is for each one faithfully to do
her own share towards it."
Lucy thought so, too, and resolved
she Uould try to make her share of sun
shine, and to make it reach as for as she
could.
l hope she kept her resolution. !
hope she learned the lesson taught bv
the sunshine and the birds and the flow
ers and every other beautiful thing, that
every child heart should, like them, give
out brightness and music and sweet
ness, al to make light and happiness
for those whom they love.-Sydnev
Ddyre, in ~ Y. Observer.
Great Results Of q Little Act Of Kind.
ness.
uoxv v,anv If tha raadaru - Vs.