Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1884-07-28
Grim and Grit, the two
Boats.
A FABLE.

On a bay of sound two boats
were kept for sailing parties. Grit,
| the smaller, was a prettily-shaped
sharp bowed, light-built vessel, whose
bright colors attracted every one.
Grim had heavy timbers. thick sides,
a broad, faring bow at the top, and
was painted dull color. Grit was
a great favorite and was admired by
nearly everybody, while few had any
thing to say about the larger boat.
Parties chose the prettier boat for
sailing, unless the water was rough
or there were very timid ones in the
company, and then the heavy boat
was far more blamed than praised.
But the two were great friends,
and many a long talk in boat Ian
guage did they have together as they
lay side by side on the water. All
the praise that Grit received did not
make it vain; nor was tie larger
vessel jealous of its friends popular
ity. When at night they met, after
the smaller one had spent the day
with party, the talk would be as
friendly as if both were equally liked
by people. Grim had always much
| to tell of what he had seen and heard,
as well as thought, during the day
and the other had as much to say
of the sailing party. Thus for months
did the friendship continue, but as
fall drew near Grim became more
quiet. He had several times during
the summer spoken of his own COM
parative uselessness and the good his
friend was able to do, yet always in
a pleasant manner. But gradually
he became tired of so little to do,
and wished more and more that peo-
pie would now and again take a sail
with him.
81 have been wondering a great
deal to- day." said he as Grit lay be-
side him at anchor one night, ''why
/ was made such a clumsy, homely
boat, and you SO light and pretty.
Nobody wants to sail in me, and you
hardly find day of leisure. You
must be tired / would gladly share
the work with you; l don't want to
be idle, but there is nothing else l
can do. / wonder what / was made
for, anyway? A large, strong boat
like me ought to be doing something
else than lying idly at anchor all
summer"
''Wait, my big BROTHER replied
Grit, ''your time has not come yet !;
mine is almost past. What if you
are not as lightly built or as prettily
painted as / am, you are just as good
and true boat for all that. Paint
is not ourselves but that which hides
us; your dull paint covers as good
and true boat as ever carried pas
sengers safely through storm. ;"
"That may be-" replied Grim,
''but my looks are against me; and
because of my dull paint and clumsy
shape people pass me by. Because
l am so homely l am useless
"Not useless but waiting for bet
ter work than such as / can do. You
are only waiting to prove what you
are made for and what you can dc
when needed. Pretty looks may at
tract men when they need nothing
better. But what are beauty and
lightness in boat when people are
to be saved from the raging storm p
perhaps you are right" said
Grim, sadly, 'sbut those times Of
need seldom come, while the times
when beauty attracts are nearly al
ways with u.s.
"True, brother" spoke the small
er one, "but more may depend OIL
that one time of need than on all one
can do in whole lifetime will
beauty"
AS fall came, and with it strong e.
winds, the larger boat was more il
demand. But nothing unusual hap
pened during the autumn, and lat'
in the season the two boats wer,
taken out of the water. Grim tol(
his friend that the time of usefulness
for both had gone by.
"For me it has, but your creates
time for doing good may be onl,
coming" replied Grit.
: The weather. grew very cold ant
the bay filled with ice, leaving onl,
narrow passage out to the sound
One night after the clouds had gath
? cred all day it began to snow. Th
! northeast wind was blowing gale
; the snow came down faster and fast
er until it appeared like furiou
! drifting fog. Old boatmen locke,
out on the water with dread, ant
felt thankful that they were ashor
as they pitied the unfortunate sailor
: on the sound. They knew that NJ
man could see to guide vessel il
such snow, nor could the light
houses that warned of danger b
seen. Not far away from the ba
was a ledge of sunken rocks on whic
}, more than one vessel had been wreck
ed; and during the night many lis
tened for the signal gun of distres
1 telling that some vessel had struc
i those rocks. In the lulls in the storr
men thought that they heard the re
, 1 port of a gun; but the snow wa
falling SO furiously that it was use
less to go out to look; no one coul
4 see half way to the rocks.