Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1888-06-14
Two Ways of Looking at it.


The following fairy story, clipped
from the Union Signal, is good study
from business point of view, and it is
so aptly written that it will be useful
for some children fifty years old.
Ponder over it:
1t is rainy day in the garden.
Gently, idly, lazily, as petals from a
wind-shaken flower, the ceaseless drops
are falling. The sky is neutral-tinted
save the west, where faint flush lin
gers. All along the winding walks a
thousand flower cups are filling, and in
the dusky space of the near woods, a
host of leaves, like white hands, wait
and beckon. Upon the topmost branch
es of the maple blue-jay sits and
querulously complains-a tramping
gossip whose outing is spoiled.
81 am completely and forever ruin
ed" cries the Sweet Pea, swinging in
her draggled hammock. GLOW shall 1
ever dry my dress to dance with the
Prince of the South Wind when he
comes to take me to the mid-year ball?
L might as well have gone into my pod
at once, and made little green biscuits
all my days, as to have taken such
holiday as this!"
"Too-bad! Too-bad!' cries voice
from the corner where the blue-eyed
larkspur is shedding rainy tears; will
there ever be any more blue weather to
match my mantle, L wonder''
81 told you what to expect" COM
plains.the Columbine, swaying on her
impatient foot, ''there is more rain in
this garden, 1 do believe, than falls
over all England. am worn out with
trying to hold my skirts up from the
muddy walks. Better be a lily-pad,
and done with it, 1 reckon, for all the
fun there is standing here all day to be
pelted by the the bad little water ba-
bies that live in the sky"
"Deary mel" means the Blush-Rose
from behind her lattice of green, Il
lent my umbrella to the Hollyhock, and
here 1 am housed for another day. /
dare not unfold a bud, or put on my
dress-hat for single outing, in such a
shower as this"
''To my mind" says the tawny Tiger
Lily, flashing meanwhile defiant look
at the yelled sky, ''there is no use try
ing to keep up heart in this beastly
climate. I pine for old Egypt with its
seasons of dewless heat and It's nights
of tropic splendor lit with stars. 1
shall send word to my cousin. the Lotus,
that cannot and will not endure this
changeable climate another day."
Misery mel" pipes little voice from
the roadside, sis this Venice, and am
afioat in golden boat on the depth of
a soundless seaP never knew clover
before to lead such life as this
But suddenly on the top of the maple
from whence the complaining blue-jay
has fitted away. a robin alights with
his Acknowledgements. He jerks his
tail feathers, and preens his wings a
little, and begins to sing. All he says,
over and over again. is "Cheer up!
Cheer up!' but the sound of his voice
in the rain is like the sound of a bugle
blown above listless camp. ''Cheer upl
Cheer up!'' he keeps on singing, and
there is more in his words than in ring
ing bells and pealing trumpets. Every
disconsOlate flower decides that the
rain is just what it needs to wash the
dust away, and renew the glad beauty
of the morning and the May. The rain
drops change to diamonds, and to opals
haZy with remembered sunshine. The
Sweat Peas blush like laughing girls
keeping step to dainty singing. The
Larkspur and the Columbine forget to
fret and begin to whisper pleasant
stories together, and the Blush Rose
opens wide her lattice window, and
breatheS the breath of Heaven on the
air. So much for the influence of one
voice singing cheerful song in the
rain.