The morning call., 1891-07-05
AN OLD STORY RETOLD.
The Music That Was Concealed in a Lonely
BTOWl Reed.

A tall, lonely brown reed stood in the
midst of some green rushes, through which
little sparkling. murmuripg stream danced
all day long. On each side of the stream
the bankswere covered with soft green moss,
and from this sprang many lovely flowers.
Pink wild roses, kissed by the sum beams
that flckered through the trees, hung their
sweet shy heads heavy with fragrance.
Morning glories held up their dainty cups so
that the butterflies might come and sip the
dewdr0ps therein. ViUlets, daisies, clovers
and graceful ferns grew side Ivy side, and
bluebellS rang 50 softly that only the crickets
and katydids heard them.
The happy little stream, singing ana dane
ing among the rushes, kept all around it
fresh ana sweet, and all the flowers on its
banks TO the golden-hearted lilies on its
bosom were content TO save the tall brown
reed. That always sighed a faint, mourn
full sigh when the wind passed by, a sigh
that told of discomfort and unrest.
why do you sign ?" ask ed the wild rose
one day. Are you unhappy? Do you
long to be more beautiful? Bloom roses,
then. Nothing could be more beautiful
than they"
'.Or how delicate, lacelike green leaves"
said slender fern.
Would you like to amuse yourself and
at the same time get stout?' croaked frog.
- If you would, catch and eat flies
But the reed never answered them. only
sighed and thought: g They do not under
stand that reeds do not bloom roses or grow
green leaves or catch flies"
One day mocking bird came and sat on
the reed. bending Its slender stem beneath
his weight Then he began to sing. All!
how he did sing.
'Oh, if l could sing" cried the reed.
Teach me to sing, pray you, little bird -
pa nj IN ii NOS Nla,,t ta
bird. DO you feel so happy at the sight of
the flowers and the blue sky and the dane
ing stream, that your heart swells and
throbs until it seems as though you must
break out in sung? But | can't stay long
enough TO teach you my song. Sing your
own, even if it be one of only two or three
notes."
II cannot sing one of even two or three
notes" said the reed. Il feel, l know that
music is hidden in my soul. but l cannot
| find my voice, cannot iiDd my voice.
Then" warbled the bird, "do not dream
! OF singing until you do find it, Good by"
And away lie flew, his song growing
softer and softer until it was lost in the dim
| distance
But still every day the lonely reed quiz
music, to which it could not give voice
though the bees and the butterflies and the
| flowers all said "You silly one Whoever
heard of a reed singing?"
But one Gay young shepherd came stroll
long along--a young shepherd whose hail
lay in golden curis upon his brow, and
whose eyes were as blue MS the violets al
| his feet or the sky above him. lob, thai
he would gather us!" whispered the flow.
ers, land wreathe us into wreath for hi.
lovely head" But he gathered none Of
them. 1t was the lonely reed that lie chi
| from its place among the bushes. and in i
| he made many little holes. Then ht
raised 1t to his rose-red mouth. and frum il
came the stranzest, sweetest sounds.
The birds stopped their singing, the SOUR
! rels remained quiet on the branches OF tht
| trees, the flowers nodded wonderingly n
| each other.
The enchanter had come and set the mus
| free and at last the reed was happy.
" After all, the reed was right" said tn,
| little stream. as the shepherd passed away
the music he had called into being foatinl
| around him.
" told you So" said the frog, which wa
not true, for he had never told the streau
anything Of the kind. 81 told you so. Croak
cr0ak. detroit Free Press.