The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-07-21

The Secret Of Happiness As Re-
veaIed By ner-The Wings
of Thought.

In a village that was built at the
foot of a tall mountain there once
lived a little boy whose name was
Rudra, says the Kindergarten. He
was so lame that he could not run
about with other children, but could
only watch them as they climbed
trees, scampered over meadows, or
played among the rocks on the noun
tain side. He heard them laugh and
shout all day, for they were as busy as
those wise little bees that know how
to take honey out of flowers and store
it carefully away in their houses; and
because they were so busy they were
happy.
But Rudra was not happy. He
grew tired OF sitting in his little chair,
and even of lying under the great
trees with his face turned to the sky
to watch the clouds go by. Often he
would sigh and say:-"l wish that i
could run. Things are so happy that
can go where they please. l wish
that / could run" So he spent the
days watching and wishing.
One afternoon as he lay on the grass
he saw a soft, white cloud moving far
above him,
II wish | could be on that cloud"
he thought.
You can be" said q voice so softly
that Rudra wondered where it came
from. He looked around. but saw
nobody. Then he asked:-"Who was
1t that spoke to met"
1T was l." answered the same low
voice. Il am a fairy whom you cam
not see any more than you can see the
air, but | am here. NV dress is
lighter than a soap-bubble, but chill
dren's eyes are not made to see things
so fine as fairies or their gowns, SO l
can't show it to YOU"
That's too bad" said Rudra; ''but
! know that you are here, because l
can hear you speak, though | cannot
see you. Will you tell me, please,
what is your name?"
"Yes, indeed, / am called Thought.
You would never imagine how many
wonderful things | can do to help
you, but as you are good and do not
worry your mother by crying and
fretting, | am going TO take yon on a
beautiful ride today; another time |
will show you something differept.
Now | can't take all of you up TO that
big cloud, but your wishing part can
go. Just stop thinking about your
lame legs, because that makes you
heavy. and think only OF the cloud.
In a moment you will be there.n
So Rudra stopped thinking of his
legs or of the ground on which he lay.
He thought of the cloud as the kind
fairy told him to do, looking at it
with a new hope in his heart. Soon
he felt himself lying on its soft bank,
that carried him along faster than a
horse can run. He looked down on
the mountain and laughed to see how
much higher he had climbed than the
children he had thought so strong.
He could look into birds nests in the
tallest trees and watch the flight of an
eagle over the mountain. He could
even see far away where a river rip
pied over it's pebbles to hurry on to
the sea.
Rudra was now so happy that he
forgot all about his trouble. He
shouted as gayly as any boy in the
village, and tried to spring up. But
this he could not do. He fell back
and looked around him.
Wasn't it strange? but there he was
on the ground again. He had come
back so swiftly that he did not ever
know he was coming. At first he felt
very much disappointed, for he had
not been away half as long as he
wished, but he was comforted by the
fairy, who said as she left him: II will
often come again"