Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-11-05

III, y RI ~ Of raindrops. among
ZlEg - - whom were two - twin
sfRf>7E., brother and sister who
III TX loved each other dearly
" U.s. and who had vowed
again and again that during the unknown jour
ney which they were about TO take to the
lower world nothing should be allowed to sep
arate them. but that together they would travel
the long road to the sea Poor raindrops. lit
tie did they realize that their airy palace was
built directly above the source OF those two
great streams. the Mississippi and the
he'd River Of the North. and that II was quite
possible for two drops falling side by side
from this one cloud upon reaching the earth TO
become as widely separated a. are the uttermost
waters Of these rivers.
As they, with their companions, burst from
the cloud and started esrthward they were at
nrst dazed with wonder. Here. too. then, the
sun ruled as well as in the sky country,
"Oh. brother" whispered the little sister
you are bright as diamond-and are the
others-and so am To- exclaimed she. delight
edly. as her glance. wandering from one to an
other finally settled on herself
She paused AS if listening The air seemed
hlled with murmuring as OF many voices.
Nearer and nearer il approached until finally.
and apparently by no viii of their own, she aud
her brother, too. took up this chant:
We are the DROPS that form the rainbow.
inns. Won zee. accounts Tor our brightness.
said the brother when the refrain had died
away. The sun does not usually shine in the
lower world while rain is falling. and a. be one
OF the drops thus glorihed and which in conse-
quence help form the rainbow. is considered a
very lucky circumstance. All such are sure to
meet again should they become separated. This
must make many of our friends very happy.
continued he. but you and are safe in any
event. for seei we cling closely together that
We might be readily taken for one large rather
| than two small drops"
For many long and sorroNful day this
was to be the last tine that the little sister
would hear her brothers voice. for Just then
they fell 10 the ground on that particular line
OF the earth's surface which divides the waters
that flow into the Mississippi from those that
are tributary TO the Red Iiyer of the North.
One awful bewildered second. in which thov
stroye TO retain their hold upon each other. and
then-he rolled to the northwa-d aud she with
pathetic tinklng cry slipped downward into
one OF the little rills which feed the lake chain
that forms the source of the great father of
waters.
She was not alone in her sadness. Other
drops from the same cloud had been separated
from those they loved. and strange drops from
unknown clouds that had fallen hours before IN
some branchlet % the rill and hut Just reached
this point mourned. too their loss. And again
there were drops jubilant in the posse sion q
each other after their long airy journey and
lEern
were those. too, who bore in mind that thew
had helped to form the rainbow. and. remem-
bering its promise, their notes were those OF
hope. You have heard of it. this song of
mingled sorrow. hope and gladness in the muir
murings of every brook; yes and in She roar of
the on-rushing river and the peal Of the ocean,
for In these last II Is the same tune. ONLY sung
by a myriad-yoiced ch Dir instead Of the brook
| shadows. and in each and all il is but the eX-
preston of the despair the hope and the ex-
ultation of the individual raindVops.
| The grief of the little sister was too great 10
| permit her TO recollect that she had even be-
4 longed 10 a rainbow on the widening current
| she was swept swiftly southwark. On the banks
| she would see happy children rlaying together
| and would sorrowsully reflect: "Ah, never
more will see nv brothe-."
She did not note the beauty of the river. it,
wooded bluffs and winding ways, she was
| wrapped In her own misery.
Nothing now can make me happy" she
cried, 'nor could be more wretched"
Foolish raindrop! Even now a new trouble
was about TO come upon her.
| As she was speeding on one day with ever
increasing rapidity into warmer airs a torrent
OF liquid mud seemed TO hurl itself into the
river channel. 1t was the muddy Missouri
where il joins the clear waters of the Missis-
sippi
! In horror the little drop and her companions
shrunk to the opposite bank and for many a
!
clad maiden who holds her white garments
scornfully aioof from come besmirched play
mate, till finally. despite their pains the turns
and eddies Of the river forced them together
the foul and the pure-and the poor htte rain
drop. scarcely recognizing the delicate robe she
had dcnned when she left her sky home, Ia
| mented:
Even my brother would not know me were
he now TO meet me face 80 face. Mas! That
| this should come upon me who left my cloud
! palace pure as distilled water"
There seemed but one hope left her. Daily
| as they drifted downward She had noticed a
mist rising from the river and knew tina: This
vapor was composed of her companion drops.
who were thus being called back by their
| king, the sun.
Il will ask him to take me- too she Thought.
"Oh. king, she impiored. looking tearfal,y
up at that high-ridiEg luminary, grant that
/ also may go back 20 the skyland. NJ brother.
l am sure, must be there or he would ere this
have found me, me whom he always promised to
care for.
But the suns hot yellow eye gazed down un-
answerlngly. and the sad little sister sped on
and on, scarcely even noticing when the impish
! drops forming the Arkansas aud the Red River
of the South laid their soiled red hands upon
her. Fer raiment already marred-Ehat
mattered little more, she mournfully Thought.
She was presently aroused from her dull
| hopelessness by bitterness that was growing
in her heart, striking even to its very core.
LAS If il we're not enough. she moaned
that be bereft and my silver dress furnished
| by rude touches, but that this bitter heart
| agony should, too, come upon mel
Poor little drop, She had entered the salt
waters of the gulf. Its warm currents cleansed
her Of her stains but such troubles we're trivial
titles when compared with this mortal pain
On the blue tides Of the gulf stream laden
with its ferny freight of gulf weed wrested from
| the sea depths, she foated out to the infinite
ocean that was not wider than her own despair.
And how, in the meantime, had it Jared with
her brother?
After the first dreadful moment when his
sister had slipped from his clasp, his hopes
rebounded, for, unlike her. he remembered con-
| stantly that they were rainbow drops and he
believed in the prophecy. For many hours and
days thereafter he expected momentarily 20
catch sight Of her, thinking that she might have
fallen in some underground stream whose