Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1893-04-12
MY FRIENDS WINDOW.
BIT IMoGENE z. JOHNSON.

BIZ 1MOGENE 4. JOHNSON.
never was more impressed with
anything than the contentment shown
by little Miss Templeton the other day,
rs sat in her cozy sitting-room.
She has always been poor, and with
limited income, has an artistic soul
that longs for beautiful things, but
must content itself with homely ones.
l sat slipping my tea, and gazing out
across the very dull little street where
my friend lives. A row of cottages, all
alike, aLd painted a dreary grey. was
all that could be seen from the far out
windows.
Turn around and look out the back
way" said my friend, 81 like to look
out there best. When first came here
TO live, l thought l never had been
where the outlook was quite so de-
pressing, with positively nothing to be
seen ont of the windows in front, ex-
cept that row of grey houses; and at
the back, only those gloomy cypress
trees in that old deserted homestead.
But after a time L was able to pick out
bits of beauty, even in those dark, old
trees. See how the light on the outer
limbs contrast with the dark shadow,
that lurk in the centre. Notice the
clear outline of the sphere-llke top,
against the deep blue of the sky, and
there at that broken limb sending a
shoot straight up, Just the counter,
part of young cypress. am told
that a broken limb often does that"
"Contented? Do you really think so?
Well, l want to be, 1 try to be, and
also try to extract the best out of my
surroundings. 1 like to have some
thing pretty to look at from the win
dows, but you see, my dear, being
poor, 1 can't have things as l would
like, but must be content with things
As they are.
"Some years ago, when | first came
TO California, lived in San Francisco.
L had some basement rooms level with
the street, and it did seem very. dis
NAL, and 1 was almost hopeless for a
time, and so lonely! in a strange city,
and in those dingy rooms.
''But out of the front window, be-
tween the fights of steps that led to
the upper flats, l could see the deep,
dark green of the row of cypress that
surrounded one of the city parks, and
above, the streaming tops of some gum
trees. This wall of greenery was a
great comfort to me.
''At the close of clear day the scene
was really beautiful. Out to the west,
beyond the park, the steeples of little
old-fashioned church showed clear-cut
against the evening glory; the strong
trade wind bent the tips of the cypress
all one way, and as gust shook the
trees, myriads of blackbirds flew out,
11A nI
sled back among the swaying branches,
to swarm again at the rush of the next
swift breeze.
''The tree-tops swaying, leaning,
bending IN the crisp salt wind; the flock
of fitting birds, and the half dozen
tiny steeples, with as many golden
crosses, all silhouetted against the warm.
Fellow light of the sunset sky, made a
picture / can never, and wish never to
'Frhen in the spring came over to
Oakland to live. 1 had a nice little
cottage, a small garden filed with roses
and carnations, daisies and pinks, vlo-
lets, ,mignonette and other sweet things,
all shut in by a cypress hedge. What
factor of California gardening the
cypress isl
'FThere were vacant lots on either
side of my home, smelling of the sweet,
dry berbage in summer and gemmed
with tiny lilac stars when the rains of
winter set the alfllleri to blooming.
There was a vacant square across the
way, and in it's one oak yellow-vested
lark sang all the year; on hot, hszy
mornings and after winter rains. And
away to the north and vest l could see
the foothills. 1 enjoyed living there
very much. / stayed there for three
years, and 1 presume I should have
been there yet, if the man who owned
the place had not wanted to live there
himself.
"When L was obliged to leave that
place, could find no house within my
meaus that was anything like what L
wanted, and finally moved into a dreaIy
little cottage. with nothing to see in
front, but big, vacant tract, bounded
by a row of blue gum trees. In the
backyard was large weeping willow,
and 1 did ike to see the swing and
sweep of the long, green, lithesome
branches. rather like gum trees an
their pungent odor, although some
people consider them coarse-dear old
e1iled giants that they arel 1 like to
watch their scimetar-like leaves stream
out on the breeze like pennons.
often find myself going off on long, i'm
aglnary journeys into Australia-iour-
neys that L should never undertake
we're it not for the gum trees, and there
are several showing over the tops of
those Expresses out back of here, you
see. How 1 have chatteredl take an
other cup Of tea, my desr?"
After little, L went home thinking
how true it is that each one of us
makes or unmakes his own happiness.
Ont of few of the dullest and gloom
lest of trees my friend drew happiness
and inspiration.