Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1894-10-19
THE RAYS WORK.

sea. He and his comrades would play
by the hour together with the ripping
wavelets, darting from one to another
in dazzling, mad flashes of light, spread
ing themselves over the waters, a sheet
of molten gold, till touch Of the
winds light lips broke it up into thou
sand shimmering fragments. And the
waves loved their playmates, too, and
each, as the rays kissed it, became itself
little golden sun, sending forth its light
into the radiant air, for the sea, like a
tickle, lovable woman, answers back to
all i'll their own moods and is loved Just
because she cannot be trusted Then,
where the waves broke on the golden
sands or round the clean, dark rocks,
the little rays would fill their foam with
light till it shone more brightly white
than the Jungfrau' s crest, and the music
of the waves breaking was joy song
for their own loneliness. Laughing, they
ran up the smooth sand and embraced
with teasing play the small pink feet
which scampered away before them,
while the SIMS rays flashed from their
surface to meet the light, brighter still,
W111OA SilOlC IIOlll SdiAbIOlI VII,
those were happy days. and as the little
ray danced along over the waters he
hoped that they never might end.
But time came when the voice of
the wind sounded from afar. The sea
heard it and was troubled to its depths
at the new life of power and strength
which was tearing within it, while the
wavelets far and wide raised their tiny
crests, and in ripples of white foam
whispered the news one to another. The
clouds, too, heard the voice and gath
cred together at its bidding to spread
themselves thick, dark curtain over
the sea and hide from the suns face
the things which were to be. And so
the little ray could visit the sea no
longer nor join any more III sport with
his favorite playmates. At this his
heart was very sad, and he took no de-
light in the other pleasures to which
his comrades called him. They told him
of the wild games they played with the
wind shaken leaves Of the forest; Of the
SHOW cold peaks which they crowned
with dazzling splendor Of jewels; of fog
laden valleys filled with dream forms OF
weirdest, strangest loneliness; Of mys-
teries OF beauty revealed midst the
world most squalid dreariness. But it
was all i'll vain. The little ray longed
for his lost playmates and would care
for none of these things.
AS he wandered sadly among the
heavy, driving clouds, losing himself
in their sullen masses, searching fer
some crevice through which he might
penetrate, one Of them pitied him.
''Since you will it SO" said she, 81
will let you through, though fear you
will find that dreams that are past can
never be dreamed again." Then she
shrank back from her neighbor, and
with one swift word of thanks the little
ray darted down through the opening
she had made.
Down he went to the sea below and
there lay quivering and lost in its black
gulf. Oh, what q changed world it
was! Above him the tempest hurried
along and shouted to the waves as it
went, and the waves threw their white
heads up and answered back in crashing
thunders. ''Death, death, and the end
of all thingsH' passionately yelled the
tempest. "Ruinp' roared the waves
"Naught is that can withstand us!'
world of darkness and tunult and
terrible unrest. The little ray lay where
he had lighted, tremulous and afraid
now giimmering for an instant among
cataracts Of rushing foam and then lost
again III the dark depths of the water.
HAP cried the waves when they saw
him. $50 you are here. little ray. The
world is changed since you saw it last. -
Changed indeed" said the ray. "Oh,
why cannot you be as you were before,
my playmates?" But the waves laugh
ed, shaking spray from their crests till
the tempest caught it and whirled it
mountain high in the air. ''Give US
the winds for playmates, - they cried,
'and the mems lives for our sport. Talk
to Us not Of the wretched, spiritless
days that are past. The world is worth
living i'll now" ''But you We're happy
then. You rejoiced in the earth's beau
fy and were happy said the little ray
wistfully, Because we knew no bet
ter they answered. ave have learned
since then that there is something fairer
than beauty, more glorious than joy.
Oh, the rapture Of fury when we raise
the ship high in the air to hurl her
down on the rocks beneath-the cruel
rocks whom we love and linger to kiss
and Unfold in our soft white arms even
then in the joy Of that moment of pow
er. To crash into pieces the mighty
vessel with all its wealth and labor OF
workmanship; to scatter abroad the
heavy fragments finging them to and
fro i'll the very scorn of our sovereign
strength; to watch men gasp i'll their
death agony as we lift ourselves above
their writhing bodies, and then to crash
down and dash the life from their lips
this is power, little friend; this is pow
er, and there is no glory in the world
like the gl.,ry of power. -
The ray grew chill and wan and trem-
bled as be listened Is there nothing,
then, left wnich is fair to look upon i'll
all this waste Of waters?' he cried, and
he wandered disinally Oh. Everywhere
tha same dark CULTS and white crested
mountains mingling together IL tumul |
tNoeto SiisAoo, CHS1 hFl4SlS 14i'titiilt5
ments Of wreck and the stain Of Garth |
torn from its parent shore; ruin and de-
strnction and nothing that was fair to |
lock upon.
Ear out to sea a woman, with child |
id her arms, foated alone in small |
open boat Alone they had been saved !
from a. wrecked and sslnl1en sllip-saved
from drowning, as it seemed, but to die .
of hunger, and Tor hours they had tossed .
helpless at the mercy of the waves.
Many ship had come near them, but
tho wonan's cries were not heard in
the bowling Of tie tempest, and BE- /
meath the darlzened sky the futtering
rag she waved was lost in the spray !
which enyeloped her. So the ships went
on. The wolnan's voice grew faint, and !
despair was in her heart ''Let death
but come quickly" she cried, land but
for my child it would be welcome-but ,
for my child and for his father await
ing him at home. I have cried. have
prayed IN vain. No help is left in earth
Or i'll heaven p"
But the little ray wandered on toward