The Wichita daily eagle., 1896-12-27

always t9lkln8, e4so. ~ - ASe'~@As
cause it is beautiful and we have never
s>en it before" Then said an old catnsn
q big, solemn mud-cattie. who knew every
thing but never told anything. and who
lived in the mud and was wretched: you
Ettle sillye. that is rose-a red rose Tney
grow on lovely green bushes and smell
very sweet But they have dreadful thorns
and they wither very quickly and then. OF
course, they are nothing.
All day long the little fish thought OF the
beautiful rose and wondered: all night long
he wondered and thought. And he wished
that he might be a red rose and live in the
world and see things. How dismal water
is. to be sure" he said. aloud; "and how
poky 1t is to be always swimming! 1
wish I were a rose or star. am tired
of being a fish and seeing nothing but
water.'
Then, as he lay looking up into the star
set sky, very disconsolate and unhappy,
star dropped down on the water. Did
hear you say" asked the star in a sweet
little voice, that you wish you were
starr"
81 wish I was" said the nsh. with
sigh.
"Do you really mean it," asked the star
slowly.
'sYes; I really mean it. am tired Of this
stupid life-of this great big, lonesome
river"
The star was silent q minute. Then he
said, rather sadly: '1f you feel that way
about it, you won't do any good here. So
come on with me-"
! Ard suddenly the little fish felt himself
in the air, as IL he were going up-up-up,
right into the cool. dark sky.
where are We going?" he asked.
sUp above the clouds; up among the
stars" answered the star. How do you
feel?''
..Oh. It Is delightful! feel very light
and happy. And It's SO splendid-fiyins SO
fast''
Eyes, X you want to call II flying. We
call it shining. Now, this is heaven /
home YOU will Ike ii. II you don't, come
to me, and I'll change you again. Good
bye"
The little fish, whom we had better now
call tine Gold Star, could not tell whetner
| his friend went away or disappeared. he
only knew that he was surrounded oy
millions of stars and so couldn't tell which
was his friend. 1t didn't matter. How
delightful It all was The broad, deep. blue
the whizzing comets. the great, majestic
planets! And, oh, what wonderful music:
The Gold Star had never heard music, SO
he called it the ''red color, because IL
was very beautiful, like the red rose Tne
Red Color came swelling and rolling from
everywhere; he could not tell where II
came from nor where it went; it never
commenced, never ended-just seemed TO
be all through heaven. The Gold Star look
ed and listened and wondered and was
very happy After while great hgnt
flooded the sky, and as it came all the
shining stars disappeared. He looked
around; not a star in heaven! And though
he waited and waited, the stars did not
return to their places. The Red Color was
all around him and the golden sunlight
dancing and cleaning. He tried to talk
to the sunlight, but it would not answer.
Then the Gold Star was very lonely and
fel. himself badly treated. He wondered
what the fishes were doing and If there
were any red roses in heaven; why his
star friend had left him. and IL the sun
light never grew tired of shining.
Presently a great storm arose. The Red
Color grew loud and terrible. The sun
lisht went out and very far away. The
beautiful clouds grew black and heavy,
and ciashed together Then it grew very
dark and the Gold Star could see nothing
and could hear only the clouds clashing
together. So he trembled alone in the
darkness and wished he were fish again
in the still, quiet water. That night, by
the time the stars came back to their
places, the Gold Star was very frightened
and tired Of heaven. He determined to
find his star friend and be turned into a
sunfsh again. He determined to ask every
star until he found his friend-his friend.
who lad deserted him in heaven. 1t would
perhaps take a very long time, and the
Gold Star sighed as he thought of the red
rose So he started right away, and. NY
ing to the nearest star. he said: did you
make me into a starr"
"What we're you?" asked the star pleas
antly.
ct was a sunfish," replied the Gold Star.
sadly.
mo-" said the star; 'T make only lilies
into stars
Then he asked another, who said: ''No:
j turn beautiful thoughts into stars" And
the third said: at is my duty to turn gen.
erous deeds into stars. I have nothing to
do with fishes
do you know where the star who turns
fishes into stars can be found?" inquired
the Gold Star, politely.
"No. L don't; didn't know anybody did
that's queer. But / suppose he's some
where around"
Now, it was thousands OF years ago that
the POOR little. lonely Gold Star began his
search. He is searching still-every night
going from star to star, always searching
lie is never weary, for he remembers the
red rose and takes courage. He goes so
fast. in his impatience and longing, that
the children who DO not know his story
call him shooting stars" But he Is really
the Wandering Stsr-the only star who is
tired Of heaven. He may search for thou
sands CT years yet. for he has 10 go to
every star until he finds the right one and
are there not many millions OF stars?
H REA wOOpMAN,
Wichita, Dec. a. 90. go 7ai-i--