The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1899-10-07
Little Black Criket.

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Little Black Cricket has come roun,
hear him there under the wall
Where the pretty nasturtiums cling ant
But / do not like him at all.
I'm sorry he's come, and III tell you why
It's a sign that summer is most passed
by
So grandmother says. and that long ag,
When she was child he came round jus
so.
Little. Black Cricket, so some folks say
Hides in the shade and sweetly sings,
But / think it's only a dismal wall
He grinds out with his musical wall
Somehow it makes me quite lonely and
sad,
try but / can't be merry and glad
As ] was before he came here today,
To tell us summer is passing away.
Little Black Cricket wise grandmother
And said: Dear. it's time to begin
To hunt up school things. Now take your
bag down,
So you can be putting them in.
I like nature studies much better than
Those lessons I learn in fields and by
The big out-of-doors, where scholars are
free
To talk and run, is the school-room for
me.
Little Black Cricket I wish you'd put off
The end of the summer next year.
Folks might forget it's the right time
s-.- 1Jr school,
Unless with your grind you appear
But ] suppose grandmother wouldn't APP
OF your making such a very strange
move;
She told me today-and 1 ought to give
heed
The school discipline now is just what 1
need. Christian Work.
This pretty story Will give a double
pleasure TO those who can appreciate
its fun meaning:
The Two Brooks.
Once upon a time, high up in a lofty
mountain, there ran a small clear rivu
let, white as silver and pure as crystal.
If it had had any appreciation of fine
scenery, its life might have been happy
enough, but il was very solitary. 1t
had no other little brooks to sing and
chatter with, and it grew weary of the
whispering Of the pine trees. of the
swoop of the great eagles that built
their nests up in the crags, of the signs
Of the winds that crept round the
mountains summit when they were in
a plaintive mood, or that quarreled and
whirled about when they were angry.
Nay, it even grew tired of the bright
warm sunshine that used to come and
try TO cheer it up, and it would be cap
ti0us and fretfuL Then, when the
shadows of night gathered close and
dark on hill and valley, it shuddered
and Crept on sadly through the long
night.
Now. at the foot of the mountain
there stretched a wide and fertile plain:
gardens bright with flowers, fruitful
fields and homesteads with sheep and
cattle, poultry and pigs, made the land
scape CHEEKY and bright; but what was
above all tantalizing to the little brook
was the sight Of another stream, far
away in the distance, that shone and
sDarkled with wonderful brightness in
the lap Of the green meadows through
which it ran. Daily and hourly the
mountain brook looked at its brother of
the plain, with weary longing to de-
scend from its perch and gambOl in
pleasant companionship through the
fields.
1t is so lonely up here" it muttered;
and l am SO tired Of hearing these old
pines and larches gossip eternally
about their youth, and moan and com
plain like old ghosts. / am weary OF
them altogether, that is the truth. l.
poor little helpless brook that l. ami
must live and die uD here alone, sup
nose. I can neither do any good to any
body nor amuse myself, whilst as for
my cousin down yonder, he looks as
CHEEKY and active as a swallow ana
sees no end Of society
Brooks can see a long way off, ana
this one grew still more frettuI at what
he saw in the distance.
Just lcok." he cried to himself;
there is a whole party Of merry emil
dren padding about IN him, spIash,Lhs
each other..and lE%N ing. oh, If put
had them here. wouldn't I play and
dance about themi But here / must
stop. wretched little brook that am
and move eternally over the sllaIp
stones and slippery moss that are 50
extremely unpleasant at my nack' aiIu
never gets a step further tnah tiie
marshy ground that lies always ~
wait for me down yonder, and SUCKS me
up whether l will or no. As lor my
bright pretty cousin, why, sWalloW
told me one day that he saw him turn
ing a mill-wheel and as busy as pee!
Oh, dear,'
Now what may, perhaps, seem the
most singular part Of my story - me- iIee
that same bright stream whose cou .
in spring ran through yiolefS ana Pl Iiil-
roses, who basked lazily in summer u m
der shady trees. and las seemed 70 lls
mountain cousin more enviable imam
AID was able with it's life curren1 20
render useful service-this lde1tlc !ai
brook was won't 10 grumble nlucii "a
the same strain as It's distant reldt,Ne'
"A pretty idea" it cried one day;
that / am never to know peace al nf
quietness, never TO feel the dellght VI
doing nothing. Upon my word, l hase
q great mind to run away altogetner,
and then how would the world go on,
should like to know The miller coui iI
not turn his Wheel, so the people Wou.a
have no bread: the women could hol
wash the clothes; the cows would get