The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1899-10-07
OUR BOYS AND GIRLS
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no water to drink and must die, when
goodbye to milk and butter, cream
and cheese; there would be a pretty
! standStill with a vengeance Oh, / am
most important streami And yet al
times l should like to change places
with my cousin up yonder, though
have heard that now and then he has
but a dull time of it.
But how gioriously quiet his life is!
No noisy children to come and disturb
one lust as one settles down to an af-
ternoon nap; no quacking ducks, no
croaking frogs, no men with horses, or
women with washing and endless chat
ter; in short, nothing to disturb the
current of his thoughts. l should like
to change places with him sometimes,
and know what rest means
Now, these disconnected remarks of
both brooks were overheard by a very
tender-hearted and sensible friend of
theirs, who. having frequented the
globe with his three brothers for an
infinite number of centuries had seen
many strange changes, and, in fact,
knew a thing or two. This wise friend
was the west wind. who, after much re-
Election, determined on little CONVEX
sation with the mountain stream,
which seemed likely to fall into a mel
anchOly frame of mind from pure in
action. Without more ado he rushed
up the hills, and sat down quite out OF
breath by the side of a rivulet, who
was doing in the sunshine. He had
strange things to tell, and wise with
the wisdom of many erations, did
not rouse the brook too suddenly, but
began gently with a little ripple on the
s2ce of the water.
''Ah, how pleasant that light stream
is" murmured the stream. L really
was almost asleep. Why, l do believe
it is my old friend the west wind-al-
ways a welcome visitor.
Yes, little one, it is l. 1 have been
wandering in such busy scenes, that l
come to you for rest and quiet"
Rest and quiet With a vengeance,
retorted the brook; I get enough OF
that and to spare; unlike my distant
cousin down there, whose life is all
gaiety and pleasure"
Well said the west wind; that is
one way of looking at it, to be sure, but
perhaps you will hardly believe that
he grumbles quite as much as you 90.
He says the children fidget him, and
make him muddy, that the ducks and
frogs disturb him; indeed, he hnds
fault all round, and wishes he could
change with you, you look so bright,
and yet so quiet"
Now that really is quite new light
to put on it," said the brook, medlta-
lively, and told me by anyone but
yourself / should say it was joke;
but l know you are to be depended on.
So there may be two sides to the ques-
ton of a quiet life; but there can be no
doubt Of his usefulness, while 1 am OF
no use at all
The west wind smiled gravely, and
was quite still for few moments, then
it rippled UP again through the pines
and on the stream, as if it were laugh
ing quietly. and said:
"Wel. little friend. and whence do
you suppose the busy brook yonder
springs"
"Oh, 1 really don't know. Out of the
earth, of course"
-.Ah. but before that, don't you know
that the rivers run among the mis-,
that they must start from the heights
and run down, down, ever towards the
great and wide sea"
'Wen. yet, 1 suppose they do; but
what is that to me stuck up here?
Let US say no more about that.
them answered the west wind. but if
you are not. too tired, tell me what be-
comes of you when you have run out
your day up here.
"Oh, / cannot say exactly, except that
[ get away into that marshy bog yon-
der, and it sucks me up, and know
nothing more.
We'll now" said the west wind, ito
think that l can tell you more of your
history than you know yourself! But,
to be sure, l have unusual advantages;
balloons are not to be compared to me
no. nor birds either, though they see
and know things never dreamt of in
mans philosophy. Now, listen. The
marsh, as you say, sucks you up, and
you know nothing more. In fact, you
might almost say you die, as humans
die, and that there the likeness ends.
But can tell you that it goes further,
that you do not cease any more than
they. but that you spring forth with
life and renewed activity, and
FAR greater powers of usefulness. That
sparkling stream down yonder that you
envy so much is none other but your
self, sprung out of the marshy ground,
and rushing down to the plain with
help of man and beast, down to the
very life which you SO desire up in this
your quiet birthplace"
The stream lay almost motionless
with surprise.
Can this indeed be true?" it muir
nured at last. But if l am uncon-
;cious of it. and run on up here, weary |
If the mOnotOny, and if what / have
believed to be my cousin of the plain is
weary of the unrest of his life, what !
good shall this that you tell me do to
either of us?"
There is a remedy for that" re-
,lied the west wind. land the remedy |
s patience. Any trial patiently borne /
5 sure to be mitigated; it is in the /
rider OF things that it should be so, /
md your deliverance is, believe, now +
lose at hand. Just as / swept up here,
passed sundry humans, exploring /
iither and thither, below the great bog.
as they call it, and talking
# draining the marsh, and that, you
lnow;,, would But, hush, here they
ONE"