Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-04-16
THE BOOK OF NATURE

Let's suppose that it is summer tfms
and that you are in the country. A day
mas been fixed upon for holiday
ramble. Soon after sunrise you arg
awake, and great is your delight td
find the sky clear and the sun shins
ing warmly. But the brightness of
the morning begins to grow dim 4
Inc few clouds. which were to Set
seen at first have grown large an1T
seem gathering together for storm.
And sure enough the first big drops
are seen falling. You cling to the hope
that is is only a shower which will
soon be over. But the big drops come
down thicker and faster; little pools
OF water begin to form in the ho1lows
of the road, and the window panes
are now steaming with rain.
With sad hearts you have to give up
all hope of holding your excursion to-
day. You are very much Disappointed
that the strom has spoiled your prom
ised pleasure. But let us see If wa
cannot derive something of interest
and value even from the bad weather.
Late In the afternoon the sky clears
and the rain ceases. You are glad to
get outside again, and so we all sally
forth for walk. Streams of muddy
water are corrsing along the slipping
roadway. We wend our way by wet
paths and green lanes, where every
bush is dripping with moisture, untiIs
we gain the bridge and see the river
right beneath us.
What change the one days heavy
rain has made! Yesterday you could
count the stones in the channel, so
small and clear was the current. But
look at it now! The water fills the
channel from pank to bank, and rolls
along swiftly Leaves and twigs are
and then large branch, or even
tossing about on the flood
We linger for while on the BRIDGE
watching this rush of water and the
objects which it carries down the
channel. You think it was almost
worth while to lose your holiday for
the sake of seeing so grand sight
as this angry and swollen river. i!
AS we walk homeward again it will
be we'll to think about some of the
chief features of this days experience.
We have seen that sometimes the
sky is clear and blue, with the sun
shining brightly and warmly in It,
Sometimes the clouds come across the 1
sky, and when they gather thic'-ly
rain is apt to fall We have seen
that a river is swollen by heavy rain.
and when swollen it becomes muddy.
In this way we have learned that
there is close connection between
the sky above US and the earth under
our feet. In the morning the clouds
gathered overhead, and before even
ing rain fell from these clouds, flood
ing the river and sweeping down
trees and fences.
Now If you think about it, you will
recall many other ways in which tlief
common things of life are connected
together. AS far back as you can re-sS
member. you have been familiar with
such things as air, water, sunshine,
wind, rain, rivers, frost, and snow
They have grown so commonplace
that you seldom think about them.a
They seem indeed SO natural that youa
may even be surprised when any oneb
asks you to give a reason for theme
But, if you had lived all your life i1s
country where no rain ever falls,i
and if you were to see storm of
rain, would it not seem very strange
to you? Would you not, naturallyo
enough, ask the meaning of it? eTf
" D. n fi,,,,, y b.