The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-09-07
The Summer Storm
by wINIFRED BLACK.

The little girl was desperately angry.
/ She started to run upstairs, and at
the first step she turned stamped her
foolish little foot as hard as she could
and shouted In strange. strained,
| harsh voice.
oh she said oh / wish the
| world-and Kill ii all to pieces--i wish
- but just then some one In au-
thority arrived and the little girl ran
| upstairs and hid her head In the bed
clothes and would not even listen TO the
rain rapping, tapping on the window
pane, and rushing, rushing down the
steep sides of the shingled roof
And yet II was worth listening to
| that rain---it says SO many things
"Hark!' It whispers. "Hark~-how
| the whole world is stopping to listen
to the rain song
''shsh"A~tired babies viii fall asleep
worn mothers, VIII smile at the sound
of the song
Flowers faded IN the heat of the
TOO friendly sun. viii revive. the parrh-
ing dust n the red road will soften Tho
lilies hold UP their thirsty cups.
Listen. the little stream silent so
sohg begins TO mnrmur. the tall trees
bow to the oncoming storm
Hark--there's the thunder: ah there
comes the iightning--it looks as if
tau man walked and swung his lam
terh--now here's his shadow between
fhn Hight and the dark
Now, It's great pen wrftine-tn
fluid fire
/ What is IT that ii SAYS to us. all the
Nohderous writing there on the wall
purple cIoudsT
Come, children run into the house
the rain the real rain has begun
ANA the little girl lies upstairs In
the room under the peaked roof cryirS
oh. how bitterly she cries a wish
she SObS. ~ uIeh''--paAr
9trl--the storm has begun, hasn't it,.
the storm OF life for you.
How do YOU intend to weather Il. /
wonder--with anger, with tears with
dreadful wishing Of dire disaster to ali
VINO oppose your vagrant fancies7 Poor
little foolish girl: your eyes are red
your soft hair tumb1es about your
,lusnsa race, me smile that makes Won
All the joyous delight in mere living
TOT livlnE sake, where Ia that Gone,
too, with the happy smile. Dear. dear,
what a tragedy-and all because you
could not go out in the very face OF
the coming storm and play lady up
ana down the walk in your mothers
old lilac frock that you have taken
such freakIsh fancy for.
Well. well--~what a sorrow to he
sure-youu forget II tomorrow, little
girl In an hour from now you won't
remember what 1t was all about--the
Wild storm in your little rebel heart
wish / could make you see what
waste of time II is to cry like that
some day youll know, poor child
sof.le day
There's something grimly just in the
course of nature after all never
Knew heart to fairly burst over
rancied sorrow that some real grief did
not come along to make pretence over
INTO sober earnest. Don't cry so hard |
iltte girl; some day you'll need those
tears
Some one will forget to ask YOU to
her party.
The woman next door will have an |
auto when YOU have to walk. Your |
husband VIII forget 10 bring YOU a |
KNOT OF vfolets on your anniversary |
You down the road of life. little girl !
ny don't you save all that rush OF +
tears for thema
What--you love to cry~-it does YOU |
sooa-you feel better now that tho !
tears are gone.
Yes but--welI, 7 declare YOU look
Was II Just storm az ma
tatai as lightning az necessary a /
'hIhs az the rain perhaps and yet
ought to scoid YOU. little girl +
VIII.
fhere You shall have chocoIate Ice
sreana today~-not peach IS you hoped
ana the ribbon In your bonnie brown
lafr snail be blue-not pink at all |
punishment
'"u 81 sotis4 YOU say. YOUR arms are
around my neck. How soft thew are Il
-ne-u1tle- alenaec-a rrnS. -
what foolish little face IT is that
cans against my tired forehead: how
asst the little heart beats that rests |
10 close to mine On. my darling. II
souid only hold you so when the real
roubles come If could only punish
Toa myself instead OF letting life
'ruel defentless Iife--do IT,
Look, the clouds are breaking In the
ky. the sun shines on distant valley
IN the mountain side; how green. how
green II is,
The air Is fresh and sweet, all the
towers nod gagfy iii The fight breeze T,
he storm left when II ragged across
he hills into the next valley below. Ia
me little stream-how loud 1t sings,
i live, 1T sings. II live" 4.
And You. little girl. YOU are glad .
he lightning did not strike the whole
yorld-you are sorry you wished that
-you-~eIl, wei ] am sorry 100,
some day. perhaps. you will wish so
gain, and may not be there TO smile |
t the fury of your baked intent
VIII you remember then little girl7
VIII you think of me, and OF how we
vent through the storm together, this
ummer day, and kissed each other
nd smiled when 1t was all over9