Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1915-07-29

\ RELATIONS BETWEEN
y MAN AND WEATHER :

-.
John Burroughs, "Locusts and Wild
Honey; Boston. Houghton. Mifain
& Co.. 1907.
! L suspect that like most countrymen, J
the weather. Is it going to rain or snow,
ne not or cold, wet or dry? are inquiries
upon Which / would fain get the views OF
every mar l meet, and I find that most
men are fired with the same desire to gel
n1y views ulson the same set of subjects
ao a country mar the weather means
sohnethlng-to a farmer especially. Inc
FARMER has sowed and planted, and reapeo
ana %Vended, nothing but weather all h1s
me: The weather must lift the mortgage
on his farm and pay his taxes and feed
ana clothe his family. OF what use 1s
ms labor unless seconded by the weather.
Isnce there is speculation in his eye
moon, or the sunset, or the stars; for even
the milky. way, in his view, may point
me direction of the wind tomorrow, and
hence is closely related to the price OF
butter. He may not take the sage's ad-
vice to hitch his wagon to a star" but
ne pins his hopes to the moon and plants
and sows by its phases.
Ihen the weather is that phase of Ma.
ture in which it appears not the immutable
rate we are so won't to regard 1t, but or
the contrary something quite human and
changeable. not to say womanish-a crea-
ture of moods, of caprices, of cross pur.
poses; gloomy and downcast today, and
All light and joy tomorrow, caressing and
tender one moment and severe and frigid
the next: one day iron. the next day
Vapor; Inconsistent, inconstant, incalcul-
able: fun of genius, full of folly, full Of
extremes; to be read and understood, not
ny rule, but by subtle signs and indirec.
tlons-by a look. a glance, a presence, az
we read and understand a man or woman,
Some days are like a rare poetic mood.
lhere is a felicity and an eXhilaratiop
about them from morning till night. They
are positive and fill one with celestial fire.
Othef days are negative, and drain one OF
his electricity.
What a creature of habit, too. Nature
IS as She appears in the weather.! If she
ana a dozen times. In a wet time it raino
today because it rained yesterday. and
VIII rain tomorrow because 1t rained to-
country drowning? They shall continue
to drown. Are they burning up? They
shall continue to burn. The elements get
IN a rut and cant get out without 3
shock. | know a farmer who in a dry
time, when the clouds gather and look
threatening, gets out his watering pot, be-
cause, he says, ut won't rain. and it's
an excellent time to apply the water"
or course there comes a time when the
farmer is wrong, but he is right four times
out of five.
In Nature and in all her creatures is les
sened. The trees droop their leaves or
let go their ripened fruit. The tree itself
will fall on a still damp day. when but
yesterday it withstood a gale of wind. A
moist south wind penetrates ever the mind
and makes its grasp less tenacious. 1t
ought 70 take less to Kill a man on a
rainy day than on a clear. The direct
support of the sun is withdrawn: life is
under a cloud: a masculine mood gives
place to something like a feminine. In
this sense rain is the grief, the weeping
of Nature, the relief of a burdened or
asonized heart. But tears from Natures
eyelids are always remedial and prepare
the way for brighter, purer skies.
L think rain is as necessary to the mind
as to vegetation. Who does not suffer in
his spirit in a drought and feel restless
and 11DcnfiCfnI VI y@,,y 5000 -
come thirsty and crave the moisture. 1t
is hard work to be generous or neighborly.
or patriotic in a dry time, and as for
growing in any of the finer graces or viz
shrinks, and if he is ever capable of a
mean act or of narrow views 1t is then.