Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1916-09-27
Parable of the Muskmelon Kinds

Parable of the MuskmelOn, Kinds
Now the Summer waxed' late as
the Year cometh toward Autumn, and
the mornings were Cool. Wherefore
rose up in the morning and took
of the Wood that was in that place,
and | kindled Fire upon the Hearth,
even a fire of Logs. And it burned
brightly, and rejoiced before it, and
/ said, Aha, am | not warm?
And we sat down to Breakfast,
and Keturah, the wife of my bosom.
And Keturah set before me the half
of a Canteloupe, and the other half
thereof did she eat. And after we
had eaten | took the Kinds and cast
them into the fire. For so is the best
way of Garbage Disposal and it in
viteth not Skunks, such as come out
of the woods to eat of the Rinds
which are thrown out. And so it was
when | threw the Kinds into the fire
that they fell side by side, and lay
upon the burning logs. And the fire
came through, and Tapped their sides,
as if they had been two Pots with
Victuals cooking therein. And one of
them began to shrivel and be consum-
ed, and the other filled with Juice and
did Simmer and Sing.
And Keturah spake unto me, and
said, Safed, my lord.
And | answered, Trouble me not,
for l am mediating.
And she said, Whereon dost thou
mediate?
And said, Oh, Keturah, behold the
Melon Kinds, how one of them is
shriveled with the fire, yea already
is an Hole burned through it, while
the Other is Half Full of Juice, and
singeth merrily. Even so is Life;
and a like experience doth thus OPP
positely Affect Two Lives that are
side by side. Why is it thus? And
why hath the Lord so dealt with us
For He hath mercy on whom He will
have mercy, and whom He will He
hardeneth.
And my wife Keturah looked also
at the Melon Rinds in the Fire and
she said, Oh, Safed, thou art a very
Wise Man, yet in some things art
thou very simple. Understandest not
thou what thou seest? and callest
thou in question the Whole Scheme
of things because thou seest not all
that happeneth before thine eyes?
And l said to her, What seest thou
more than / see?
/ And Keturah answered, The Melon
4 Jildb 10 SOOil ID lily uutlOiis
for thou didst dig it out closer to the
Rind than j. Yea, in one place thy
Spoon did jab so near the bottom
that there the fire came quickly
through, and the little Juice thou
didst leave therein ran out. But
ate not down where the Melon is
Green and Hard, but took only that
which was good, wherefore did ! eat
less and enjoy more. Yea, and there
fore was there more Juice left in my
melon which appeared when the Rind
got Hot; and when il Boiled, then it
Sang, yea, and the Hotter the Fire
became the more it Sang. So doth
the Lord have mercy on whom He
will have mercy, yea, on everyone
who maketh not a fool of himself.
And such, my lord, is life.
And / mediated much on her say
ing, for truly she is Wise Woman.
But as l sat before the Fire and did
mediate, she spake to me.
Come now, and mediate no longer.
For the Maid hath gone to Visit her
l Sister and see the New Baby, and
have the work to do. Wherefore
come thou and wipe the Dishes.
And / went and Wiped the Dishes
for her, although Dish Wiping Is a
Job that man liketh not. But as
wiped the dishes / mediated that
there is much Philosophy in the
world that is Of Less Value than the
Dishwiping of Keturah.