Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1916-11-10
4 Sermon

you, dear friends, have seen little Jill
over the Ground withered and dried up
into dust, just because she didn't keep
on trying to struggle out of the sandy
soil into good, wholesome, moist wood
land. AS l bent above her I bethought
myself of another Deepdell Sunday
scholar, who has stuck to keeping on
and at 1t, who has persevered and sue
Iceeded.
am going to tell you, this fine bright
morning about our little Sue-Spider
land how she held on to her task.
Small Sue-Spider, as you probably
know, lives down where Grandma
Nichols pasture ends and the Bigwoods
begin, in a twist Of the worm fence that
separates them. She is not very robust
and still quite young, and has. all sum-
mer, been trying hard to make dur
able, symmetrical, and suitable web In
which to be safe and comfy in the rap
idly approaching rainy season. Each
livery early morning she's been starting
in afresh: each sunset would see some
sort of net completed: but always
either too tightly stretched, too loosely
hung, too big meshed, too wabbly, or
too lopsided for use or looks: and new
err, by any chance, just what proper
ly placed. properly constructed cobweb
ought tobe. But she's been keeping
bravely at it, and one late afternoon.
last week, she really felt proud of the
entirely creditable structure she sur
veyed. Chuckling with satisfaction. she
skipped along it's silken circumference
and up and down it's glistening con-
verging rays and was just about to curl
up and go tosleep plumb in its very
center when suddenly with loud
"Whoop!" and louder still "Halloo!"
Dickieboy came rushing through the
woods, on his way to Grandma and
Supper. Sliding one bare brown leg be-
| tween the worm fence bars, he drew
| the rest Of his chubby small self
through after it and went prancing up
caring about the utterly demolished
home and the terrified small spinner
he had left behind him.
Shivering with fright, Sue Spider
| crawled into fence crack. there to
await the daylight: and when the sun
was well up, there she was, bravely
measuring out and spinning away at
brand new web that was to be larger,
stronger and better in every way than
moiled and in the late afternoon again
was able to feel proud of an entirely
creditable cobweb. Chuckling with sat
isfaction she examined every circle.
thread, and joining and was Just about
to curl up to sleep plumb in It's very
center when Tim the hired man, calling
"co boss" after Grandpa Nichols
heavily along stirred up Ma Partridge
up from her nest and up into the shell
tering woods. "Whirrrr- wherrr'' she
went, flying low andnear the ground;
and as she fluttered through the OBJ
structing fence corner her left wing
carried with it the beautifully shipshape
, web Sue Spider had just completed.
Shivering with fright. Sue crawled
into the fence crack, their to await the
morning: and when daylight had grown
bright and warm. there she was at 1t
again, measuring and spinning away for
all she was worth at web that was to
be better in every way then that OF yes.
terday and day before. Chuckling with
, satisfaction, she drew her last thread
and fastened her last knot: and then
| crawled into it's very innermost centre,
when she sat listening to the Katydids
and crickets. and looking out into the
summer night, at the round and golden
moon riding high up above her at the
swirling mist twisting in and out among
the bushes at the entrance to the woods
AS she looked and listened. she would
had she been able-have gladly Joined
Grandma Nichols = sweetly singing
/; Home. Sweet Home" as she sat rock
ing Dickiebog into bed readiness on the
farm house porch.
Early next day when the sun was
coming up from behind the tall wood
land trees. each thread OF small Sue
Spiders perfect cobweb was outlined
in tiny dewdrops finer and more spark
ly than proudest queens finest, most
sparkly diamonds: such a thing of
beauty was SUBSCRIBERS well spun web
that even Dickieboy. plunging round the
pasture raising an appetite for break
fast. saw 1t and wondered. Grand
ma shouted he. galloping back to the
house in quest Of that busy best chum
of his, grandma. come quick and see
this glittering. clustering spider web!
Isn't it just a beauty
Indeed and indeed it is" agreed
grandma. bending low to examine it:
with its clever and persevering little
builder looking out Of it. Don't touch
either cobweb or spider, Dickieboy, for
both of them are delicate and easily
hurt and when you've looked your fill, +!
come In and get your breakfast" |