Essays on Social Subjects.

Marlborough Express, Volume III, Issue 125, 11 July 1868, Page 3

Essays on Social Subjects .

BY A LADY.

No. I.—A RAINY DAY. A Rainy Day ! It is rather a dismal subject to write about, but we must see if we cannot brighten it up a little by dispersing some of its discomforts ; it will be hard if we fail in finding one gleam of sunshine in defiance of the clouds overhead. Rain in a maimer of speaking is like sorrow, when it does not fall too heavily it is good for us ; we learn from the contrast how to appreciate the sunshine when it comes. 1 wonder what the weather would be like if we could control it all sunshine no doubt—providing that we knew tha : we could live without rain ; but admitting that we cannot, how comical it would be if we could each arrange it according to our convenience. Farmer Smith having a favourite potato patch might require a little rain, while Farmer Jones next door might be going out for an excursion, and would like it fine. Just imagine him writing a note to Farmer Smith, requesting him as a favour to stop his water-fall for a little while, because Mrs. Jones had to pass the potato patch, and was afraid of spoiling her new bonnet; 1 am inclined to think that this imaginary state of affairs would cause more confusion than the real. Much as we may all dislike a rainy day, the best way is to accept it as one of the wise dispensations of providence, and endeavour to render ourselves indifferent to the clouds without, by making it all sunshine to the clouds within. We may go back to our nursery days, and say,— “ Ruin, lain go away. Come agiin anottier day.” Or “ Rainy weather, rainy weather, Patter, palter ail Uie day; Hens a a! chickens cp.vrd together. Wishing it would clear away.” Wo have all learnt from experience that wishing won’t help us, but many of us have yet to learn how to make the best of the alternative. Of course some feel the discomforts of a rainy day more than others ; much depends on the tastes and pursuits of a person, and much more depends on how a household ia regulated. Suppose we take for example an imaginary family, say Mrs. Brown’s. Mr. Brown rises in the morning, draws the blind, and discovers nature in one of her frowning moods; he looks at the smoke vainly endeavouring to ascend from the chimney tops, and listens to the rain beating against the window in a “1 can’t wait for anybody” sort of manner, Mr. Brown’s approbation finds vent in a prolonged “ ra-in-ing J” Mrs. Brown on hearing this wraps herself up in the bed-clothes, and thinks—“Oh, well! it’s a wet day, I need not get up quite so soon.” The consequence of this little piece of self-indulgence is that Mr. Brown’s breakfast is not ready in time for him to proceed to his daily occupation, and he has to go without. “An hungry man is an angry man, and we may suppose that Mr. Brown was both. Mrs. Brown thinks, “ Dear me ! it is such a miserable day I need not dress myself or the children today, no one will come in,” so she goes about in. her morning dress all day, and the children with unwashed faces. She looks at the grate, and discovers that it has just been cleaners; so she thinks she won’t light a fire, and then it will be all ready for the next day; she wraps a shawl round her, takes a book, and soon loses herself in summer climes. The children amuse themselves with whatever they can get hold of ; the consequence of this is a general smash, which recalls Mrs. Brown somewhat hastily from her travels, and she discovers that “Johnny has broken all her best China cups and saucers.” Poor Johnny gets rewarded suitably to the occasion, which does not improve the colour iu his face, or its expression. The rest of the children, out of Johnny’s misfortunes, and feeling rather frightened at the result, set up a most melodious chorus to the solo that Johnny was so energetically carolling forth, ia the midst of which Mr. Brown returns home to dinner. He looks at the empty grate, and after surveying the uninviting aspect of affairs, he re-invests himself in his great coat, and starts off to spend iho evening at his Club, or his favourite Hotel; thus it is that clouds arise on the domestic horizon, all through mismanagement and a rainy day. Now we will take a peep at another imaginary family, Mr. White’s; he, like our friend Mr. Brown, expresses great disgust when he wakes up in the morning and finds it raining, hut revenges -himself on dame nature and her frowns, by putting on a little extra clothing. Mrs. White, when she hears that it is raining, congratulates herself upon having a nice quiet day for mending up all the socks and stockings, she resolves to get breakfast away early, and Mr. White finds time to read over the morning paper to her before he leaves home ; Mrs. White then dresses herself and the children neatly, and sits down to her self-imposed task, amusing the little people meanwhile with a story, which makes them heartily regret when the day is over. Mr. White consoles himself all the way to his office with the. thoughts of warm slippers, a nice bright fire, an,cl still brighter faces when he gets home. While enjoying these pleasures, he inwardly decides that it takes a rainy day to teach a man the value of a comfortable home, and how to appreciate it. Much more than this may be said in favour of a rainy day. Longfellow says “ II w bti-u if-il i* the iii;n After t e dim mm Real, In the mad an-,! ti-ry slieel— In the ilium a Lne. How bea n !ul i- ' ” And so it is ; even the flow- - i*- .' ft silent thankfulness for tK.which are being so liberally 1 . • • ■ ■ and show their gratitude ; fragrance. Longfellow A of his poems—“ e; .1 - lining.” Live ia anticipation

linimj, and find some pleasing employment in the meantime, and the horrors of a rainy day will fast disappear. Those who cannot find some resource to beguile the monotony of wet weather, do not deserve the gift of intellect which providence has deemed it wise to bestow, and we may take it for granted that they are both selfish amt indolent j if they have not sufficient energy to apply their abilities, then they should sleep the time away- it is all they are tit for. It would indeed be very remarkable for any one to prefer rain to sunshine ; but if the proper means are taken, much happiness may be crowded into a RAINY DAY. Q. Blenheim, July Ist, 1868.