FROM MY WINDOW.

Shannon News, 21 July 1922, Page 4

FROM MY WINDOW.

MANY WATERS.

(By “Etera.")

Nothing holds such contrasts within itself as water; for from being the most beneficient friend, it can be the Cruellest enemy. Hire comes next to Water in its contrasts, but water can piaster fire; and although water canpot master death, it can cause it. There is one thing, however, that is a greater poorer in the world than water, and that i,s love, which is eternal. “Many wafers cannot quench love." * y

; You never hear of water walking. It runs, though.without legs;, it glides, |t breaks over rocks, and so one, but Nothing as decorous as walking comps within its scope, nor will it run up a hill of its own volition. One would Ihink it suffers from a weak heart unless one saw it running down a hill, when it could easily outstrip Atalanta. I History does not relate what happened to the pail of water that Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch; but we are told that Jack's returning effort cost him a cracked.crown. I expect it cost Jill half-a-erown to get it mended, which makes the bill seven and six; and as everyone knows, seven and six makes thirteen which is an unlucky number, so you cannot expect good to accrue from that pail of water. It probably rolled home from its bootless journey, having shed the water on its downward way, and gathered only momentum and a litte dust, neither'of which would be of marketable value. I expect it was placed aside as a poor pail object «an need of pink pills, where it remains to this day.

To watch water steadies the nerves and calms the troubled breast. A visiting British college professor'Hvlio had come out to New Zealand to examine ! candidates for practical musical hon-. ours, once said that he would far rather stay on the beach and listen to the music of the waves, than to wdiat he was going- to hear that day. And I one shivering candidate's heart that, re-echoed his sentiments and -wished he would. But it is only an Edison or a Marconi who can earn his daily bread and travelling expenses by watching waves. * ' * * * *

' A river of lias many human attributes,' but by comparison is an inhuman object; for it has a head which it may pillow in a spring at the top of a high mountain, but its mouth is generally to be found at the seaside. While its body, with outstretched arms, is meandering -all over the countryside. It is fond of its bed/ and makes its own without having to be taught. This is composed of line silt, or stones that have been worn smooth by the movement of the body of water. Sheets of water cover the bed after a storm, and movable springs- fall into it. It loves comfort, but lias been known to discard one bed and make another by breaking the scriptural law aganist removing one's neighbour’s landmark. Even worse to relate, it not only removes its neighbour’s landmark, but eats up the land when feeling needy through having overdrawn its own bank account.

Other banks grow weeping willows in protest; but if the river ogre be in the mood, it will eat up both banks and weeping willows next time. I think it swallows the land because it knows that an owner cannot claim property that does not exist, i*V * * *

The sea murmurs in its sleep, the ocean roars; nevertheless they can both prove life-giving a beneiieient in carrying our steamers to and fro.

! W r e load the boats with the product of our beautiful land, give them a shove and say “Take this home to mother for her dinner, anti ask her for something in exchange-that she can spare.” For even she with all her greatness cannot assuage her hunger without outside help. And in exchange we receive anything from iron machinery to chocolates,' classic literature to tin tacks

‘‘Darkness was upon-the face of the deep. And the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters and God said: “Let the waters bo gathered to one place, and let dry land appear. ’' “And God saw that’it was good." #** i *

: What poetry is to be found in this pimple yet magnificent description of cosmos being eyolved from chaos! In our little finite way we take pleasure r in “tidying up," and lvlien it is over we -have the satisfaction of knowing that it is good. What, therefore must ibe the satisfaction of tidying up a universe? The Creator’s work was done for the good of man: do we always work for that object, or do we sometimes substitute self-glorification? * * . # *

and we are mutually satisfied.

Water may be harnessed and made to work .hard. Then it shows its true

| No. XXII. I worth, for it never, seems to tire, it will work day . and night with no note of disapproval in its murmur, and has never been known to go on strike 1 for a forty-four hour rveek. In fact, it works ’on Sundays as well, although some is taken to church; and the only time that it slows down is when it does not obtain enough food from its home in the hills. But who can expect it to keep up a high standard of efficiency while on a starvation diet? You could .not, yourself, with all of your brains reasoning power. Its motive power is determined by the land it occupies while oh the way to the ,sca. Sometimes it meanders; sometimes races; now it flows swiftly; now falls over a cliff and makes of itself such a glorious sight that human beings travel from one side of the world to the other to gaze upon it. '

“Oh! For the little brooks That tumble as they run!"

( They , have their>admirers too, with their singing, whispering and babbling. '[ Have you ever gone out on a moonlight. night and walked across a bridge, and found a man and a maid gazing over the ledge into the swiftly moving water below? Perhaps you

were the man, perhaps the maid. If so you will not need to be told that lhoving water is most interesting to gaze upon (part of the time). Counting the stars is another interesting nature study also.

: Water in its day's work takes many jiarts. Steaming hot, it can endow inanimate objects with the fierceness of a tiger, and can cause these objects, under human control, .to move from place to place like a docile iron horse, doing men's heavy work for them. Boiling water hurts people, but destroys germs, cooks food, .and makes the cup that cheers, but not inebriates. Hot water cleanses' objects and burns unwary fingers. Warn water cleanses small boys under compulsion. Have you never come across the boy who, when asked/about ablutions on a Saturday morning, will not immediately wear a downtrodden air and say: “Oh mum,‘"have a heart, I don't have to go to school!" Cold water caters for happiness by being the means for conveying travellers over the world; and by being used in swimming, boating, yachting, bathing, racing, w'ater-plah-ing, etc. It is nature's doctor for the promotion of health and general wellbeing. Alas! It\lso caii bo a purveyor of tragedy not only in its time of anger, when it crunches up the sturdiest* of vessels as if they were made of eggshell; but also in its quiescent mood when it causes .the loneliness of division. St. John on the island of Patmos tnust have gazed sadly on the water that divided him from his friends, for in his vision of heaven he says “And there was no more sea." But worse even than loneliness is remorse; and better be a St. John on Patmos than a Napoleon on Elpa. “Learn,to make the most of life,

Lose no happy day; Time will never bring thee back Chances swept away. Leave no tender word unsaid, Love while life shall last, The mill will never grind With the water that has passed.''