Illustrations from Nature.
The Drop of Water, the Brook, the River, and the Ocean. A drop of water, that sparkled like a jewel in the sun, once fell from the clouds into a little mountain stream, and, ere it lost its identity, exclaimed in all its anguish of desolation, “Alas! what a catastrophe—I am swallowed up in immensity.” The little stream laughed, as it leaped down the mountain side, at the lamentation of such an insignificant thing as a drop of water, and, vain of its consequence, continued brawling its crystal way, in all the pride of conscious superiority, until at length, with a sudden plunge, it fell headlong into a mighty river, and, like the drop of water, was lost in a moment, crying out in its last agonies, “Oh, fate! who would have thought a brook of my size could be swallowed up so easily?” The river murmured its contempt for the little foolish stream, and continued its course, gathering strength and pride, breaking through mountains, tearing the rocks from their seats, and coursing in a thousand graceful meanders through flowery meadows, until it found its way to the vast and melancholy ocean, in whose boundless waste it lost its being, like the drop of water and the little mountain stream. “Is it possible,” exclaimed the mighty river, “that I have been thus collecting tribute from half the world, only to become nothing at last?” “’Tis thus with thee, O man! Thou beginnest in insignificance, like the drop of water; thou becomest a laughing, leaping, brawling thing like the brook; thou waxest proud and great like the mighty river; and ere thou canst say, in the vanity of thy heart, ‘What an illustrious mortal I am,’ thou art lost in eternity.”—Sel.