ing every day to be ready
for the hour of breaking forth? Are we idle? How cruel to complain!"

But of all this the Master of the Harvest heard nothing, so the gloom
did not pass from his face. Going to his comfortable home he repeated
to his wife the dark words, that the drought would ruin the harvest, for
the corn was not yet sprung up.

Then his wife spoke cheering words, and taking her Bible she wrote some
texts upon the flyleaf, and after them the date of the day.

And the words she wrote were these: "The eyes of all wait upon Thee; and
Thou givest them their meat in due season. Thou openest Thine hand
and satisfiest the desire of every living thing. How excellent is Thy
loving-kindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust
under the shadow of Thy wings. Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more
than in the time that their corn and their wine increased."

And so a few days passed as before, and the house was gloomy with the
discontent of the Master. But at last one evening there was rain all
over the land, and when the Master of the Harvest went out the next
morning for his early walk by the cornfields, the corn had sprung up at
last.

The young shoots burst out at once, and very soon all along the ridges
were to be seen rows of tender blades, tinting the whole field with a
delicate green. And day by day the Master of the Harvest saw them, and
was satisfied, but he spoke of other things and forgot to rejoice.

Then a murmur rose among the corn-blades.

"The Master was angry because we did not come up; now that we have come
forth why is he not glad? Are we not doing our best? From morning and
evening dews, from the glow of the sun, from the juices of the earth,
from the freshening breezes, even from clouds and rain, are we not
taking food and strength, warmth and life? Why does he not rejoice?"

And when the Master's wife asked him if the wheat was doing well he
answered, "Fairly well," and nothing more.

But the wife opened her Book, and wrote again on the flyleaf: "Who hath
divided a watercourse for the overflowing of waters, or a way for the
lightning of thunder, to cause it to rain on the earth where no man is,
on the wilderness wherein there is no man, to satisfy the desolate and
waste ground, and to cause the bud of the tender herb to spring forth?
For He maketh small the drops of water; they pour down rain according
to the vapor thereof, which the clouds do drop and distil upon man
ab