THE VAGARIES OF NATURE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2840, 19 August 1908, Page 83

THE VAGARIES OF NATURE.

Bt a Bahxek.

Nature, though «* «31 times either beautiful anct-gorgeoua, or grand aaul sublime, oa threatening: and fiercely menacing,, is eve» fitful and ofupriaiona in Jier varied moods., Now ehe is wreathed in smiles tuid 1 sunfind enkindling all in » genial anc| JgratefuJ,. warmth; now, veiling all her loveljQ ra&iaarce and brilli-ancy, sb« i s suddenly in* angry mood, and, in a spasm of fury, pburing 3-orth. "tibe viala of her wrath; or now, again* ipwerTOig^ound, she ia ahrcraded in a mantlaf of sullen glopm and dismal otosoitrrtyr The strange glacial wave, for instance* which, re<^n%ty - swept over a considerable portion <&'• Europe, when, tihe gelid breath) of the north gripped in its icy talons -neariyj half a continent, was preceded by otftmary. spring -weather, alternately waim and colp^ sunny and Slwraery, genial and indemen'i.. Aaid then all ia changed. For from 4fa4 frozen north the keen, niveous blast sweep* down in fu,ry, congealing the waters, dicing | ■and benumbing all in its frigid graap, *na «n.tombing .tjhe countryside beneath, a snow-whi-to J airoucl/ The songsters of the woods' .deasetfieir joyous trills and carols, and Jen*deavourtto shelter their brooding mates from' ~the cru-w tempest; the gay butterflies hide in 'tome 'leafy retreat; while the young lambs, buried ■ deep beneatt the suffocating smowy , perish in thousands. And still is descends, Slfdajr, . all' night. Deeper. and ever deepes is the -sn<wy pall; colder and : ever colder Is the frozen blast; travelling hampered and alniost impracticable ; trade at a standstill ;■ agricultural labour impossible. Hot at" length the influence of the ' strung south overpowers .tih© frozen onslaughfr and drives it air back to the Weak clime whenca it caine;' its" snews, its hjeayy clouds,' and it* biting cold; ttnd in a short time, umdet th« uafluenoe of the briJ-kuat sun and of the 'Var.m^^nd genial air, the enshrouding mantU -of afow rapidly disappears, leaving not « ■wrack behmd, causing all Nature to rejoice;! the songbirds again carol forth their love-< j songs, the %ioopmg flo-vrer-bu<ls "expaaid inic I beauty, and gladness and sunshine take the place of wretchedness and desoia-tion. And we, too, ourselves; gripped hard in/-, "the cold and numbing fetters of materialism -and, unbelief) and held captive by the chilling incubus of doubt, if with the never refused aid of the -Holy Spirit of God wef; prostrate ourselves before the Redeemer ofthe world, who, though the Son of God, yefl suffered and bled that we might live eternally, ■and accept him as our Saviour, we ehaU fine! that all those cold and, cheerless doubts will} suddenly, disperse, and we shall rejoice ml the. sunshine and gladness of the Divin« favour.

— Chief Constable Gentle lias started * class for instructing- the police force of Brighton in the French .'•anguage, so that? officers at the different police stations, men; on point duty, and eventually the whole, force, may bo helpful to foreigners.