“But, Helen,” asked Mr. Ashton, “is this little stream always flowing?”
“I do remember once,” Helen said, when she had thought a little while, “that the brook was quite dry: we had had no rain for many weeks; the grass was dry and brown; and old Godfrey had to drive the cows a long way to the river-side, to let them drink. At last, there was a storm of thunder and lightning, and the rain came down in torrents. I recollect saying to papa, if I were Godfrey, I would put out some tubs to-night to catch the rain, that I might not have such a long journey to take to-morrow; but papa told me, there would be water again in the brook very soon, he had no doubt. Well, it did nothing but rain for several days, till I was tired of the sight of clouds. At last they cleared away; and as soon as the grass was dry, I ran down to my favourite seat by the brook, which was bubbling on just as it always used to do.”
“Then, papa,” said Lewis, “the water which sinks into the ground rises out of it again in springs, I suppose; and springs supply rivers, and rivers flow on till they reach the sea. Can it really be the same water that comes back to the ocean again, after forming in turn clouds, rain, springs, and rivers?”
“Yes, Lewis,” said his father, “this is indeed the case; and if you will take the trouble to follow it through all these various and wonderful changes, you will not fear the earth’s becoming saturated by the quantity of water that falls upon it; but you will clearly perceive, that it does not contain more water now than it did at the time of the creation. There is much more connected with the subject of water, which you may at some other time be interested in thinking about. But now run for your domino-box, and I will have a game with you and Helen; I was busy when you asked me to play last night.”
“Thank you, papa,” said Lewis, “shall I call Edward?”
“No, do not call him; I dare say he is very happy; he is helping mamma. We will have one game, and then Helen may put on her things, and you shall go with me to the National Schools.”
CHAPTER VIII.
“Now, Helen,” said Lewis, as they drew near the building appropriated to the schools, “you will see Tom Price. I wish you had been with us when we went to see his mother, and grandfather, and little brother;” and Lewis was going on to tell Helen of the presents they had made, but he recollected that this would be too much like display: his embarrassment, however, was soon relieved, by Helen’s asking, why her uncle called Price, Lewis’s oracle?
“Because I always consult him about the weather; and you see he was right this morning: he knows a great deal about it, as most people do who have to get their living in the open air. He is a fisherman now; for he is too old and infirm to make long voyages, though he was a brave sailor once, and has been out in many a terrible storm. His poor son was lost at sea, and now he takes care of the widow and her two little children: but here we are at the school.”
Lewis and Helen followed Mr. Ashton into a large room, in which many boys were occupied: they were seated in rows, one behind the other, and were employed in writing on slates the words which the monitors, from time to time, dictated.