“Yes, my dear brother,” said Cherry; “God makes it rain, and do you think it right to bestow hard words upon that which is God’s work? Is it right to grumble or complain on account of what God is doing?”
“I did not think of that!” said Frederic.
“I know you did not,” said his sister; “if you had thought of it, I am sure you would not have spoken so: but we ought always to consider that what God does is right, and instead of grumbling at it, we should feel cheerful and content; knowing that what he does is not only always right, but for the best. Now I wish to show you that in this case, it is for the best that it should rain.
“You know that it is now spring: that is, all the buds of the trees, and flowers, and seeds, are now springing forth. Well, these things all need rain, for it is as necessary that they should have drink, as that little children should. Now God looks down upon the earth, and he sees millions and millions of buds, lifting up their heads, and asking for drink. The sun has been shining very warmly for several days, and all the plants, the grasses of a hundred kinds, the roses, the dandelions, the lilacs, the daphnes, the leaves of the trees—all, all are thirsting for water, and these myriad children of God look up to him and ask him for rain. And God says, ‘Let there be rain!’ and the rain begins to fall, and the leaves, and grasses, and plants, and shrubs, and trees are rejoicing; when, lo! Frederic Larkin comes forth, and calls out, ‘Stop, stop, rain! or I can’t go to Chelsea Beach!’”
Here Frederic smiled, and though he felt the absurdity and unreasonableness of his conduct, he was silent, and Cherry went on as follows: “You see, Frederic, how very important it is that we should have rain; for without it the grass and grain would perish, and we should perish too for the want of food. The rain that falls to-day, will probably be the cause of producing food enough for ten thousand people a whole year: and you, just for the sake of going to Chelsea Beach, would prevent all this good; you, for a day’s pleasure, would make ten thousand people starve.”
“But I didn’t think of all this,” said Frederic.
“I know you did not,” said Cherry; “and I am not complaining of you; I am only telling you these things, so that when the rain comes in the way of your pleasure or your plans, you may see that it is all for the best. If, instead of looking out for causes of discontent, we would always regard the bright side of things, we could never fail of finding something to make us cheerful.
“Now as it regards this matter of the rain, if any one had the power of putting it off, we should never have any rain, and therefore all the living things in the world would starve. You would put it off to-day, because you want to go to Chelsea Beach: somebody else would put it off to-morrow, for then he would want to go there, or somewhere else. The next day some other person would put it off; and so it would be put off and put off, till all plants would perish, and the earth would become a scene of desolation.
“Now God, instead of entrusting so important a matter as rain to us short-sighted human beings, has kept it in his own hands: and now tell me, Frederic, are you not satisfied, nay, happy that he has done so?”
“Yes, I am,” said Frederic; “I did not mean to complain of God.”