THE TEACHER'S CORNER 361 



Now, everyone knows that every brook or creek or river is made up of 

 many drops of water that are, for the time being, united together and doing 

 the same thing, which is usually simply flowing down hill. What had hap- 

 pened to this special brook that morning was that during the rain many more 

 drops had been added to it, and it became excited and began to flow more 

 swiftly, and every drop that could reach the bank or bottom snatched up 

 a tiny load of earth and began to carry it along. But every drop thus laden 

 down very soon struck so hard that it loosened another piece of earth, which 

 another drop snatched up and carried on down stream. After a time there 

 were so many drops carrying loads and bumping along, knocking loose more 

 earth, that the whole brook looked muddy. Every drop in that brook that 

 touched the bottom or bank used its own little piece of earth or gravel as a 

 crow-bar or pick-axe with which to pry up other bits of dirt and gravel for 

 the on-coming drops to carry. The drops all hastened on, working hard 

 together to dig the channel of the brook wider and deeper. Sometimes in 

 steep places the drops would get so wild with haste that several together 

 would pick up a pebble or a stone and with this they would batter down large 

 pieces of the bank or scrape out great holes in the bottom of the stream. 



On and on the brook flows — a gang of workmen, each using his load as 

 a tool, moving in close procession and working double quick. But as soon 

 as the brook reaches a plain or level, the drops begin to feel tired and suddenly 

 conclude that they have worked hard enough for that time; more than that 

 each one feels inclined to drop his own load at once. The drops carrying 

 the larger pieces of gravel and rocks get tired first and throw their burdens 

 down, while the drops carrying the fine dirt and mud are not so tired and carry 

 their loads farther ; but finally they, too, throw them down. If we look where 

 there has been a flooded brook, we shall find that the gravel is dropped first 

 always, and the fine mud carried farther on before it is deposited. 



So, now, when we see a brook or stream all roiled and muddy and noisy, 

 we shall know that it is working very hard, and with its thousands of tiny 

 pick-axes is making its channel wider and deeper. But when we find a brook 

 just babbling along — the less it has to do, the more it babbles, the water so 

 clear that every pebble on the bottom is visible, we shall know it is in a very 

 lazy mood, and is not doing any work to speak of that day, but is just loitering 

 along, catching sunbeams and playing with the fish. 



Themes for English Exercises 



Where the Waters of the Brook Go 



The story of a little boat that was set afloat on the brook and continued 



floating until it reached the sea. On what streams would it sail? Through 



what townships, counties, states and countries would it pass? What cities 



would it sail b\^? 



How a Stream Works and Plays 

 When does a stream work and when does it play? Tell how the waters 

 look when at work, and how the work is done. How and when and wh}^ does 

 a brook give up its load? 



