152 History of Gutta-Percha Willie.

 

the window for a while, and then get into bed again.
For my part, nevertheless, I think it a most useful
contrivance. For all lovely sights tend to keep
the soul pure, to lift the heart up to God, and
above, not merely what people call low cares, but
what people would call reasonable cares, although
our great Teacher teaches us that such cares are
unjust towards our Father in Heaven. More than
that, by helping to keep the mind. calm and pure,
they help to keep the imagination, which is the
source of all invention, active, and the judgment,
which weighs all its suggestions, just. Whatever is
beautiful is of God, and it is only ignorance or a
low condition of heart and soul that does not prize
what is beautiful. If I had a choice between two
mills, one that would set fine dinners on my table,
and one that would show me lovely sights in earth
and sky and sea, I know which I should count the
more useful.

Perhaps there is not so much to be said for the
next whim of Willie’s; but a part at least of what
I have just written will apply to it also.

What put it in his head I am not sure, but I
think it was two things together—seeing a soaring
lark radiant with the light of the unrisen sun, and
finding in a corner of Spelman’s shop a large gilt
ball which had belonged to an old eight-day clock
he had bought. The passage in which he set it up
was so low that he had to remove the ornaments