The Keeper of the Springs

Peter Marshall, remarkable preacher of 60 years ago, told a story of how many people drink from a stream, yet forgetting its source. Beginning with a “once upon a time,” Marshall described a town at the foot of a mountain that was indebted to a sparkling river that grew from several springs at the top of the mountain.

High up in the hills, a quiet man took upon himself to be the Keeper of the Springs. He roamed the hills, removing fallen leaves, mud and mold, from the bubbling springs that fed the river.

Waterwheels ran the industries. Gardens and lawns were refreshed daily. Fountains threw sparkling diamonds into the air and children frolicked in the swimming pools.

But hard-boiled businessmen ran the City Council. They looked at the civic budget and found the salary of the Keeper of the Springs. Said the treasurer, “Why should we pay for a man we rarely see? He is not necessary to our town’s welfare. If we build a reservoir just above the town, we won’t need his services and we can save a salary.” So the town built its cement reservoir and saved a salary.

The Keeper of the Springs watched from his heights while the reservoir was built. He watched it soon fill up with water-but the water did not seem the same. Soon, the machinery of the mills were in constant trouble with slime and debris doing the damage. At last, an epidemic roared through town and the sickness reached every home on every street.

The City Council met again and sorrowfully faced its troubles. They immediately went searching for the Keeper of the Springs and begged him to return to his former responsibilities. Not long, pure water came bubbling up through the ferns and mosses, finding its way down cleaned-out brooks.

In town, the stench was gone, the swimming pools were fresh again, and the mills were in full production. And the sickness waned.