The late Peter Marshall was an eloquent speaker and for
several years served as the chaplain of the US Senate. He
used to love to tell the story of the ” Keeper of the Spring, ” a
quiet forest dweller who lived high above an Austrian
village along the eastern slope of the Alps.
The old gentleman had been hired many years earlier by a
young town councilman to clear away the debris from the
pools of water up in the mountain crevices that fed the
lovely spring flowing through their town. With faithful ,
silent regularity , he patrolled the hills, removed the leaves
and branches , and wiped away the silt that would otherwise
have choked and contaminated the fresh flow of water. The
village soon became a popular attraction for vacationers.
Graceful swans floated along the crystal clear spring , the
mill wheels of various businesses located near the water
turned day and night , farmlands were naturally irrigated,
and the view from restaurants was picturesque beyond
description.
Years passed . One evening the town council met for its
semiannual meeting . As they reviewed the budget, one
man’ s eye caught the salary figure being paid the obscure
keeper of the spring . Said the keeper of the purse, “Who is
the old man ? Why do we keep him on year after year ? No
one ever sees him . For all we know , the strange ranger of
the hills is doing us no good . He isn ‘t necessary any longer . ”
By a unanimous vote , they dispensed with the old man ‘s
services.
For several weeks , nothing changed.
By early autumn , the trees began to shed their leaves . Small
branches snapped of and fell into the pools, hindering the
rushing flow of sparkling water. One afternoon someone
noticed a slight yellowish – brown tint in the spring . A few
days later , the water was much darker. Within another
week, a slimy film covered sections of the water along the
banks, and a foul odor was soon detected . The mill wheels
moved more slowly, some finally ground to a halt. Swans
left, as did the tourists . Clammy fingers of disease and
sickness reached deeply into the village.
Quickly, the embarrassed council called a special meeting .
Realizing their gross error in judgment , they rehired the old
keeper of the spring , and within a few weeks, the veritable
river of life began to clear up . The wheels started to turn ,
and new life returned to the hamlet in the Alps .
Never become discouraged with the seeming smallness of
your task, job , or life. Cling fast to the words of Edward
Everett Hale : ” I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do
everything, but still I can do something; and because I
cannot do everything , I will not refuse to do something I can
do. ” The key to accomplishment is believing that what you
can do will make a difference.
