An interesting story is told concerning the northern reindeer. It seems that on those far-off plains, a hundred miles from the sea, at a certain season, in the midst of the Laplander’s village a young reindeer will raise his broad muzzle to the north wind and stare at the limitless distance for the space of a minute or more.

He grows restless from that moment, but he is yet alone.

The next day a dozen of the herd look up from cropping the moss, snuffing the breeze.

Then the Laps nod to one another, and the camp grows daily more unquiet.

At times the whole herd of young deer stand and gaze, as it were, breathing hard through wide nostrils, then jostling each other and stamping the soft ground.

They grow unruly and it is hard to harness them into the light sleds.

As the days pass the Laps watch them more and more closely, well knowing what will happen sooner or later.

And then, at last, in the northern twilight, the great herd begins to move!

The impulse is simultaneous, irresistible; their heads are all turned in one direction.

They move slowly at first, still biting here and there at the bunches of rich moss.

Presently the slow step becomes a trot; they crowd more closely together, while the Laps hasten to gather up their last unpacked possessions, their cooking utensils, and their wooden gods.

The great herd together breaks from a trot to a gallop, from a gallop to a breakneck pace; the distant thunder of their united tread reaches the camp for a few minutes, and then they are gone out of sight and hearing, to drink of the Polar Sea.

The Laps follow after them, dragging painfully their laden sledges in the broad track left by the thousands of galloping beasts; a day’s journey, and they are yet far from the sea, and the track is yet broad.

On the second day the path grows narrower, and there are stains of blood to be seen; far on the distant plain before them, their sharp eyes distinguish in the direct line a dark, motionless object, another, and yet another.

The race has grown more desperate and more wild as the stampede nears the sea.

The weaker reindeer have been trampled by their stronger fellows.

A thousand sharp hoofs have crushed and cut through hide and flesh and bone.

Ever swifter and more terrible in their motion, the ruthless herd has raced onward, careless of the slain, careless of the food, careless of any drink but the sharp, salt water ahead of them.

And when the Laplanders reach the shore, their deer are once more quietly grazing, once more tame and docile, once more ready to drag the sled.

Once in its life the reindeer must taste of the sea in one long satisfying draft, and if he is hindered, he perishes!

Neither man nor beast dare stand between him and the ocean, in the hundred miles of his arrowlike path!

I hear the voice of Jesus say,

“Behold, I freely give The living water; thirsty one, Stoop down, and drink, and live!”

I came to Jesus, and I drank Of that life-giving stream; My thirst was quenched, my soul revived, And now I live in Him.

Come, O come ye to the Waters!

Heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ.—All things are yours.—My beloved is mine.—The Son of God . . . loved me, and gave himself for me.

The Lord spake unto Aaron, Thou shalt have no inheritance in their land, neither shalt thou have any part among them: I am thy part and thy inheritance among the children of Israel.

Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.

My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion forever.

Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.—I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land.

Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.

My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.—The LORD is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: thou maintainest my lot. The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage.

The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.

Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever: for they are the rejoicing of my heart.

O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is . . . Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.

My beloved is mine, and I am his.

There be many that say, Who will shew us any good? Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us. Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased.

As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God.—O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is.

I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. Lord, evermore give us this bread.—Mary . . . sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word.—One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple.

There be many that say, Who will shew us any good?—What hath man of all his labour, and of the vexation of his heart, wherein he hath laboured under the sun? For all his days are sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. All is vanity and vexation of spirit.—They have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.

Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.—I will pour water upon him that is thirsty.—Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is.

Ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; to see thy power and thy glory.

My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord : my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God.

Having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better.

I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.

They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.

They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures.

My people shall be satisfied with my goodness, saith the Lord.

My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord : my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God.—O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land where no water is; to see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.

Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.—The Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.—Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.—My blood is drink indeed. Eat, O friends; drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved.