Chapter 32

MAN'S BEST FRIEND.

Travel the world from end to end You ne'er will find a better friend Than sparkling water, pure and free, Most precious boon to you and me. It cheers the faint, it crowns the feast, Makes food to grow for man and beast; In sickness soothes the fevered frame, There's healing in its very name. And what can more life-giving be Than cooling breezes from the sea, Whose bosom bears upon their way The stately ships from day to day? A treasure trove of priceless worth; A jewelled belt for mother Earth, Encircling with its silvery bands, She binds together many lands. To cure disease dame Nature brings Her remedy in mineral springs; Water without, water within, Equally good for stout or thin; And more than man can e'er devise Invigorates and purifies. Travel the world from end to end, You ne'er will find a better friend.