Smyrna times., 1855-05-16
Mllsttaanrolts Sflatttr
Shadows Of our Social System.

Shadows of our Social System"
! Tia man runs away from the light he always
chases his own shadow; and even when he ap-
proches the light, the shadow pursues him.
nave seen little boys attempt to dodge these
black ghosts of themselves, but they always
fall. Kun where they would, the shadow ran
too. Then one of them got mad, and stamped
on the GROUND, but the shadow stamped also,
foot to foot, in mimic wrath. "IIe shall bruise
thy heel sprang instinctively to my lips; for
the shadow seemed to embody all evil, as
| type. ...,...
Then the sun rose steadily in the heavens,
and, at midday, | saw the boy stamping upon
the head of his own gray, small shadow, as it
lay, humbled before him on the ground. "Ah,
yes, thou shalt bruise his head!" / exclaimed,
trlumphantly. A dozen fairy feet began to dance
over troop of shadow-heads simultaneously,
as IT they had all caught, sympathetically, the
spirit OF my thoughts :. -
There is indeed, deep significance in this.
as symbol of higher things. An opaqueness
attaches Oall finite powers, and throws shade
of imperfection over their best works. Wheth-
er this thought is expressed sanctimoniously.
as dogma of the schools, or most heathenish-
ly, as biting jest against Humanity, it is
recognition of the same dark truth Polished.
enlightened, civilized Christianized society has
yet the black shadow more or less dense : on its
Vlne-trelllsed cottages, and its marble palaces,
It's temples OF Justice, and its halls of learning !:
on ITS costly churches built up as grand houses
for Gods people to fall asleep in, and on its
church spires with their long fingers pointing
far up toward heaven; on the cheek of the lit.
tie maiden, and on the brow of the grave Judge.
What is there, or who is there wholly absorbed
5y the tdeat-becoming thing of light, with
no shadow falling about it? =.
We are all causes, and the deeds we DO are
the effects; but they are always good deal
stained with earthiness. There is a sting in
them which is SO sharp and so fatal, that some
times worder, after all, whether mankind are
not like the ancient hero whose mother held
HIM by the heel when she bathcd him in the
immortal waters; aud whether evil is not real
y brulslng poor Humanity in its only vulnera-
BILE and mortal part. ~ .-.'' - .-..'." +
And yet it must be. that mankind are pros
perlng. They are going towards the light :;
and, one day, they must Come into such re-
lationt to it, that they will be able at Ieast to
crush the head ofall present, pdlpable evil into
I the dust. A scOreof causes is sometimes bound
up In one little bunble-a bundle Of fobdurate,
irrevocable laws, individual and social, which
we might easily forget, if there were no re-
wards and penalties attached. q"
The above train of thoughts was suggested
1 by the following events g. <'.- 10
StoW STARVATION = Iasahity- Death.-Ah
| Orthodox Clergyman, who is at times subject
1 to a hereditary depression of spirits, year or
two since became very deaf This SO ircreas-
ed his dependency, that he left the ministry,
and removed TO New York, and began work as
a Daguerreotypist. This infrniity made him
unsuccessful IN his business; and his wife, who
1 had previously obtained a situation as teacher
in an industrial school, with salary of 800 d
year, resigned this school into the charge OF
their oldest daughter, While She herself stayed
4 in the Daguerrean room all day, and then sat
up tillmid-night, sewing! But, for all this, she
found it extremely difficult TO support family
of seven children, during the hard times oflast
4 winter An energetic and well-educated wo-
man, she could not bear to acknowledge their
poverty, and accept Of charity so, mother ike,
she toled, and endured slow Starvation. ''''f
f In the Spanish Tnquisitioh there was mode
Of torture, called the * Water. Dtop'" The
victim was placed in al immovable position =
A single drop of water fell upon his head from
far above, then another, and another; slowly
: steadily, drop, drop, drop At first the sensa.
ton was rather agreeable then itgrew pain.
/ ful-that steady dropping in one spot til il
seemed to fall upon the very quick ofthe brain
producing the intensest agony, the most eexx exx-
} cruciatihg death. i' p ,'sT 4'' .'sAi t4.'"n
4 SO it was that suffering came down on thai
!, woman's head 1t was little at first, and she
bore it braiely; but itfell steadily, steadily, til
it became lgonizing, and her brain was liter
: ally crushed with the torture. Yet the family
p could no rellize this. '.'N Z" go q
i Then the daughter siclsened beneath her bur
7 den cares. She left the school, and came HON,
! was pretty gentle girl ofseveRteen- wasting
b away with pulmonary disease, superinduce'
It by hard lalor, and prlyaton,l Qfcourse tn
/, father grew more and more melancholy, s,yI.
4 ., One day aman called at the house, stating
= that he was physician, and a member of tn
'd Board OF. Health, sent TO make inquiries. abop
10 the young gil condition, After torturing tn
q invalid with impertipent questions, he insiste
~ upon making an indecent examination, .whic
= so rought upon hen already shattered nerves
n thathe left her IN a confirmed depression an
le delri1m,. Tlis was the last drop falling on th
" brain of the poor fnothef; and her insanity al
n sumed so wild a type as to arrest The attentio
s. Of all. MSthsr and daughter were both take
1. to the Lunatic Asylum. on Blackwell's Islant
o. saw them q few days, after The girl CON
~ planned Of no pain, though unable to rise frol
ny the bed; but constantly bemoanipg her ow
or wickedness, ana the eternal punisbraentto whic
she. was doomd,,.l asob td,so,G a,oy ,,al
II lias You are not a bad girl:'i said. ladywi
=. had belrienGed theminltheir need. ii u .lu
~ sas ohaI anabad, y she responded, lookingu
as .Sai1qa ADD 9zEs sla'