The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1858-04-09
Now and To-Day.
BY r. s. ARTHUR.

Now and To-Day.
BY r. s. ARTHUR.
Our to.day's-how inadequately are they
appreciated! Now-in which all the bless
ings Of life is alone included-with wha
strange Indifference do we turn from its rici
offerings, to least our eyes on gardens Of de
light. that spread away, tempungly, in
future that forever mocks Us with the unat
tanned There are pearls and diamond,
scattered ell along the paths We are tread.
ing, but We cannot stop To gather them fol
looking at the mountains Of gold that CLEAN
against the far horizon. All cf our unhsp
pIness springs from neglected or misspcn'
hours and to-dsys. The present moment /,
Gods loving gin to man. In II We ~esve
the web Of our future, and make its thread,
bright with sunshine, OF dark with evil and
suffering.
"Coa'e and kiss me, psps," cried voice
full Of music and love.
Bot papa vas In the passage below, With
coat. hat and gloves on, oil ready 10 20
forth TO the days business, and little pet
Loui. ~ss up in his mothers chamber, only
half dressed.
l.Hav'n, time nov, ,I1l kiss you when come
home," papa answers back, and then starts
from the house In hurried manner.
A pearl lay at his feet, and Mr. Edwards
had failed TO lih the precious thing. lie
would have been 90 much the richer Tor life.
.Dcar Luz he said to himself, a. he
moved along the street, "that kiss would
have done Us both good, and consumed but
half q minute Of iime and hardly think
that I shall find another half minute 20
richly freigh,ed with blessings to-day"
At the corner Of the next square, Mr..
Edwards waited four minutes for an omni-
bus. Il was lost time. -Four minutes spent
with dear pet Louis, how full Of pleasure
they would have been-how fragrant their
memory through all this day?
When Mr.. Edwards arrived at his store,
neither bis morning newspaper nor bis book.
keeper was there. SO, be could neither get
at hls books, which were in the 6re.proof,
nor CLEAN from his Gazette the commercial
news or state OF the markets. No custo-
mers were In at 80 early an hour; and so
Mr.. Edwards passed the next twenty min.
utes in comparative idleness, his mind bur.
dened just enough to make him feel uncom.
Portable, with the thought OF little Louis
quivering over the coveted parting kiss.
At the end of twenty minutes, the book
keeper arrived. The honey Of Louis part
ing kiss would have sweetened the temper
of Mr.. Edwards for the day. Without it.,
under slight annoyances, his spirit grew
sour. He spoke to the book.kceper with
slight imps tience, and in words OF reproof
for being late. A sick child was the ex-
cuse and as he looked into his clerk'sface,
he saw that il was pale with trouble and
watching.
Mr.. Edwards sighed. The pressure on
bis feelings was heavier. Everything, dur
ing that day, seemed to possess a strange
power Of annoyance; and to the failure to
lin pearl from his fee. IN the morning, was
added many failures Of like character. 49,.
"Will you please to buy an almanac =
said chilish voice near him.
"No, do not please" was the gruf re-
ply of Mr.. Edwards. lie spoke as he look
ed up, OIL the moments impulse. The tim
id, half.frightened face OF tender child,
scarcely a year older than his darling at
home, glanced upon him for an instant, and
then he saw only the retreating form OF
little girl. Before his better feelings
prompted recall Of his repellant words,
she was in the street.
This was a little thing in itself, but 1t
told sharply on the feelings OF Mr.. Edwards,
who was naturally kind-hearted man. He
sat very still for little while, then, signing
again, went on with the letter he was wri-
ting when the little almanac. Her disturbed
him at his work. Another "now" had pass
ed, leaving a shadow instead Of the sun
shine it might have bestowed.
"Can you help me out to-duy7 have a
large note falling due"
i cannot" replied Mr.. Edwards.
The neighbor looked disappointed, and
went away.
Now that neighbor had many times obi.
ped Mr.. Edwards in q similar wny. Our
merchant had no balance over in bank
That may be said for him. But he had
money out on call, and cosId, without in
convenience, have helped his neighbor. He
remembered this after Il was too late. The
"now" had passed again, and left upon his
memory another burden Of unquiet thought.
And so the hours Of that day passed. each
one leaving some "now" unimproved-some
pearl lying by the wayside-some offered
blessing untouched; and when, at later
hour than usual, Mr.. Edwards turned his
S,eps homeward, he felt as II he had lost In.
stead Of gained day.
Dear LOUIS! Away, faster than his feet
could carry him, went tho heart Of Mr.. Ed.
wards towards his darling boy. Somehow,
the fathers Imagination would present no
other image Of the child, except one that
showed him 10 grief for the kiss denied that
morning.
uWhers ID Louisi 2" were tho first words
spoken by Mr.. Edwards, a. he entered the
room where his wife vas sitting. II was at
least an hour sfter nightfall.
"In bed and asleep" was the answer.
At another time this snswer would have
produced no unpleasant feeling; now II
was felt almost like painful shock.
Mr.. Edwards went to the chamber whero
Louis lay in his little bed. The gas was
burning low; he turned ituP, 90 that the
light would fall upon his face. How beau
,iiui il was in its childish innocence! how
placid! And yet the fathers eyes saw,
looking a. they did through the medium Of
q ,rou6led state, touch Of grief upon the
lips, and . shade Of rebuking sadness on
the brow Of his darling.
"Precious one!" he said, as be bent to
kiss the pure forehead, III wronged both
YOUR heart and mine."
Il seemed to him, sfrer tho kiss and con-
fession, that the sleeper's face took on .
more peaceful, loving aspect For many
minutes he stood gazing down upon his un.
conscious boy (; then murmuring to himself
-"lt shall not be 20 again, sweet one !"-
lowered the gas TO taper asme, and went
with noiseless footsteps from the room.