The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1858-06-10
The Shadows we Cast.

A child was playing with some miniature |
building materials, and ai the mithic castle
arose before his eyes In gracsfdl proportion,
a new pleasure swslled ia bis heart; he felt
himself to be the creator of a ''thing Of bear.
ty," and was conscious Of q new born pow:
er. Arch, wall, buttrsss, gateway, draw
bridge, lofty tower and battlement, were all
the work OF his hands. He was in wonder
at his own skill in thus creating, from an
unseemingly lot Of toy materials, structure
of such rare design.
Silently he stood and gazed upon his cas-.
tie, with something of the pride of on archl'
tect who sees, after months or years ofskilI-
fully applied labor, some grand conception
in his art embodied in imperishable stoue.-
ThehIAe moved around, viewing it on every
side. 1t did hot seem to him toy, reaching
only few inches in height, and covering
but square foot Of ground, but real castle.
liftitg itself hundreds Of feet upwards to-
wards the blue sky, and spreading wide upon
the earth its ample founaatibts.
rs the idea grew more and taofe petfstt;
the thila'b strange pleastites increased. Now
he stood With folded attis, wrapped in the
overmastering illhsion-now walked slowly
around, viewing tbs strdctGre Oh all sides,
and noting every minute particulat-and
now sat down, and bent over it with the
fondness of mother bending over her child.
Again he arose, purposing to obtain another
and more distant view Of his work; but his
foot struck against one of the buttresses'
and instantly, with crash, wall, tower, and
battlement fell in hopeless ruin.
In the room with the hey sat his father,
reading. The crash disturbed him, and he
uttered a sharp, angry rebuke, glancing for
b moment towards the startled child, and
then returning his eyes to the attractive
page before him, unconscious of the shadow
he had cast upon the heaft of his child
Tears came into those fair blue urbs, dane.
ing III light moment befbte! From the
frowning face of his fhther, to which his
glance was suddenly turned, the child looked
back to the shapeless ruins Of his CASTLE
Is it any wonder that he bowed his face III
silence apoti then, wet then with his tears!
For more than five minutes he sat as still
as if sleeping; then; in mourHful kind OF a
way; yet almost hoiselessly, he commenced
restoring to the box from which he had
taken them, the many shapeIess pieces that,
| fifty joined together, had grown into noble
building. After the box &Hs filled he ts.
placed The cover, and laid it carefully upon q
shelf in the closet. ~...
| Poor child! That shadow wds deep o!iej
and long in passing away. His mother
found him, half an hour afterwards, asleep
on the floor, ith cheeks flushed to an tin.
usoal brightness. She knew nothing of1hal
troubled possige in his yodng lifei and the
father had forgotten, in the attractions of the
book he was reading, the momentary annoy
ance expressed in words and tones, with Q
power in them to shadow the heart of biz
child.
A young wife had busted herself for many
days in preparing pleasant surprise for hel
husband. The work was finished at last
and now she awaited his return with a hear
full of warm emotions. A dressing gowr
and pair of elegantly embroidered slippers
wrought by her own skillful fingers. wer'
tie gifts %ith which she theant TO deligh
him. What troop Of pleasant fancies wa
in her heart How almost impatiently d
she wait for the coming OF twilight, whcI
was to dawn, not approaching darkness t
her!
III lasl, she heard the step of her husbau
3 in the passage, and her pulse leaped witt
fluttering delight. Like bird upon tn
wing, she almost few down to meet hin
impatient for the kiss that awaited hss!
To men in the world Of business, few day
pass without their disappointments and per
plexities. 1t is mems business Is Bear thi
in manly spirit. They form but PORTO
of life's discipline, and should make theI
: stronger, braver, and tiiote enduring. Ur
wisely, and we may say uDjustly, too man
men faiI to leave their business cares an
troubles in their work shops or countin
s houses, at the days decline. They wra
!, them in bundles and carry them home
/ shadow their households.
It was 90 with the young husband on tn
y particular pecasion. The stream Of bus
ness had dtaken ah:eddying whirl and throw
d his vessel backwards instead Of onward, Il
}. brief space; and though it was still in Il
% current and gliding safely onward dgainftl
}; jar and disappointment hdd frettsd hia mil
s. severely. There was no heart warmth
II the Kiss he gave bis wife, sot because b
10 love for her had failed in any degree, b
ID because be had let care overshadow love-
r. He drew Ills arm arouna 6et, But she VI
Eco1scftus df diminished pressure in tn
embracing arm.
9 "Ate yod 6of Welt" she inquired.
re with what tender concern was the Cue
N tion asked! :
!. !. "very WE'LL" he replied. >.
v He might be in body, bot not In tAiI
that was plain-for his voice was far frt
ha being cheerful. @ ="