The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1858-02-12
WS / sccL [ a Il c 8 Il 9 .
THE SHADOWS WE CAST.

\ child was playing with some min
iature building materials, and as the
mimic castle arose before his eyes in grace
ful proportions new pleasure swclled
in his heart; he felt himself to be the
creator OF "thing Of beauty" and was
conscious of n newborn power. Arch,
wall, butress, gateway, drawbridge, lofty
tower, and bat,lement were all the works
of his hands. He was in wonder at his
own skill in thus creating, from an un.
secmly lot OF toy materials, structure OF
such rare design.
Silently he stood and gazed upon his
castle, with something OF the pride of an
architect who sees, after months or years
OF skillfully-applied labor, some grand
conception in his AT embodied in imper-
ishable stone. Then he moved around,
viewing it on every side. ltdid not seem
to him toy, reaching only few inches
in height, and covering but a square foot
OF ground, but real castle, lifting itself
hundreds of feet upwards towards the
blue sky, and spreading wide upon the
earth its ample foundations.
As the idea grew more and more per-
feet, the ehild's strarge pleasure increas-
cd. Now he stood with folded arms,
wrapt in the over-mastering illusion--now
walked slowly around viewing the struc-
turc on all sides, and noting every minute
particuar-and now sat down and bent
over 1t with the iondncss OF mother
bending over her child. Again he arose,
purposing to obtain another and more dis.
tant view OF the work; but his foot struck
against one Of tho buttresscs, and instant
ly, with crash, wall, tower, and battle
ment fell in hopeless ruin
In the room with the boy sat his faith
CT, reading. The crash disturbed him,
and he uttered sharp, angry rebuke,
glancing for moment towards the start
led child, and then returning his eyes to
the attractive page before him, uncon-
scious of the shadow he had east upon
the heart OF his child. Tears came into
those fair blue orb, dancing in light a
moment before. From the frowning face
of his father, TO which his glance was sud-
denly turned, the child looked back to the
shapeless ruins Of his castle. Is it any
wonder that he bowed his face in silence
upon them, and wetted them with his
tears
For more than five minutes he sat as
still as il sleeping; then, in mournful
kind of way, yet almost noselessly, he
commenced restoring to the box, from
which he had taken them, the many
shaped pieces, that, ftly joined together,
had grown into a noble building. After
the box was flleC, he replaced the cover,
and laid il carefully upon shelf in the
closet.
/ Poor child. That shadow was deep
one, and long in passing away. His
mother found him half an hour after
wards, asleep on the floor, with checks
flushed TO an unusual brightness. She
knew nothing of that troubled passage in
his young life; and the father had for
gotten, in the attractions of the book he
was reading, in the momentary annoyance
expressed words and tone, with power
in them to shadow the heart OF his child.
\ young wife had busted herself for
many days in preparing pleasant sur
prise for her husband. The work was
finished at last and now she awaited
his return, with heart full of warm emo
ton. A dressing.gown, and pair Of ele,
g,ntly embroidered slippers, wrought b!
her own skillful fingers, were the gifts
with which she meant to delight him.
What troop of pleasant tancies were IL
her heart. How almost impatiently
did she wait for tile coming twilight
which was TO be dawn, no, approaching
darkness, to ler!
At last she heard the step Of her hus
band in the passage, aud her pulse leap
ed with huttering delight. Like bird
upon the wing, she almost dew down tC
meet him, inpatient for the kiss thai
, awaited her.
To men in the world of business, few
DAYS pass without their disappointment
and perplexitics. 1t is mems business tc
: bear this in manly spirit. They form
but portion of life's discipline. anS
. should make them stronger, braver, anc
, morc enduring. Unwisely, and we ma,
say upjus,ly, too many men fail to leave
D their business cares aud troubles in theil
, workshops or counting houses at the day
decline. They wrap them in bundles an'