The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1858-01-15

morning, anu the words tnN fell IRON
her lips were heart echoes. But it was
not so to Mr.. Edgar. The cares Of this
world, and deceitfllness Of riches, had,
like EVIL weeds, found q rank growth in
ais spirit Will, good seeds OF truth,
which, in earlier life, had sent forth their
fresh green blades that lifted themselves
in the bright incorporating sunshine,
gave now but feeble promise for the har.
vest time.
No, Mr.. Edgar was not happy. There
was pressure on his feelings; an unsat.
isfed reaching out into the future; a
vague consciousness of approaching evil.
Very tendcrly h. loved his little one; -
aud as she lay nesting against him, he
he could not help thinking OF the time
when he was child, and when the New
Yean were happy once. Ellen loved no
place SO well as her fathers arms
When they were folded tightly around
her, she had nothing more to desire; and
as she lay very still and silent, while the
thoughts of her father wandered away
from the loving child OH his bosom to his
own unsatis6ed state of mird.
"For years" he said within himself, "l
have been in earnest pursuit of the means
of happiness, yet happiness itself seems
every year to be still further in the dis
tancc. There is something wrong. l
cannot be in the true path. My days are
busy and restless, my nights burdcned
with schemes that rarely do more than
cheat my glowing fancy. What is the
meaning of this p
And Mr.. Edgar fell into deep revey,
from which he was aroscd by the voice Of
his wife, as she laid her hand upon his
shoulder.
a Happy New Year, and many joy
ful returns" she said in loving tones, as
she pressed her lips to his forehead.
lie did not answer. The tenderly
spoken good wishes of his wife fell very
gratefully, like refreshing dew, upon his
heart; but he was distinctly conscious of
not being happy.
SO far as worldly condition was con-
cerncd, Mr.. Edgar had no causes of men.
tai depression. His business was pros
porous under a careful management, and
every year he saw himself better off by a
few thousand of dollars. Always, how
ever, it must be told, the number Of thou
sands fell short of his expectations.
"Therc is something wrong" Mr..
Edgar's thoughts We're all running in one
direction. a startling truth seemed sud-
denly to have been revealed to him, and
he felt inclined TO look at it in all possi-
bic aspects. "Why am | not happy 7"
That was ugins the question home. But
the answer was not given.
After breakfast, Mr.. Edgar left home
and went to MS store. As he passed
along the street, he saw at window the
face of most lovely child. Her beauty,
that had in it something of heavenly in
nocencc, impressed him so deeply, that
he turned to gain a second look, and in
doing so, his eyes saw on the door of the
dwelling the name Of Abram james,
There was an instant reyulsion of feel
ing: and for the first time that morning,
Mr.. Edgar remembered one of the causes
of his uncomfortable state OF mind
Abram Jones was an unfortunate debt
or who had failed to meet his obliga-
tionS, among which were two notes Of
five hundred dollars each, given to Mr..
Edgar. These ha been placed by the
latter in the hands of his lawyer, with di-
rcctions to sue them out, and obtain the
most that could be realized. Only the
day beioue-thc last day of the year-hc
had learned there were two judgments
that would take precedence of his, and
sweep of a large share of the debtors
property. The fict had chaied him con-
siderably, causing him to indulge in
harsh language towards his debtor. This
language was not just, as he knew in his
heart. But the loss OF his money fretted
him and filed him with unkind feelings
towards the individual who had occasion
ed the loss.
No wonder thst Mr.. Edgar was un-
happy. As ht continued on his way, the
angry impulse that quicsened the blood
in his veins, srbsidcd, and through the
mist that obscircd his mental vision, he
saw the biigh: face of child-thc child
Of his unfortunate debtor. His own
precious one vas no lovelicr-no purer
nor had her lips uttered ON that morning
in swceter tones, the words-"A happy
New Year, Papa
How the thought chilled him. "a.
With his face bowed, and his eyes up.
on the grourd, Mr.. Edgar walked on
He could not sweep aside the image q,
that child Al the window nor keep back
his thoughts from entering the dwelling
where her pres 'ncc might be the only
sunbeam that gave light in its gloomy