The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1858-01-13
THE SHADOWS WE CAST.

A child was playing with some miniature
building materials, and as the mimic castle
arose before his eyes in graceful proportion
a new pleasure sweled in his heart he fell
himself to be the creator Of thing Of
beauty" and was conscious of new born
power. Arch, wall, kuttresses, gateway
drawbridge, lofty tower and battlemen,
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, a
structure Of such rare design.
Silently he stood and gazed upon his cas-
tie with something Of the pride of an archi-
tect who sees, after months or years Of skill
fully-applied labor, some grand conception
IN his art embodied in imperishable stone.
Then he moved around, viewing it on every
side. Il did not seem to him toy, reaching
only a few inches in height, and covering
but square foot of ground, but real castle,
lifting itself hundreds Of feet upwards to-
wards the blue sky, and spreading wide up
on the earth its ample foundations.
As the idea grew more and more perfect,
the child's strange pleasure increased. Now
he stood with folded arms, wrapped in the
overmastering illusion-now walked slowly
around, viewing the structure on all sides
and noting every minute particular-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
battlcmcnt fell in hopeless ruin!
In the room with the boy sat his father,
reading. The crash disturbed him, aud he
uttered sharp, angry rebuke, glancing for
a 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 heart Of his child.
Tears came into those fair blue orbs, dancing
in light moment before. From the frown-
ing face of his father, 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 in silence
upon them, and wetted them with his tears !!
For more than FIVE minutes he sat as still
as if sleeping; then, in mournful kind Of
way, yet almost noiselessly, he commenced
restoring to the box, from which he had
taken them, the many shaped pieces that,
ftly joined together, had grown into noble
building. After the box was filled, he re-
placed the cover, and laid it carefully upon
shelf in the closet.
Poor child. That shadow was a deep
one, and long in passing away. His mother
found him half an hour afterwards, asleep on
the floor, with cheeks flushed to an unusual
brightness. She knew nothing of that trou-
bled passage in his yeung life; and the
father had forgotten, in the attractions of
the book he was reading, the momentary
annoyance expressed in words and tones,
with power in them to shadow the heart Of
his child.
A young wife had busted herself for many
days IN preparing pleasant surprise for her
husband. The work was finished at last !;
and now she awaited his return, with heart
full Of warm emotions. A dressing gown,
and pair Of elegantly embroidered slippers,
wrought by her own skillul fingers, we're the
gifts with which she meant to delight him.
What troop Of pleasant fancies was in her
heart! How, almost impatiently, did she
wait for the coming twilight, which was TO
be dawn, not approaching darkness to her
AT last she heard the step Of her husband
in the passage, and pulses leaped with ilut-
tering delight. Like bird upon the wing
she almost ilew down to meet him, inpatient
for the kiss that awaited her.
To men in the world of business, few
days pass without their disappointments aud
perplexities. Ii is mems business TO bear this
10 manly spirit. They form but a portion
Of life's discipline, and should make them
stronger, braser, and more enduring. Tn
wisely, and We NAV say uninstly, too MANY
men iail 10 leave their business cares and
troubles in their work k-shOps or counting
houses, at the days decline. They wrap
them in bundles aud carry them home 10
shadow their households.
II was 50 with the young husband on this
particular occasion. The stream Of business
had taken an eddying whirl, and thrown hi.
vessel backwards, instead Of onwards, for a
brief space and, though il was still in the
current, aud gliding safely onward again,
the jar and disappointment had frettcd his
mind severely. There was no heart warmth
IN the kiss he gave his wife, not because love
had failed in any degree, but because lie had
LEI care o,ershadow love. lie drew his arm
around her +; but she was conscious Of di-
lninished pressure 10 that embracing arm.
Are you not well I" she inquired.
With what tender concern was the ques-
tion asked
VERY WE'LL" lie replied.
lie might be in body, but not in mind
that was plain; for his voice was far from
being ehcerlal.
She played and sung his favorite pieces,
hoping 10 restore, BY the charm Of music,
brightness to his spirit. But she was con-
scious Of only partial success. There was
still a gravity in his manner never perceived
before. AZ tea time she smiled upon him
so swectly across the table, aud talked "a
him on such attractive themes, that the
bright expression returned to his counte.
nance. and he looked as happy as she could
desire.
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