Mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado Co., Cal.) 1854-1860, 1860-07-07
THE SHADOW WE CAST.



ny T. 5. ARTHUR.
4 child was playing with some building
blocks and as the mimic castle rose before his
eyes in graceful proportions, q new pleasure
Swcllcd in his heart lie felt himself to be
the creator of thing of beauty" and was
conscious Of n new born power. Arch, wall,
buttrcss, gateway, drawbridgc, lofty tower
and battlcmcnt, were all the work Of his hands.
lie was in wonder at his own skill in thus
creating, from an unScrwly pile of blocks a
structure Of such rare design.
Silently he stood and gael upon his castle
with something Of the pride Of an architect
who sees, after months and years Of Skillfully
applied labor, some grand conception in his
art, embodied in his imprriShablc stone. Then
he moved around, viewing it on every side.
II did not seem To him toy, reaching only n
/ few inches in height, ard covering but square
foot Of ground, but a real castle, itself hun.
drcdS of feet upwards to the blue sky, and
spreading wide upon the earth its ample
! fouHdati0nS. As the iilca grew more aud
more perfect, his strange pleasure increased.
Now he stood with folded arms, wrapped in
! the oyermastcring 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 tondncSS Of a
mother bending over her child. Again he
arose, purpoSing to obtain another and more
distinctive view of his work But his foot
struck against one of the huttrcSscS, and in.
stuutiy with crash, wait, tower, uTd bItttC-
mcnt fell in hopeless ruin.
In the room, with the boy, sat his father,
reading. The crash disturbed him. and he
uttered sharp, angry rcbuke; glancng for n
moment, towards the startled child, and then
returning his eyes to the attractive pages he
fore him, unconscious Of the shadow he had
cast upon the heart of his child. Tears came
into those fair blue orbs, dancing in light a
moment before. From the frowning face Of his
father, TO which his glance was suddenly
turned, the c.Iitd foUkrrf bTrk 10 the ShHpclcSs
ruins of his castle. Is it any wonder that he
bowed his face in silence upon them and wet
J them with his tears?
For more than five minutes he sat still, as il
sleeping; then in mournlul kind OF way yet
almost noiScleSSlv. he commenced restoring to
the box, from which he had taken them, the
-nanE shaped pieces that fifty ,i+inetttesetittr,
had grown into n noble building After the
box was filled, he replaced the cover, and laid
it carefully upon Shelf in the closet.
Poor child That shadow was deep one,
him half an hour afterwards, asleep on the
floor, with checks flushed to an unusual bright.
ness. She knew nothing Of that troubled
passage i'll his young life; and the father had
forgotten, in the attractions of the book he
read, the momcntary annoyance expressed in
the words and tone, with n power IN them to
hadow the heart Of his child.
young wife had busted herself for many
days in preparing n pleasant surprise for her
husband. The work was finished at last, and
now she awaited his return, with a heart full
OF warm emotions. y dressing gown aud pair
of elegantly embroidered Slippers wrought by
her own skilllnl fingers, were the gifts with
which she meant to delight HIM.
What troop of pleasure fancics was in her
heart! How almost impaticntly 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 her pulses lcaped with tiut.
tcring delight. Like bird upon the wing,
she almost flew down to meet him, inpatient
for the kiss that awaited her
To meet in the world of business, few
days without their diSappontmcnts and per
plexitics. 1t is mems business to bear this in
manly spirit They form hut portion of
li(c'S discipline. and should make them stronger
bravcr, and more enduring CnwiScly, and
We may say, unjustly, too many men fail to
leave their business cares and troubles in their
stores, workshops or counting rooms, at the
days decline. They wrap them in bundles
and carry them and shadow their household.
1t was so with my young husband on this
particular occasion. The stream Of business
had taken an eddying whirl and thrown his
vessel backwards, instead Of onwardS, for q
brief space, and though it was still in the eur.
rent, and gliding safely onward against it, the
jar and disappointment had frcttcd his mind
severely. There was no heart in the kiss he
gave his wife, and because he had let care over.
shadow love. lie drew his arm around her 4;
but she was conscious of diminished press
urc in that embracing arm.
care you not wcll?"
With what tender concern was this qucs-
| tion asked
every WE'LL
lie might be in body, but not in mind that
was plain; for his voice was far from bcin.
cheerful.
She played and sang her favoritr pieces,
hoping to restore by the charm of music,
brightness to his spirit. But She WAS con.
SciouS of only partial success. There was still
|
fore. At tca-tmc She smiled upon him So
swcctly across the table, and talked to him ol,
such attractive themes, that the right express.
ion returned to his countrnance and he looked
as happy as she could desire.
From the tca.tablc they returned to their
pleasant parlor And now the time has come
for Offering her gilt, and receiving the coveted
reward Of glad surprise, followed by sweet
| kisses and loving words
will be hack in moment" she said, and
passing from the room, she went lightly up the
stairs Both tone and manner betrayed her
secret, or rather the possession of secret
with which. her husband was to he surprised
Scarcely had her loving face faded from before
his eyes, when thought returned, with single
bound, to an unpleasant event of the day; and
the waters of his spirit was again troubled
He had actually arisen and crossed the tlool
once or twice, moved by n restless concern
when his wife came down with the dressing
gown and slippers, She was trying to fore,
her countcnancc into grave expression, Il
hold back the smiles that were continually
striving to break in truant circles around hrl
lips, when single glance ut her husbands
face told her that the spirit driven away by
the exorciSm Of her love, had returned again
to his bosom. He looked at her sobcrly, as
she came forward
"What are these ?" he asked, almost coldy
rCpresSing surprise, AMI affecting an Ignorance
in regard TO the beautiful present she held il
her hands, that he did not feel
"ThCy are for you, dear made them"
For me? Nonsense. What do | want