Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1860-08-17

ing blocks, and as the mimic castle
rose before his eyes in graceful pro-
portions, new pleasure swelled in his
heart. He felt himself the creator Of
a "thing Of beauty" and was conscious
of a new born power. Arch, wall,
buttress, gateway, drawbridge, lofty
tower and battlement, were all the work
of his hands. He was in wonder at his
skill in thus creating from an unseemly
pile, a structure eff such rare design.
Silently he stood and gazed upon
his castle with something of the p ride
of an architect who sees, after months
and years of skillfully applied labor,
some grand conception in his art en-
bodied in the imperishable stone. Then
he moved around, viewing it on every
side. 1t did not seem to him toy,
reaching only a few inches in height
and covering but square foot of
ground, but real castle, towering
hundreds of feet upward to the blue
sky, and spreading wide upon the eartn
its ample foundatians. AS the idea
grew more and more perfect, his
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 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 but
tresses, and instantly with crash,
wall, tower and battlement fell in
hopeless ruin.
in the room, with the boy, sat his
father, reading. The crash disturbed
him, and he uttered sharp, angry
rebuke; glancing for moment towards
the startled child, and then returning
his eyes to the attractive pages before
him, unconscious of the shadow he had
cast upon the heart of the child. Tears
came into those fair blue orbs, dane
ins in light a moment before. From
the frowning 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 wet them with his tears ?
For more than FIVE minutes he sal
still, as if sleeping then in mourn.
full kind Of way, yet almost noiseless'
", he commenced restoring to the box
from which he had taken them, the
many shaped pieces that, fifty joined
together, had grown into noble build.
ing. After the box was filled he replac.
ed the cover, and laid it carefully upor
a shelf in the closet.
Poor child That shadow was a
deep one, and long passing away. His
mother found him half an hour after.
wards, asleep on the floor with cheeks
flushed to an unusual brightness. Sht
knew nothing Of that troubled passage
in his young life; and the father ha:
forgotten, in the attraction Of the book
he had read, the momemtary annoy.
ance expressed in the words and tone
with power in them to shadow thu
heart Of his child.
A young wife had busted herself fol
many days in preparing pleasan
surprise for her husband. The worl
was finished at last, and now sh'
awaited his return, with heart full o.
warm emotions. A dressing gown, (:
pair of elegantly embroidered slipper
wrought by her own skillful fingers
were the gifts with which she meant t.
delight him.
What a troop Of pleasant fancie
were in her head! How almost impa
tiently did she wait for the coming twi
light, which was to be dawn, no
approaching darkness to her.
At last she heard the step of he1
husband in the passage, and her puls'
leaped with futtering delight. Like I
bird upon the wing, she almost flew
down to meet him, impatient for tn
kiss that awaited her.
To meet in the world Of business, {
few days with their disappointment.
and perplexities--it is mems business
to bear this in 6 manly spirit. They
form but portion Of life's discipline
and should make them stronger, BRAY.
err, and more enduring. Unwisely, and
we may say unjustly, too, many mer
fail to leave their stores, workshops OF
counting rooms, at the days decline.
They wrap them in bundles and carry
them and shadow their household.
It was so with my young husband or
this particular occasion. The stream
Of business had taken an eddying whirl
and thrown his vessel backwards, in
stead Of UPWARDS, for o brief space,
and though it was still in the current,
and gliding safely onward against it,
. the jar and disappointment had fretted
his mind severely. There was no hear
in the kiss he gave his wife, and be.
cause he had let care overshadow love.
He drew his ann around her +; but she
was conscious Of o diminished pressure
in that embracing arm.
care you not we'll 20
With what tender concern was this
question asked?
Every well.''
He might be in body, but not in
mind that was plain; for his voice
was far from being cheerful.
She sang and played her favorite
pieces, hoping to restore by the charm
of music, brightness to his spirit. But
she was conscious o. only partial sue
cess. There was still gravity in his