The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1861-10-02
Catching a Sunbeam.

dark and caverns into which the sunlight rarely
if ever comes. It would is if many people loved
these gloomy shades, and hid themselves Of choice
away from the bright and beautiful sunshine They
carry shadows in their hearts and shadows on their faces
When they into your presence it seems as if the
air suddenly darbened bya passing cloud
Nj. Hickman was one Of these men, who walk for
the most part in dark valleys sit in dreary caverns
Rarely, if ever returning home, did he bring light
into his dwelling. If there was merry laughter among
the children his entrance their voices were hushed
if loves light beamed from hecountenance of his wife
as she sported with her little ones it faded away civ
ing place to SOBER thoughtful half troubled look He
always home bringing shadow with him. and sat
for the most part IN this shadow, through all the cheer
less evenings
Why this? Was there great trouble in..he heart
OF Mr., Hickman? Had he passed through some depres
sing misfortune suffered some terrible action? No
1t was well with him With most people-better
than with very large number His business was pros
perous and every year he added many thousands of
dollars TO his rapidly accumuhting fortune. But he
was not man possessing an orderly adjusted mind
was easily disturbed by res, and annoyed by incidents
that should not have affected him any more than the
buzzing OF lv. But the real cause lay deeper and
more hidden grounded in an inordnate sefshness,
that robbed him of the pleasure which might have
tended success, through erv<z oilers good fortune.
He Jealous of lis compeers in business and always
experienced disagreeable sensation when he heard
them spoken Of as successful November that sunlight
could not find its way into his heart Envy and iwi
burn in what heart they may, always send up a black
smoke that obscures the heavens The sun is there
shining brightly ever but his rays cannot pene
trate this cloud Of passion No day passed in which
something did not to disturb gr cloud the mind
OF Mr.. Hckman and SO, evening aftereVcning he came
home bringing with him shadow instead Of sunlight
Oh, what desecration Of home ths home, where
the hearts sunlight should ever dwell and a heart
warmth peryadc all the sweet atmosphere Nothing of
external good was denedb Mr. Hickman to his family
They had all OF happiness that money could buy Yet
how far from happiness were his wife and children
They were dropping for sunshine-the sunshine of
smiles, and pleasant words, and joyous laughter But
these came not from hr. Hickman He sat among thsm
grim and gloomy, for the most part like some sombre
heather divinity-haf dreaded half propitiated.
Mr.. Hickman not stolid but that he in this
the existence of wrong He loved his wife and chill
dren, desired their good and ready to make almost
any sacrifice for them that he knew how make Even
as he sat moodyn his home conscious that his presence
rested like nightmare on the spirits of his wife and
children, he would say to himself
"This is not right I should bring home pleasant
words and cheerful smiles
Yet amostas he said this wouIl his thought 90 back
to some incident of the day, which mere selfshness
gave power to disturb his feelings and he would 90 off
again into brOodng Of mind out of which he had
not resolution enough to lift himself Often ithappened
that his children sought, in the ougushng gadness of
their hearts, to break the spell that was OH himbut
almost always be repulsed them-sometimes codly,
sometimes lretfdly, and sometimes in sudden anger
so that at last they rarely or spoke him.
as he sat through bis silent evenings.
Wrong all wrong,n Mr. Hickman often said to him
self as the shadow lell darker on his home. But
knowledge Of the evil did not bring knowledge Of the
cure or rather that splfcononest which rpst nraceda
a cure. lie must let the sunshine come into his own
heart he could pour forth it, rays on other hearts
He must come out of The dense forests and GLOOMY
valleys ana dusky cayers ina he cIaa, sI,eba. b
how was he to came optg AgEo was n lead lin, forl9
One day as Mr. Hickman at IN His can,,tirr room
with = grntar1an a5 calna IN fr6n, tho
sfara u I'll I'M so,,,a ,,ag5ios abo,+ I,,is m
Hickman repied IL cutt wav and the lad went ant
"Wbat il that hoy's namesa asked the gentleman
Crank Edwards j VA ranIiad
II thought 10 Hes i fine boy How long has he
been with you?o
About three months"
Does be give satisfactiou?p
Yes"
"Fm pleased to hear it. His mother lives in our
and my wife has taken considerable
est in her. She is very poor and in feeble health She
maintains herself by sewing but that kind of exhaustng
toll is wasting her life rapidly Frank is her only child
and the only to whom she can look for any help.
am glad you like him"
Nothing more said on the subject, but il did not
pass from the mind Of Nr. Hickman. He had taken
he lad few months before on trial, and it under
stood that il he gave satisfaction be to be put on
wages aftefSX months
The boy is faithful, int igent and active, said Mr.
hickman, speahins 70 himself III IT IS SO with his
noIhef, OIL he mus pc pG5 on wages now.
ms conclusion N lie nInd of NJ hicNman was at,
ehde4 win sense o pleasure. Ills heaf had opened
ast tte ana two Or three sunbean with their hight
md warmth had gone down INTO It,
:" hat snail pay him for hs services SAID Mr..
Hickman to himself still dwelling on the subject.
"Ihere are plenty OF lads to be obtained at couple
,I dollars week. for the first one or two years. OF even
or nothing IN consideration OF the opportunity for
earning good business in good house But Franks
ase is peculiar and must be considered by itself There
question Of humanity involved His mother is poor
md sick, and she has no hope but IN him Let me see;
hall l make it three dollars week? That will help
hem considerably But, dear me. three dollars will
hardly pay for Franks eating. must do something
'eter than that. Say four dollars.
Mr.. Hickman dropped his head little, and sat turn
ng the matter over IN his mind. lie had once been a
,oor boy, with mother in feeble health; and he re-
nembored how hard it was for him to get along-how
many pryatons and harships his mother had to endure
nd yet their income was nearly double the amount he
housht of giving Frank. Dir. Hickman had always
owed his MOTHER and this memory OF her soltened his
ceilings still more toward the poor widow, for whom an
ppeal had come to him 50 unexpectedly
Frank is an unusually bright boy, said Mr.. Hick
lan He has an aptness for business is prompt and
aithful. can afford to make his salary liberal I'll
Joll4rc ha