The Portland daily press., 1872-02-20
FACES ON THE WALL.
BY HARRIET BEECHER STOWE.
Aathor Of "Uncle Toms Cabin" "My Wife and T."

Aathor Of "Uncle Toms Cabin" "Ny Wife and T."
etc.
Once there was very good little girl, who by rea-
son OF her goodness knew where to find strawberries
IN the winter. In the way less perfect people,
blessed by the generous fairies Of memory and imag
nation, may Sit do now, in the midst of failing
leaves and whistlng winds, and call back the green
grasses and summer sun. l see yonder in the glen
the darling Of our house, the gold gleam In her brown
har chain of daies in her hand and in her ewes the
roughsh meditation of Kitten weary for an instant
only Of Its play, and thinking syly of another spring
Thrown back upon the velvet grass she is not resting
only pausing; from her bright gances to the tips of
her tiny fingers she is wide awake.
But now the merry play is over and our pet nestes
FOUNDER on the sof-cushion tired at last in earnest
slowly the lids TALL and the lingering smile dies out;
out the flush in cheek and lip remains, like the glow
aiter sunset. The gathered buttercups and daisies
are loosely held by the fair little hand no shadows,
even Of dream land disturb the sweet brows perfect
peace. She is fast asleep.
In other words, two chromos hang upon the wall
bewtching child heads, in which every mother sees
something of her own dear ones grown DID, and
never lost to her, however time or death may have
dealt with them
Nothing pleases at first sight or gives pleasure
longer than poetical pictures of children. The little
child whom Jesus sets in the midst of every family
Is a JOY that grows not old and fades not. t
cage cannot wither, custom cannot stale
Its infinite Variety
For this reason happy picture of a child brings an
enjoyment more lasting than any other because 1t is
subject of which no one ever tires.
But these pictures, besides their constant charm for
lto liz
love. Our little "Wide Awake" and Fast Asleep
would give many pleasant hour of companionable
amusement and intercourse to the little people akin
to them in age The pictures that children eyes rest
on as they dropping off to sleep or as they awake
in the morning, seem to them like living friends All
sorts of childish dreams and ncies make of the pict
ured face real companion. Not only in the parlor
or the sitting room would they be attractive and
fitting establishment, but they are charming pair
for the adornment of nursery.
Undoubtedly these two pictures are portraits
There is realistic faithfuness and truth about them
that forbids the idea of their being fancy heads
They will remind many parents of little either
here or in heaven. Dickens says somewhere of his
portraure of little Nell that he has had letters from
the farhest regions of the earth speaking of children
who resemble her-so dear and SO early taken! He
who paints one child well, paints thousands, and
speaks to the tenderest feelings ofnnumerabe hearts,
OF course there is pleasure in possessing an orig-
nal pafntiug but when the question lies between an
original at five hundred dollars and chrome which
can scarcely be distinguished from it, at ten dollars
particularly when one has not five hundred to spare
the choice is not very difficult. As to these two ex-
quislte chromos only critical examination can dis
tnguisn between the copies and the originals which
sold for many hundreds-which is certainly more
ha dnft tha boat