The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1875-01-13
shoulders stopped beneath the bur

I
den.
| did not bring sunlight into my
dwelling, rs | crossed, with dull
deliberate step, its threshold. The
flying feet that sprung along the
hall, and the eager voices that fill
cd suddenly the air in sweet tu
mutt Of sound as | entered, were
quiet and hushcd in q little while.
| did not repcl my precious ones.
for they were very dear to ny
! heart; but the birds do not sing
joyously except in the sunshine
and my presence had cast sha.
dow. The songs Of my homo birds
died into fttul chirpings-they sat
quiet among the branches. saw
this and understood the reason. |
condemned myself; l reasoned
against the folly Of bringing world
ly cares into the home sanctuary. |
endeavorcd to rise out ofmy gloomy
state. But neither philosophy
nor sclf.compelling effort was Of
any avail.
I WAS sitting with my hand
partly shading my face from the
light, still in conflict with myself,
when l became conscious Of u lift
ing Of the shadows that were
around me, and Of i froer respira-
ton. The change was slight, but
still very pcrceptiblc. | was begin
ming to question rs to its cause,
| which had been operative through
the sense Of hearing, g,thcugh not be-
fore externally perceived in consc-
qucnce Of my abstracted state
My neighbor was whistling "Be-
! gone, Dull Care!"
Now, in my younger days, |
had whistlcd and sung the air and
words of this cheerful old song
hundreds of times, and every line
was familiar to memory. l listen
cd with pleased interest for q
little while, and then, as my
changing state gave power to re-
volutions quick. born Of better
reason, I said in my thought, en-
phatically, as if remanding an evil
spirit.
"Begone, dull care! p And tho
feud left me.
Then I spoke cheerfrlly, and in
tone Of interest to quiet little
May, who had walked around me
three or four times, wondering in
her little heart, no doubt, what
held hera distance from her Papa,
and who was now seated by her
mother, leaning her daXen head,
futcd all over with glossy curls,
against her knee. She sprung at
my voice and was in my lap at a
bound. What thrill Of pleasure
the tight Of her arms to my heart!
0, love, thou art full of blessing
From that moment l felt kinder
towards my neighbor. He had
done me good-had played before
me as David played before Saul
exercising the evil spirit Of dis.
content. There was no longer q
repcllant sphere, and soon all my
little ones were close around me
and happy as in other times with
their father. After they were all
in bed, I sat alono with my wife
| the cares that "infest the day
made q new assault upon me, and
vigorously strove TO regain their
lost empire in my mind. l felt
their approaches, and tho gradua
rcccding of cheerful thoughts with
every advancing stop they made
In my struggle to maintain that
tranquility which SO strengthen:
the soul fer work and duty,
arose and walked the floor. Ny
wife looked up to mo with inquiry
in her face. Then sho let her eye:
fall upon her needie-work, and a:
l glanced toward her at every
turn in my walk saw an expires
sion Of tender concern on her lips
She understood that l was not q
ease in my mind, and the knowl
edge troubled her.
"How wrong in me-" I said il
self:rebukc, "shus to let idle brood
ing over mere outside thing
which such brooding can in NJ
way affect, trouble the peace o
my home;;" and l made a new ef
fort to rise again into o sunnic
region. But the 6end had me il
his clutches again, and l could no
release myself Now it was tina
my David came anew to my re
lief. Suddenly his clear note
rang out in the air; "Away wit
! Melancholy!"
l cannot tell which worked tn
instant revulsion Of feeling tha
came-the cheerful air, the word
Of the song which were called t
remembrance by tho air, or th
3 associations Of bygone years tha
were revived. But the spell wa