The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1886-10-21
SHADOWS ON THE WALL.

Ouor of Chiidhosd's Lost Joys-Marvelous
Entertainments Our Grandfathers Gave.
Who does not remember the Joy that
filed his childish heart while looking
at the shadows on the wall? IL was
always on some winters night, when
whistling winds and biting blasts out
side made the coy room appear cozier
and warmer than ever, that as children
We were won't to view these exhibitions
in black and white. The big kerosene
lamp, nicely trimmed so that the mack
erel-tailed flame burned without
spntter, stood upon the table. Then,
after all we younsters had our share Of
nuts and brOwn-skinned russell apples,
and while the hands of the big clock
approached unpleasantly near the hour
when we were usually sent to bed, the
shrill voice of the smallest of the lot
would ohirp out
Grandpa, show us some pictures on
the wall.
This request was always made by
the smallest toddler-because we older
ones affected to sniff at the shadows
made by grandpa's horny hands. We
didn't, though. In cur hearts we
things we had ever seen.
Grandpa, having sent every one over
To one side of the table. and having
seated himself on the other side with
the bare white wall to his left and the
blazing lamp to his right, would begin
the show.
Well, meow, I'll show yew the old
rabbit" prefaced grandpa, putting up
q gnarled and sunbrowned hand of am
pie proportions near the big lamp.
Then out on the wall would stand in
deep shadow the outlines of rabbits
head, with ears pricked up, just as
some of us older boys had seen the live
little creatures stop down in the meadow
in answer to our shrill whistles. Then
would follow wonderful series of pic
lures as grandpa's fingers moved hither
and thlther, turning and twisting into
queer-shaped knots, which threw the
oddest-shaped shadows on the wall.
There were horses and COWS and men
and hobgoblins, and then. to conclude
the performance, grandpa always used
both hands. and with great show of
mystery produced the bugaboo, which
made it his especial duty to eat up all
bad children who did not go to bed in
time and tried to sit up after hours.
The bugaboo which grandpa exhibited
was such a ferocious looking creature,
with jaws that snapped so mepacingly,
that none of us ever had the courage
to demand more pictures, but went to
bed confident that by so doing we
cheated all bugaboos of every chance
they might otherwise have to get at us.
/ remember once, as 1 grew older,
of hearing my father and grandfather
talking together about those shadows
on the wall. Ny father told GRANDPA
Their how he remembered when little
boy seeing his grandfather-my grand
fathers father, of course-make these
same pictures, and then grandfather
went back ever so many years and re-
called how he used to be amused by
his grandfather in the same manner.
In thinking the matter over in after
years often wondered how many thou
sand babies were born with an heredita-
ry prediction for shadows on the wall.
1t also occurred to me how many tod
dlers there must be nowadays when the
old kerosene lamp has followed the
candle into the background, who have
never seen any of those old shadows on
the wall. The desire is there, never
theless, desire begotten of instinct,
and on the West Side few evenings
ago it was strikingly illustrated-Chi-
! CdgO NelCs.