The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1905-08-01
CHAPTER XII.

"Wally"
Eyes, dad
Eve been thinking lately that the
sunshine of life is very unequally
spread. Some bask in it from birth to
death. while others are condemned to
walk in shadow the whole Of their
days. Doubtless it is for some wise
purpose that the Great Disposer of
events has so ordained, but there are
times when one is inclined-I say it
yeverently-to doubt the wisdom of it.
Perhaps it is also ordained that these
disturbing reflections should come to
us when we see stretched before us the
valley Of Eternal Light"
eve disagree so seldom, dad, that I
am not so sure whether it is distressing
or not to hit upon a subject in which
our ideas do not run in the same
grove. You are growing melancholy
again, and by so doing are breaking
the contract we entered into to look
only on the bright side. Not that /
have the slightest notion, dad, except
in a general way, why you should al
low yourself to relapse into sadness. /
have a very strong disposition not to
allow it, and to order you--just as if
our positions were reversed, as If /
were your father and you my son-in-
stantly to put on more cheerful hab-
it. Now l have something to say upon
the theme you have started, and which
apparently has suggested itself to you
by the sight Of Little Make-Believe
and Saranne in the garden there gath
ering the pease for dinner"
ut was partly suggested by those
two, Wally, and partly also by what is
in my mind concerning ourselves"
concerning you and me. dad"
s'Yes, Wally. Go on, love to hear
you talk. I travel back to the days Of
your childhood, and reflect upon the
JOY your innocent, artless little ways
brought to me. The contrast between
you as you were then and you as you
are now-for do you know, Wally, that
within even the last few days great
change seems to have come over you?
the contrast between the child and
the NANNY child and my man--is a
source of the most surprising delight
to me; delight, my boy, which has its
deep anxieties, too"
II can imagine it, dad, though l
cannot reciprocate your feelings in
what experience by the change which
has come over you. 1t is true that,
TO myself as we'll as to you, change
seems to have come over me, change
l can hardly describe; but think
that in very short time have grown
much older; years seem to have taken
the place Of days. know that have
not lost your confidence"
"No, Wally, no; never think that"
~ don't think it, dad: if l did
should not be able to hid my grief
from you. And / know that, some time
or other, you will confde in me, and
give me an insight into the sorrow
which weighs upon you. Bear this in
mind, dad; ] have been schooling N.Y.
self, and / am prepared for news that
is not entirely good, for were it SO I
should, before to-day, have been a par
ticipator in it. Putting ourselves out
Of the question, can you, in your whole
experience, find two human creatures
who have been more thoroughly con-
demned to walk in shadow-your own
words, dad--than Little Make Believe
and Saranne "
mo, Wally, don't think can; nay,
! am sure cannot"
Look at them now, dad. Are. they
In shadow
ITO all appearance they are iq full
sunlight, body and soul"
dad, don't you see how, in this adj
mission-not drawn from fancy, but
from reality-you have destroyed your
own argument? 1t pains me more
than can express to see that, what
ever your sorrow may be, you are dis
posed to be led from the paths Of sun
shine in which you and have walked
all our lives. Say that a cloud is
hanging over us, shall that blot out
light from the world, shall it cause us
to love each other less, shall it not
make US strong instead Of weak?
There, dad, have brought tears into
-FOUR eyes Forgive me- dad"
eThe5 are tears Of JOY. Wally. You