The Washington herald., 1915-07-05
The Shadow.
ny JOHN ID. BARB.Y.
lin Two Parts.)

tTF you have read Galsworthy's novel "Frater.
nifty" you know what the Shadow is.
The Shadow is the counterpart of you, the
counterpart of ME.
For Galsworthy, has spread the idea that every
one OF Us has his counterpart in the slunns.
The thought is distressing
But there some distressing things that
ought to be thought of. If we don't think ofthen,
! there is danger of starving the sympathes
And it is by our sympathies that we escape
from the narrowness of our own interests and
conceits
Suppose for while we think of the Shadow.
If you have ever had your double pointed out
to you you must remember your surprise and dis
| appointment
! What Do l look like that?"
And haven't you noticed how startled you've
been suddenly coming upon yourself in a mir
ror? There is the instructive impulse to improve
yourself by a change of expression, or by touch
here and there.
When we don't wish to appear at our best be-
fore ourselves may be sure that we are in a
bad way probably morbid.
And yet if we could get out of ourselves and
see ourselves from an unbiased point of view the
revelation, in spite of the pain, would be whole
some.
Better still would be the thing we should learn
from counterparts in the Shadow World
We speak of the Shadow World as a world
apart. as we speak of purgatory of hell Yet
it merges into our world.
The Shadow People don't live in the slums all
the time. They come up into the highways where
you and l walk.
They pass us in the street. Their eyes often
meet our eyes. Do they recognize us? | wonder
Perhaps suffering has made their senses keener
than ours And our senses may be blunted by
our not wishing to recognize them, by our lack
OF interest.
If they recognize us, what can they think Do
they feel impulse to call out for help to those
Other Selves?
Do they long to become those Other Selves,
Or are they seized with a terrible rage against
those Other Selves? Or are they tempted to curse
the human life that permits such injustice such
inhumanity?
However, | sure. the Shadow People don't
suspect. II they did, they couldn't be so patient.
They would assert the claims of their blood They
would insist that they be received into their heri-
tage.
Often since l heard he was here have looked
street, l say to myself: perhaps he is in this
crowd, close enough to touch Perhaps he is
hungry Perhaps he is on the verge of committing
a crime in the hope OF escaping from his plight"
1t seems strange, impossible
And yet easily / might be in his place
If | only felt perfectly how l looked
might recognize him and speak to him.
But the thought OF standing there in the street
and talking with my Shadow Man makes me feel
uncomfortable.
Still the idea is fascinating
What would he say to me.
Would he pour out his anguish in passion
OF broken words?
Would he feel that he could speak because at
last he had found some one that could under
stand?
But why should he fancy that I could under
stand him better than any one else?
Would he be surprised at my Willingness to
speak to him. Would he suspect some selfish
motive?
Surely he would detect my shame
thinking OF my Shadow as if he were exactly
like me with all the advantages l have had over
him?
| puzzled at finding myself reasoning
in this way What were those advantages? Surely
they were nothing wonderful They were no
more than most OF the people had that knew.
But l couldn't go on with this sclf-deception
had to look at myself from the point of
view of my Shadow.
began to see myself with his eyes
acknowledged that in one way ] lucky.
| had the benefit of long years of schooling.
Now | felt the eyes of the Shadow fixed upon
me. They were like my they appeared
in the mirror, and yet they were different, too.
The difference troubled me-
And gradually from behind those eyes | could
sec the outlines OF face vague, distorted.
Presently the face came forward.
1t revealed itself definitely. / recog-
nized the look often in the faces of the poor
the lost look, the look turned inward, the look
of despair.
The face came nearer, and nearer, and nearer,
growing painfully distinct. When it almost
touched mine it stopped. |
Have you anything to say" l asked II
am afraid my voice trembled.
You speak for me-" my Shadow Man replied.
In that moment OF Illusion, when | seemed
to face my Other Self, | knew how stupid my
first idea OF my Shadow had been
How could my Shadow have anything to say