After a Shadow
T. S. Arthur
- "ARTY!
- Arty!"
- called
- Mrs.
- Mayflower,
- from
- the
- window,
- one
- bright
- June
- morning.
- "Arty,
- darling!
- What
- is
- the
- child
- after?
- Just
- look
- at
- him,
- Mr.
- Mayflower!"
- I
- leaned
- from
- the
- window,
- in
- pleasant
- excitement,
- to
- see
- what
- new
- and
- wonderful
- performance
- had
- been
- attempted
- by
- my
- little
- prodigy—my
- first
- born—my
- year
- old
- bud
- of
- beauty,
- the
- folded
- leaves
- in
- whose
- bosom
- were
- just
- beginning
- to
- loosen
- themselves,
- and
- send
- out
- upon
- the
- air
- sweet
- intimations
- of
- an
- abounding
- fragrance.
- He
- had
- escaped
- from
- his
- nurse,
- and
- was
- running
- off
- in
- the
- clear
- sunshine,
- the
- slant
- rays
- of
- which
- threw
- a
- long
- shadow
- before
- him.
- "Arty,
- darling!"
- His
- mother's
- voice
- flew
- along
- and
- past
- his
- ear,
- kissing
- it
- in
- gentle
- remonstrance
- as
- it
- went
- by.
- But
- baby
- was
- in
- eager
- pursuit
- of
- something,
- and
- the
- call,
- if
- heard,
- was
- unheeded.
- His
- eyes
- were
- opening
- world-ward,
- and
- every
- new
- phenomenon—commonplace
- and
- unheeded
- by
- us—that
- addressed
- itself
- to
- his
- senses,
- became
- a
- wonder
- and
- a
- delight.
- Some
- new
- object
- was
- drawing
- him
- away
- from
- the
- loving
- heart
- and
- protecting
- arm.
- "Run
- after
- him,
- Mr.
- Mayflower!"
- said
- my
- wife,
- with
- a
- touch
- of
- anxiety
- in
- her
- voice.
- "He
- might
- fall
- and
- hurt
- himself."
- I
- did
- not
- require
- a
- second
- intimation
- as
- to
- my
- duty
- in
- the
- case.
- Only
- a
- moment
- or
- two
- elapsed
- before
- I
- was
- on
- the
- pavement,
- and
- making
- rapid
- approaches
- towards
- my
- truant
- boy.
- "What
- is
- it,
- darling?
- What
- is
- Arty
- running
- after?"
- I
- said,
- as
- I
- laid
- my
- hand
- on
- his
- arm,
- and
- checked
- his
- eager
- speed.
- He
- struggled
- a
- moment,
- and
- then
- stood
- still,
- stooping
- forward
- for
- something
- on
- the ground...
pro-mbooks3 : libris
