Literary cadet and Rhode-Island statesman. [volume] (Providence, R.I.) 1827-1829, 1827-05-02
painter more felicitously realized his

conception!
"Weu, Robertp' exclaimed our art
ist, little impatient of the continued ST.
lence and missing the expected praise
" Wellw But still Robert spoke not
=" Don't you think it is good subject?"
continued the man of the easel. 81 was
sitting at the window, reading Froissart,
while they were carrying the utter crop,
and, by good luck, happened to look up
just az they had arranged themselves in
to this very group, and as the evening
sun came slantlng, exactly as 1t does
now, across the meadow; so dashed IN
the sketch instantly, got Mary to sit to
me-and very pretty nymph-like fig
ure she makes-dressed the boy with
flowers, Just as he was decked out for
the harvest home-the rogue Is, really
fit model for Cupid; they are a glori-
Gus family persuaded Susan at
that rame, Robert unable to control him
self longer, rushed out of the room,
leaving the astonished painter in the full
belief that his senses had forsaken him.
The unhappy lover, agonized by jeal-
ousy, pursued his way to the farm. He
had hitherto, contrived, although without
confessing his motive, even TO himself,
to keep his friend and his mistress asun-
der. He had no fears of her virtue or of
his honour; but to Roberts romantic
simplicity, it seemed that no one could
gaze on Susan without feeling ardent
love, and that such man as the artist
could never love in vain; besides, in the
conversation which they had held to-
gethcr, he had dwelt on beauty and sim
plicity as the most attractive points in
the female character. Robert had felt,
as he spoke, shat Susan was the very
being whom he had described, and had
congratulated himself that they were
still unacquainted. But now they had
met; he had seen, he had studied, bad
transferred to canvass, the matches
beauty, had conquered, the timidlty,
which, to Robert had always seemed un-
conquer able; and won her to admit his
gaze; had tanned that shyest, coyest
dove; had become familiar with the
sweetest face, and that dearest frame
Oh! the very thought was agoLy. In
this mood, he arrived at the farm; and
there, orking at her needle, under the
vine wreathed porch, with the evening
sunshine full upon her, and her little
brother playing at her feet, sat his own
Susan. She heard his rapid step, and
advanced to meet him, with smile and
blush Of delight just the smile and
blush Of the picture. At such moment,
they increased his miseries, he repulsed
her offered hand, and poured forth tor
rent of questions on the subject which
possessed his mind Her innocent an
swers were fuel to his frenzy. "The
picture had he seen the picture? and
was it pretty?-much too pretty, she
thought, but every body called it like!
and Mary and Harry-was not he pleas
ed with them? What wonderful thing
it was to make a bit Of canvass SO like
living creatures! and what wonderful
man the strange gentleman was! She
had been afraid of him at first-sadly
afraid of those two bright eyes-and so
had Harry,-poor Harry had cried! but
he was so merry and so kind, that nei-
ther of them minded sitting to him now!
And she was so glad that Robert had
seen the picture! she had wanted him to
see il it was too pretty to be sure; but
then, Robert, would not mind that. She
had told the gentleman"--"Go to the
gentleman, now," interrupted Robert,
" and tell him that | relinquish you 1t
will be welcome news! Go to him, Su-
san! your heart is with him. Go to him,
l sayp'--and throwing from him, with
bitter laugh, the frightened and weeping
girl, who had laid her trembling hand on
bis arm, to detain him, he darted from
the door, and returned to his old quar-
ters, at the hall.
Another fortnight passed, and Robert
still kept alcof from his family and his
home. His mother and sister, indeed,
occasionally saw him; and sad accounts
had poor Mary to give to her friend SUI
san, Of Roberts Ill looks and worse spir-
it's And Susan listened, and said she did
not care, and burst into passion of tears,
and said she was very happy; and avow-
ed never to speak to, him again, and de-
sired Mary never to mention her to him,
or him to her; and then asked her hun
dred questions respecting his looks, and
his words, and his illness; and charged
her with thousand tender messages,
which in the next breath she withdrew
And Mary, too young to understand the
Inconsistencies of love, pitied and COM
forted, and thought it "passing strange"
In the mean time, misfortunes Of
different nature were gathering round