North Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1850-1852, 1851-09-17

and family want common necesSarles, Win Plehty
of money at his command, and yet solace himself
nv performances on the organ, which frequently
went far into the night, startling the passing stran-
ger by bursts of solemn midnight melody for he
never played till the faded daylight rendered it i'm
possible for him to work at his various little jobs
BY which he added to his boards.
He had two sons the pretty child we first knew,
and an elder one-a slim, delicate youth, who was
by nature an artist. His fathers parsimony rem
dered it, however, a difficult matter for him to pro-
cure materials for the exercise of his art, which was
wholly self-taught; and it wonderful to witness
the effect he could produce from bit OF common
lamp-black, or an ordinary drawing pencil his
genius at last found aid in the loving heart OF ms
mother, who secretly and at night-often while her
strange husband filled the house with solemn mu-
sic-worked at her needle to procure the means OF
purchasing paints, canvass brushes de-, for her boy
toing secretly for if she had permitted the father
to know that she possessed few shllllngs, he
would have extorted them from her. 1t was all
she could do to help the young painter in his eager
selfteaching for she possessed other knowledge
than that acquired at village school during her
childhood. Her own fate had been a very sad one.
She laborer's daughter, betrothed from early
girlhood to a sailor, who her cousin; but du-
ing one of his voyages-the last he was to make
before their marriage-her beauty attracted the
admiration of the rich Mr.. Monckton, and he offer
ed to make her his wife. The poor girl would fain
have refused him, and kept her promise to her alb
sent lover but her family fattered and dazzled
by the idea of her wedding a man known to be so
wealthy, and she was not proof against their en-
treaties and their anger. She married him; her
relatives however derived benefit from the match
their selfishness had made. The miser's doors
closed against them and lest his wife should be
tempted to assist their poverty at his expense, he
forbade her seeing her parents weary lot had
been poor Mary's from that hour she married. Her
only comfort derived from her children; and
even they became source of sorrow as they grew
past infancy, and she found that her husbands
rice would deny them even the advantages she had
enjoyed as poor cottage child. They received no
education but such she could give them; nay,
were made to toll at the lowest drudgery in return
for the scanty food and clothing the father bestowed
She taught them to read and write and afterward
Richard, the elder, become his own instructor.
There were many old books to b, found in the
farmhouse, and of these he made himself mas
ter. The villagers, who had few volumes, were
willing to lend them to such clever lad and at
length, as have said, his genius for painting de-
veloped ITSELF and was ministered to by his moth
ers industry. We remember seeing his first at
tempt at original composition. 1t was boldly con-
ceived and well executed, considering the difficult
ties under which he labored the subject was Phae
ton driving the chariot of the sun. 1t was shown
to the clergyman of the village, man of great
taste, and connoisseur in painting. He was so
much pleased with it that he became the warm
friend Of the young artist and far as circumstan
ces permitted, his instructor in literature and paint
ing. The younger brother inherited his fathers
taste for music, and was quiet, thoughtful child,
passionately attached to Richard, whom he
looked as prodigy of learning and talent Moth
ing in fact, could be more touching than the at
tachment of these two brothers: at their leisure
hours they always to be seen together their
pleasures sorrows were mutual.
The privations, injustice, and restraint to which
they subjected appeared to bind them to each
other with love "passing the love of woman )"
and both found consolation in the mental gifts
cifuly impaired to them.
About four years after we first became acquaint- |
ed with the Moncktons, the fair gentle child, then
nearly fourteen became i'll growing thin, pale, and
weak, till his mother and Richard, in great alarm,
besought old Monckton to let him have medical adj
vice. The request produced storm Of passionate
reproaches. 1.-THE boy" he said, "was we'll enough.
He ate as much as was good for him. Did they I
think people could not live without gormandizing |
as they did? Did they imagine he should throw |
away his little means upon doctors, who were all
set of cheats He should do nothing of the kind p
And poor Ernest was left to pine and wither, till
Richard in despair sought out physician, and tell
ing him their story, besought him to come and
see his brother, promising to repay the advice he
asked by his future toll.
DIR. N kind-hearted, benevolent man.
He at once complied with the youths entreaty, and
called at an hour when the old man was absent at |
the farm. He found his patient worse than the |
brothers report had led him to believe. The ill
ness was decline, caused probably by want of suf-
GENTLY nourishing food at period of rapid growth,
and increased by the overworking of mind that |
was ever craving after knowledge. He prescribed |
such remedies as he judged best E; but informed the
mother, at the same time, that strengthening food
was of the first importance, and would be the best
means to effect cure. Alas! how was it to be |
obtained? The heart of the miser was impenetra-
Bile to their circumstances and entreaties-what
life in his eyes compared with gold? When they
found that no human sympathy could be expected
from the father, the mother and brother determined
to use their own exertions to obey the behest of
the physician. Early and late the former worked
at her needle, the good doctor finding her much
employment he could while Richard, abandon
ing the study of his art, painted valentines, card
racks, and fancy articles for the stationers, and
sought eagerly for every opportunity of winning
few shllhngs, to be spent in ministering to the
fort of the beloved sufferer. But it was all too late
Ernest sank slowly but surely.
There were intervals when life like the flicker of
an expiring lamp, appeared successfully struggling
with death but these occasional brghtenings were
always succeeded by more entire prostration and
languor. The personal beauty, for which Ernest
had always been remarkable, grew almost superhu-
man during his Illness and Richard could not re-
sist stealing little time from his busy labors to
paint his brothers portrait. In the execution of
this task of love, however, many hindrances occur
red; and before it was more than SKETCH the dear
original had passed away from them in one of those