Mineral Point tribune. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1854-1858, 1858-07-06

ting the large package on the table-for
both his master and mistress
"And did you see the artist q
Yes, ma'am, aud paid the thousand
dollars into his own hands. He seemed
struck dumb with astonishment; he has
had some hard tussel with life, think.
Somehow il done me good to pay him the
money" added the shrewd but kind heart
ed man.
You remember my charge. And
he thought they were purchased for your
self e.
In course he did. / could have got
'em for a twentieth part of the money.
but you said he waste have il all, and 50
set my own rTlce-
Alice's aunt was dying.
Alice, Alice, come nearer TO rue -
said the dying woman, aud she drew down
her neice's head almost to her lips.
That letter-you remember Luci-
US Brante did not write it--he knew moth
ing of it-he WIS not false to You.
wrote it that you might marry" A
sudden conyulsion left her speechless,
but her dying eyes prayed, forgive me.
This last year had made Alice Reade
better woman, and her white lips an
swered the question of those dim eyes
with solemn earnestness. May God
Forgive you, Aunt Jane, freely as / do"
and taking that forgiveness with it, the
soul of Jane Henley went out from that
gorgeous death chamber to its God.
Five years had passed. The Florence
sunset looked serepely into the studio of
the artist, and the light winds moved up
the valleys, where they had lair bound all
day among the tall grass and the rich
crimson blooms.
=" 1t is very beautiful" said the lady,
breaking the long silence which had fol-
lowed IA longer conversation, as she turn
ed her deep eyes from the purple clouds
TO her companions face.
Yes, Alice, very beautiful. Do you
remember how we used to watch them at
the kitchen window of the old homestead,
ten years ago?'
The beautiful eyes filled with tears
There was another long pause.
=" 1t is very strange | met you among
the mountains last week, neither knowing
that the other was widowed, neither
| dreamed that the heart of each other was
true to its first love-
{" You will forgive Aunt Jane, Lucius
1t was her ambition Instigated the false
hood" The tones were very earnest.
Certainly, Alice God has reached
out to me SO many rich blessings that
there are is only room for gratitude in my
soul. Look there. Il was just as | saw
them when | broke into the chamber tha
night, when the turning poin, IN my ca.
reer came. and / have walked on tc
wealth and fame ever since"
| Lucius Brante drew aside the covering,
and the sunset poured over all the paint
| ing, like a sudden baptism from heaven.
! 1t would have brought tears into your
eyes with the first glance. a mother and
her child SAT together over a heap of smoul-
/ dering ashes. Both were beautiful, but
there was minghng of dependency and
tenderness in the mothers face, a look
of patient waiting IN the boys dark eyes,
which overreaches all description.
"God must have sent his angel to that
mans heart, or he would never have
bought my pictures. / always believ ed
/ il, Alice" And the Artists soul gIowed
in his proud face as he turned to his com
panion.
Their eyes met moment. Lucius
Brante had read them many times before.
1t was hardly strange that he now trans
lated the thought which the lips beneath
them would not for worlds have uttered
Alice you had something TO DO with those
pictures r.
Her tears answered him. Al hour la
ter he had drawn all from her-an hour
later ne knew she was the earthly saviour
of himself, his wife and child! II was
| one of life's consecra;ed hours.
But next week, Newell Brante. the
brown baird child of the artist, bought
many flowers of the country children whe
/ brought wild roses from the fields aboul
Florence, saying with his fathers smile
g shall have new mother Tonight