St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1859-03-10

sweet voice was somewhat cracked
with age. This had been bcUueathed
10 her by maiden aunt and was her
most precious possession: for she had
a passionate love Of music, and an in
tuitivc perception Of its mysteries o.
harmony. She had pleasing voice
too, round and sweet in its tones, anC
/ yielding 50 easily to tutOragc that hcl
master was delighted with her success
She had to pay pretty high for hen
lessons and her mother, who had
not much music in her soul, was dis
posed to think it extravagant but
Ellen was willing to go very plainly
dressed, and to work very hard, in Or
der that her mother might think she
mad earned the necessary means.
Thus, when the young girl left her
lover aud FASTENED down stairs. it was
to 90 to the storc-room to prepare the
pastry for dinner, which she did with
an inward resolve that if she was
obliged to forcgo that meal herself, in
order to effect her purpose, Paul should
have share Of every good thing she
made. So, while she worked and car
oiled a little love-song to herself he
musea upon the miserable way in
which the world was put togcther-
with fools on top and men OF genius
at the bottom-smokcd the rest of his
Havanas, one after the other, made up
charming conccit from the puffs of
smoke as they curIcd dreamily before
his eyes, thought he would try to
sketch it upon paper, concluded that
he was too lazy and, about the time
that Ellen had of her work-apr0n. and
was smoothing her hair to bring his
dinner up to him, he got his dirty pal
let in order and set about re-touching
his picture.
just then came a knock at his door.
The gentleman whose portrait had
been finished the day before yesterday,
appeared with a fiend, who wished to
know when the artist could arrange
a sitting for him. This was q fattcr-
in% comment upon the success Of his
former effort as we'll as a promise Of
Il speedy release from his difficulties.
and Paul very willingly appointed a
TLs aon+1annn .at s-n,o ,;,,o o,,l
converscd agrccahly upon subjects
not particularly connected with Art.
They had scarcely gone when Ella
.' 81 h t,a H. L"., =" Wv G!:" i,'''e ,c,
f,r ,',m~ ;o;,ar ' "', rnt;.a 'nS I I''',nou :
n,nI arn,;i ,;J'" ~ iGt't, 'S;' S"o "'"i'
Uayc Tnm W. 81. ~"t , a1otLar sittcr P,nI
have Won ~ shc said earnestly
"Yrs little one , another orotist
wants his roliposs narnntnataJ :
"Oh thai is surh GOOD nnws, 7
am so Glad for Won ~ sIn sail kissino,
hin, from vnrT iov "D,n.t c,I lin
an c~otist Pcrbans some wifi who
loves him, or some child, has bcgmed
him for his likeness. It's very Kind
Of him to get it for them and besides,
it's 50 fortunate for YOU :"
Very Fortunate, to be wasting my
time upon portraits, when nv mission
is High Art ! However, I'll not grun-
bic at that, for year or two yet, Ella.
And, as You say, it buys bread and
butter and the body must be fed if
the soul does famish. Whew what
nice dinner and what good little
girl YOU are : l"
Attend to the body, vou know
the mind is beyond my appreciation"
she returned, with the least bit Of NAL
ice, as she left him to enjoy what she
had brought.
That afternoon Paul's dormant cncr.
gjes revived, and he painted enthu-
siasticalIy upon his picture. The last
t;Ets Of twilight found him lingering
lovingly over it and when lis faith
tul Ellen came up with q cup of tea,
she found him in one Of his most ex-
a"nS, hopeful, and triumphant moods
His checks burned, his eyes CLEANED
with deep light 50 that she whispered
to herself, Oh, how beautiful he is ~
Come, Ellen, come,' he cried, land
look upon my picture. It is the best
thing have ever done 1t is perfect
in its way ! OH | wish You were an
artist, that you might realize its beau
ty, and the difficulties that have over
come. Difficulties =! | felt no difficult
ties this afternoon ! Ny hand worked
of itself, doing unconsciously the bid
ding of my soul, which was on fire
with cagerness. There that water
can yuumcasure its depths ?-catch
ing the hue of the hills in its upper
part, but sinking far below all shad
ows in its lucid and quiet coolness
Do you not see how | have caught the
very tint of our autumn sky "a hay
purple, softer than downs, towering
over the horizon--and that break bc
tween the hills, leading the though
away to infinite distances ! Say, Ella
what do you think of it?"
"Oh. | saw il is beautiful PauI-
beautiful in its solitude, its brilliancv
and vet its nerfect onietude. That
one bright speck Of a cloud. as if some
SOARING angel in leaving, the place
| had dropped a plume midway, is very