The weekly mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1861-1862, 1861-02-02
mCOHWEBS,J

q IIistl look there

Hist look there" -
The speaker was one Of two young mcn
who had come up to the mountains on
pedestrian and sketching expedition, from
Philadelphia. As he spoke, he laid his
hand on his companions arm.'
The person he addressed looked and
saw little girl, about ten years old, nd.
vancing along an old blackberry path.
She was brown as berry from exposure
to the sun, and her feet and arms were
bare but there was grace about her aS
she came tripping forward, that princess
might have envied.
Just in front Of her spider had spun
his trap across the path, and, as the young
man spoke, she slightly stopped her head,
and raising her hands, pushed the cob
webs aside. 1t was this artless, natural
movement which completed the picture
I" should like to paint her." said he
who had spoken.
What !, love at first sight ?" answered
his companion, laughing "TO think q
the fastidiOus' Clarence losing his heart b
a sun-burnt fairy. You are eighteen and
she about ten-oh! you can afford to
wait!"
This conversation had been carried on
in whispers. The child, still advancing
had by this time come opposite the two
young men. On seeing them she stopped
and stared curiosly at them, as n young
deer that had never been hunted may be
supposed TO stop and regard the first
stranger that enters the forest. IIer
bright, speaking face, as she thus stood,
gracefully arrested, was not less bcauti
full, in its way, than her little figure.
MY dear" said the last speaker,
"would you like to be made into a pic.
tureY My friend, here, is painter, and
will give you dollar if you will let him
sketch you"
The child looked from tho speaker to
his friend. Something in the lattcr's face
seemed to restore the natural cOnfidence
which the free and easy air of the other
had, for the moment, shaken. She drew
coyly up to him, as il for protection.
" have read Of pictures" she said,
looking up into his face, "but never
saw one. Is it real picture Of Inc you
will maker"
The artlcss, appealing manner Of the
child went to the young mans heart. lie
would as soon have Joined in bantering q
sister as in bantering her. He took her
hand as he feplied:
II will make as good picture of you
as can, il you will let me. A picture
like one Of these" ,
lie opened his portfolio, which con-
taincd various sketches. :
40, how beautiful!" cried the child.
1t was evident that new world was
opened to her She gazed brcathlessly at
sketch after sketch, till the last had been
examined, and then heaved deep sigh.
"Pleasc, sir" she said timidly, at last
"will you give me my picture when you
have painted it yn-=
"No, interposedth the other young man,
"but we will-give you dollar"
She turned on the speaker, let go the
hand she had been holding, and drew
herself up with sudden haughtiness.
~ don't want your dollar!" she sGid,'
with proud delicay.
She was turning to escape, when the
'aTtist, recovering her hand, said sooth-
ingly-
Never mind him, my dear, l will paint
two pictures, aud give you one. Come,
will that do"
Rcass1red, the child took the position
indicated to her, and Clarence Harvts tsd,
for that was the young artists name, BE-
gan rapidly painting. Before noon, two
hasty sketches in oil were finished.
"Thcre," he said, drawing long breath,
"yOu have been as quiet as mouse, and
I'm q thousand times obliged to 'yo0:-
Take that homc,' and he gave her the
sketch, land may be, some of these days,
you'll think Of him who gave it to you"
"That l will, all my life long, " artlcssIy
said the child, gazing rapturously on hUr
new possession, with an enthusiasm partly
born Of the artist soul within her, and
partly the result Of child's pride in
what is its own special property. r.
40, yes" interposcd the other youth,
"you'll promise to be his wife sOmc day,
won't you, Miss CobwebSy",
The chld's eyes flashed as they turned
on the speaker. Her instinct, from the
first, had made her dislike this snecring
man. She stamped her pretty foot and
rctortcd saucily-
"I'lI never be yours, at any rate, you
old swapping turtle!" and, as il expecting
to have her ears boxed, il caught, she
darted away, disappearing rapidly down
the path whence she had come.
Clarence Harvard broke into n merry
laugh. in which, after moment of anger,
his companion joined him.
"You deserved it richly, said Clarence.
1T is a capital nickname, too. shall
call you nothing else after this but snap
ping turtle"
Hang the jade" was the reply. "Onc
wouldn't think she was so Smart. But
what shrew she'll make. pity the
clodhopper she marrics; she'll henpcck
him out Of all peace and send him to an
carly grave"
Nothing more was said, for at that mo-
ment a dinner horn sounded, and the
young men arose to return to the road
side inn, where they had stopped the
night before. Their time was limited, and
that evening, knapsack on back, they
were miles away from the scene of the
morning. A week later they were both
at home in the city, Clarence hard at
work, pcrfecting himself in art, and his
companion delving at Coke and Black
stone.
Years passed. Clarence Harvard had
risen to be an artist Of eminence. Ills
pictures were the fashion; he was the
fashion himself Occasionally, as he turn.
ed over his older sketches, he would come
upon Cobwebs," as he was accustomed,
laughingly, to call the sketch Of the child,
and then, for moment, he would wonder
what had become Of the original; but ex-
cept on these rare occasions, he never
even thought Of her.
Not so with the child herself. Nellie
Bray was poor orphan. the daughter ol
. decayed gentleman, who, after her 70.
ther's death, had been adopted by ina.
ternal uncle, living on wild, upland farm,
among the Alleghanies. Her childhood,
from her earliest recollection, had been
spent amid the drndgery ofa farm. This
rude but free life had given her the light
| stan and ruddv rhaak which had Attracted