The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1861-08-28
CobWebs.
"Hist! look there.

ten years Old advancing in an Cid 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 forward that princess might haye
envied. Just in front of her, spider had spun his
trap across the path and the young man spoke she
slightly stopped her head and raising her hands pushed
the eobwebs aside 1t was this artless natural move
ment, which completed the picture
81 should like to paint her. said he who had spoken.
'What! love at first sight2H answered his companion
laughing. To think Of the fastidous Clarence losing
his heart to a sunburnt fairy. You are eighteen and
she about ten-oh! you afford to wait"
The conversation had been carried on in Whispers
The child still advancing, had by this tme come oppo-
site to the young Onseeing them she stopped
and stared cautiously them, young deer that had
been hunted may be supposed to and regard
the first stranger that enters the forest Her bright
speaking face, as she thus stood gracefully arrested was
not less beautiful in its way, than her little figure
My dear" said the last speaker 'would You like to
be made into picture? Ny friend here is painter and
will give YOU dollar if you will let him sketch YOU"
! The child looked from the speaker to his friend.
Something in the latters face seemed to restore the
natural confidence which the free and easy air of the
! to him, if for prolection
81 have read of pictures said she gazing up into his
face, but never saw one Is it u real picture Of me
you will make?"
The artless appealing of the child went to the young
mans heart. He would have joined in banter
ing her in bantering sister He took her hand as
he replied
81 will make as good picture of you as can if you
will let me. picture like of these"
And he opened his portfolio, which contained various
sketches
"Oh! how beautiful" cried the child. 1t WAS evident
that new world had opened to her She gazed breath
essy at sketch after sketch till the last had been
amined, and then heaved deep sigh.
"Please sir said she tmidly, at last will you give
me my picture when you have painted it?'
kENn ir,tpr sLnt will
give you dollar"
She turned on the speaker let go the hand she had
been holding, and drew herself up with sudden haugh-
tiness
81 don't want your dollar" she said with proud deli
cacy. She was turning to escape when the artist,
covering her hand said sootby Never mind him. my
dear l will paint two pictures and give you one
Come will that do?"
Rcassurcd the child took the position indicated to
her and Clarence Harvard, for that the young
lists name began rapidly painting Before noon, two
hasty sketches in oil, finished,
"There," he said, drawing long breath, You have
been quiet as little mouse; and lma thousand times
obliged you. Take that houen and lie handed her
the sketch, and maybe, some Of these days, you'll
think Of him who gavei to you"
That Will all my life long artlesSly said she child
rapturously gazing on her possession, with
thusasm, partly born of the artist soul within her and
partly the result of chds pride what its especial
property.
"Ohl yes" interposed the other youth s'you' prom
se 10 oe ms "lie some day wont YOU Miss Coo"eos:
Inc eHoS eyes naShco as s"e 'urhea On lne speaker
Her instinct from the first had made her dislike the
sneering man. SHE stamped her pretty foot and re-
ortea, sauciy: = never oe yours at any rate, you
old nf. swapping ana, as il expecting 10 nave
hef cars ooAed Il caught Se datteG away disappearing
rapidly down the path whence she had come.
olire'oe lilFteu o1'Ac !ito merry Fugh lh "lic"
after a moment Of anger his companion joined him.
o0 deserve IL Ech'y sald Clarence 1T 5 capl-
ia n1CF-f'ie zoo. shal eau you hothhS else dllct
Iu,s we" '"'ipP'S turtle
na -As H's.s i."e- -'g - 2'.2 "o'Itnt
Uniilh ses 'H ~ 71'z. "'. "i' 7--sM 7'e " ~
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MN II oU .- III. Y9..4. . pa ann 10 a. 73sil 5aF
w ..l- ti'4 '94 ~ t.55 '+'.17.. I, ~..'+(F- ~.
4 ~ y"
To a9ae.S.e l.+s .', tls Ets4 .eF5.
-
i' ' I'
Clarena lr.f n g9fi. -,.5fa ns Hrss.f IN, lis atnd
his cor,1ga,ar. l.I.Eaz rt coke ..ll Tlar.-sran.
Years passed Clsmuee Harvard !.ad Iisel 30 be IN
artist of enincnce His pictures we're the fashion, ne
was the ashton himself Occasionally as he turned over
his older sketches he would come upon "Cobwebs as
he was accustomed laughngly to call the child; and
then for a moment he would wonder what become of
the original but except on these rare occasions he
never even thought of her
Not 50 with the child herself Nellie Bray was
poor orphan, the daughter of decayed gentleman who
after her fathers DEATH had been adopted by mater
nal uncle, living on a wild upland ftrmamong the Ale
ghanics Her childhood from her earliest recollection
had been spent among the drudgery Of a farm This
rude but free life had given her the sprngv step and
ruddy cheek, which had attracted the Young artists
attention. but it had failed to satisfy the higher aspr
tions of her nature aspirations which had been born in
her blood and which came of generations of anteeedent
culture The first occasion on which these higher i'm
pulses had found congeual food when she had met the
Young artist She carried her sketch home and would
never part with it, His refined intellectual face haun
ted all her day dreams From that hour new element
entered into her life; She BECAME conscious that there
were other people beside the dull plodding one with
whom her lot had been cast She aspired to rise to the
level of sucE all her leisure hours were spent in study
ING: gradually through her influence her household
crew more or less refined: and finally her uncle became
ambitious for Nelly and as he had no children consen
ted at his wilts entreatv to send the Young Girl TO
first-class boarding school
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