The weekly Butte record., 1863-05-02

If he represented in one battle-piece a soldier
flying with feer and terror expressed on bis
couaienance. his crayon woald, in spite Of
himself, trace the familiar features Of some well
known parsonage who had distinguished him
self by lack Of pluck and 10 one Of bis
grand pictures. wishing to represent rapa-
cious grasping Israelite. he drew the features
Of q cotemporary, whom many will recognize
at the first glance have said that this was
sometimes an unfortunate knack, because it has
occasionally got him into trouble. In this
instance, il was happy knack. On the ap-
pointed day. Grosjean staggered into Nernets
studio. and resented with somewhat naughty
look the artists Bon Jour, mon ami, which he
thought rather familiar from painter in his
hire, but he recovered his equanimity when he
beheld his finished portrait, 4 bold sketch in
oil colors. Holding it ont at arms length,
GroSiean exclaimed.
Sapristi cest ben beau! It's well worth
the money. In fact, its better than Baptiste's,
and he paid thirty sous for his. 1 shall recon-
mend you, monsieur No, pray don't"
said Vernet; at least, not to many" No !?
Why?" We'll, can assure You that l lose
five or six sous by that picture. You see, I've
put the helmet in, and vermilion has risen
again" That's different: but YOU shan't
lose By me. Here, monsieur, are thirty sous" ;"
~ You are very kind bat before take it, tell
me for whom is the picture?" 1t is for
my old mother" All! l suppose she will
hang it up in her drawing-room p Draw
ing room, monsieur No, she has only one
room-our whole house is only large room"
i Why, is she so very poor p No; but
peasants-you know how they live? She can
still afford to send me franc or two now and
then, as she did last week. She sent me forty
sous, for she had finished the harvest, you
know" All well, look here, mon brave
have it put in a frame Take this Hush !!
Come, come you have fine head, and if you
look at that large picture, you will see that
have made another picture of you. There,
there, adleu It's all right, mon ami. Non
sense, lad-adieu -
Poor Grosjean, bewdered, and SO suddenly
fallen from his high position of patron of the
fine arts, was gently pushed out Of the studio.
When he got into the street he opened one
hand, and saw in it two Gve-franc pieces In
the other he held the most tip-top martial
looking dragoon he had ever seen in his life.
The tip-top dragoon was to gladden. his mo-
Tiers eyes, and the money was to buy frame
for the grand picture Mars felt stir in his
heart. and growled, Sapristi what good
devil !" Then, recovering his dignity he gave
a vigorous thump on the top of his tiger-skin-
ned helmet, and swore " Revenge"
He looked around hm-his eye caught
some unsghtly blotches of mud on that beauti
full polished oak staircase. Whereupon, mum
bling al know" he FASTENED home TO bar
racks.
Our regiment remained two years in Yer
salles after this incident, during which time
Vernet was puzzled by the attentions of an
invisible good fairy, who every Saturday laid
a clean straw mat, cleyerly plated, at the foot
of his grand staircase But the fairy mat,ma-
ker was no other than the sturdy old trooper
GroSiean.