The Elk advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Elk Co., Pa.) 186?-1868, 1866-10-19

the rate (per column of.-......,..... 9O w
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but his cheek could burn and his healr
could beat with the love of all noble
things. He never made the world ring
with his name, but in his bright youth
there we're days-and this was one of
them-when it almost seemed as if the
power was given him to cut his way
through the diamond gates.
He worked till it was growing late.
All day, amongst the many things that
had made him happy, one thing had
been the presence of Christine. A bond
of sympathy had sprung up between
him and the simple, untaught, poor
French girl-real human sympathy,
such as made even the sight of her
across the square thing that kept his
young heart warm He liked to look
up now and then and catch her smile;
it was as good as sunlight to him. The
oiu 0tOHCo hda lHell NOlCeS luT ulll duu
tales to tell him, noble aud sweet and
sad, but while he listened to them it was
good also to lift his eyes up somtimes
and look upon a friendly, living face.
He knew it was he knew as he sat at
work that bis day had been the brighter
for Christine.
Nor was it the last, by many q one,
that she helped to brighten for him.
From this time forward she became his
one friend aud one companion in Roueu;
and no gentler friendship, no more hon.
est aud pure companionship ever exis.
ted than that between those two tray
wanderers the girl, whose portion in
this world was the selling Of her beads
at the church porch, and the boy, whose
beckca n Leacon-iight was burning ON
the high hill.
He made his sketch of her. 1t was "a
feeble little sketch, yet like enough to
her, and true enough to fiji them both
with pleasure and pride. She sat to
him morning after morning till he had
finished it, He drew her Just as she
was, In her cuIumOn dress. with her uas
ket by h,r site and the gray sculp-
tured wall beside her, and he made her
talk to him all the time he worked.
She had tried to begin herself by sit
ting stiff and prim, with her eyes i'm.
movable and her lips closed, but he
had soon laughed her cut of that.
L shall never make anything of you
unless you begin to talk, he told her.
But how can monsieur draw my
mouth if talk ?" she added.
90, never mind that; III tell you
when | come TO your mouth" he said,
and by degrees he got her to talk, and
presently she talked so cheertuly and
heartily by nature she was no low
er of silence, but could chatter and
chirp like any bird---that she often al
together forgot that she was sitting for
her picture, which was exactly what he
wanted Der to do.
And SO at last the little sketch was
finished, and they looked at it, holding
it between them, with proud, bright,
happy eyes.
"Ah, if my mother could see it," she
| said, with SIGH Of simple delight.
"Well, why shouldn't she see it 2" he
asked. Let us take it to her togeth.
er, Christine. "
Would monsieur wish it ?" she said,
half tmilly.
:" | should like to see your mother,
and she would like to see this, l am
sure aud then" he paused aud look.
ed at the little picture teuderly. "Well,
you see, don't think / could exactly
give it to her, Christine, he said, "be-
cause | want so much to keep it myself;
but | will tell you what | will do if she
likes it--I will mako copy of it for
her. "
20, monsieur is too good w But the
color flushed up into her face with pleas
| urc.
II should like to make copy, aud
you know it would be unfair not to give
you one; so that's settled. Aud now
will you take me home with you to see
your mother ?"
They had, before this, had more than
one walk together. She knew the old
town well, and on several evenings, af-
ter the cathedral doors were closed, they
had rambled side by side for little
while about the streets, searching out
tAe old houses that be loved, or had lin.
gered young and hopeful as they were,
to look in at bright shop windows. But
he never yet had gone home with her.
She had talked about her mother to him
often, but with intuitive delicacy she
had never even hiuted at wish that no
should so and see her in the poor home
where they lived.
L