The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1867-08-09

my own life by way of illustration. Limned
from nature you may take them as un-
touched studies. They tell their own
story, and leave something to the magma
ton besides
L-DAYBREAK.
A long, struggling, crooked street, with
the shadow of the Elizabethan age upon it;
a street with old gabled houses in it, and
dark alleys; a street TO wander about and
ponder about. Nearly every shop was a
museum of curiosties. The brokers of the
city-the fine old city of Severneross-had
settled down in Tick street like a swarm Of
birds.
The brokers were proud race, and a
curious; but, strange to say, they were
under petticoat government, and strange to
say, Under spinsterial government. Miss
Whilelmena Jinks was the chief Of the race
and next to her came Miss Chalks. Both
ladies were artists in their way, and supple
mented brokering with artistic employment
Miss Jinks made wax figures and tab
lows, as she called them, and Miss Chalks
stuffed birds.
Miss links had masculine, domineering
way with her, and was an energetic woman,
continually fighting and asserting herself.
She was perpctually announcing her birth
and parentage, and demonstrating her SUI
periority both in learning and wealth.
"My father, ath l have thaid before,
wath merchant, and merchant in thith
very city, and boarding school education
was mine from child, with use of the
globes, and wool work and when | came
to years of discretn, l copied his contracts,
and KEEP his ledger, and it is not for those
who have been brought up otherwise to
compete with one that has.
"Your Chalkses may think it elevating to
stuff birds and put glass eyes in their poor
week little heads but it's for them as
knows what true art is to snap their fingers
at such rubbish. What do you say, Ar
| thur?' N
That was your humble servant. I was
Arthur l, Arthur Westwood. When this
little outbreak of temper on the part OF
Miss links occurred, had been engaged
for more than week to assist in painting
her wax figures. My father and mother
were "poor but Industrious" as the story
books put it, and my five shillings week
formed an important addition to the gen
eral stock.
Miss links had three rooms set apart for
her Gallery of Arts" her Wonders in
Wax" to which her customers were adj
mittcd without charge, and which she con-
templated removing at some future day to
the great metropolis. Her figures were
about the size Of the ordinary Punch pup
pets, and they were all her own manufac-
ture. There were amongst them Kings
and Queens and Princes of all chimes poets
and Generals, pickpockets and murderers
and model of every bird, beast, and rep
tile, copied from large folio editiou of
Goldsmith Animated Nature. Some
of the figures were grouped in tableaux,
and others were stuck up in single file
There was Daniel in the lions den, and
Moses holding up the serpent; Napoleon
at ST. Helena the cornoration of Queen
Victoria the trial of a bandit chief, the
capture of negro and Byron bidding
adieu to his native hills. -
1t was a strange world, this new world
which opened up to me at Jiaks' quite a
world of wonder and romance. 10 be
allowed to revel in Goldsmith's book, and
the history of England, book of fairy
tales, Eastern legends, and Byron's poems;
and not only to look at the pictures, but to
paint models from them, and have real
paints and brushes
The time soon came, you may be sure,
when [ discovered that my spinsterial angel
was anything but goddess. | was hardly
twelve years old when [ found that | was
living in fool S paradise, and that all the
visitors made fun Of Miss Jinks and her
petit artist. When my father became well
off | went to school, and learnt to be
ashamed of the name ofJinks, though l
imbibed my love of art at that muddy
source in Tick street, where the morning Of
my life first broke in such glories Of blue,
and carmine, and amber.