Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1872-05-09

suffot ated upon the flags. HIS excite
ment and the effort that he was obliged
to make had exhausted the little van
quisher, and he fell fainting beside the
vanquished. When the parents return
ed imagine their surprise and terror
at seeing the wolf and the child crouch
ed side by side When Jacques came
to himself his first words were, my
little sister, The wolf has not eaten
herr"
Joseph Barra, at the age of twelve
years, was drummer boy in the army
of the Republic. One day, by the for
tunes of war, he fell into the hands OF
the enemy, who supported the cause of
the king. The fierce soldiers surround
ed him, shouting, CRY, Long lie the
King, or die y
Twenty guns were leveled at him.
'Lonq ire the RcpubHc!n cried the
child, and fell pierced with twenty
balls This Joseph Barra joined the
army when he was ten years old, IN or
der not to be an expense to his mother,
poor widow; to whom, after that
time, he regularly sent his small pay.
He was truly brave boy, true to his
conscience and true to his affections;
and although in our own time and coun-
try it is easy to find many instances of
great courage and devotedness, it is
rare to find so young boy doing his
duty so courageously
will now tell you of a young artist,
who, having felt his vocation instinct
lively, as birds know how to build their
nests, struggled on and upwards,
through privation of every kind, until
he became that which he could not
help being true artist.
Pietro da Cortona was the son of a
poor shepherd of Tuscany, who did not
trouble himself to find for him any
other condition in life but his own.
Pietro, whilst watching his goats, pass.
ed his days in chalking upon the rocks
and tracing images upon the sand. He
felt himself an artist without kn02oing,
perhaps, the meaning of the word.
One fine morning, leaving his tiocks,
he directed himself toward Florence,
where he expected to meet one of his
little comrades of the fields, who had
left him some time before to take the
place of scallion IN the kitchens of a
cardinal. In Florence, Pietro, who
was not a dozen years old, must soon
have been reduced to a state of stawa-
ton if Providence, that works some
times through strange mediums, had
not chosen the former little shepherd,
now become cooks add to save the fu-
tire great artist. This boy, from the
time when he guarded the focks in com
pany with PietrC, had had faith in the
future of his friend. He had said on
leaving him, that when he found him
self able to assist him, he would let
him know, and he kept his word.
When Pietro arrived, place was
ready for his reception, very modest
and very humble, it is true, but it prov
ed how far the resources of good heart
are able to reach. The sculiion offered
the newcomer half of the poor bed
which he occupied in little chamber
under the roof of the palace, and engage
ed to nourish him with the desert from
the cardinals table,--a part of which
belonged to HIM according to the GUS
tom in great houses. For two whole
years Pletro accepted from his friend,
not onl ~ this, but some pieces of money
beside, of which he had need to buy
paper and pencils. AS long as the day
light lasted he remained in the city
copying pictures and statues; when he
returned in the evening, he fastened
upon the walls of the little chamber
the copies which he had made.
One day the scullion managed mat
tiers 50 that several of Pietro's draw
ings fell under the notice of the car
dinal, who admired them and wished
to see their author. leave you to i'm
! agine what fine day this was for the
poor little fellow, on which he was able
to avOw the clandestine hospitality
which he had given to Pietro and with
what pride he marched in, conducting
his friend before the prelate, who had
promised to befriend him, and who did
not fail to keep his promise Pietro
| da Cortona became illustrious and rich
/ but honors and riches never caused
him to forget the noble heart which
had served him in his time of obscurity
and misery. -Ndry Carleton.