The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1872-03-22


floor, and myself after it.
recovered from my faint to find the
studio quite dark, except for tiny ray
Of moonlight that lay on my little pic
ture of the wild-roses.
had Just strength to drag myself to
the open window, where, hanging half
out of it, half in, the soft, cool evening
air revived me and filled me with a de-
licious dreamy sense. | forgot the
dreadful canvas behind me, and remem7
bered Molly, and the garden so full of
roses. Why didn't | 90 to her before
this sitter of mine had quite killed me }?
Why? | would. I'd go Friday and
stay over Sunday. The dream | had
dreamed in the street on Sunday morn.
ing should be true. CROPPED about the
studio and found a candle, found
match and lighted it, opened the secre-
tary, and sat down TO it and wrote two
notes.
Dear Molly May come Friday and
stay over Sunday? Yours, JoE."
"MR. -: Dear Sir-I am not well,
and am going out of town until Mon
day. Shall therefore be obliged to
defer your sittings until Friday of next
week. Yours respectfully,
JOSEPH BURROWS"
TO these added their respective ad.
dresses; then found a pipe, filled and
lighted it, and began to smoke and feel
| comforted. 1t was wonderful how much
better | felt already as locked the
studio door and CROPPED my way down
the stairs and out into the lighted
street. | went into restaurant andate
some dinner-my first dinner in three
days. ! ate it with a relish, and went
home afterward to make a refreshing
toilet and 90 to bed.
How | slept and dreamed Of Molly
ana the garden Of roses How | walked
with light heart, and ran up the stairs
when | went to my studie How |
| turned the big canvas to the wall with
victorious laugh
smoked pipe AID sang alternately
as | sat on the window-sill, and scraped
my three paiettes clean, and put my
brushes to soak in turpentine, and lazed
and lounged and dreamed, and listened
for the postman who couldn't bring me
the letter | wanted until the latest de.
livery.
cashed my big check when l went
to lunch, and bought some paint
brushes and a little gift for Molly. and
then went back and painted on my
wildroscs.
Molly was like a wild-rose. She was
like the dawn, the rosy, fresh, over
whelming dawn. No wonder couldn't
tell her the love that was in my heart
for her had been trying to tell her
for five years. Does the sky tell the
dawn anything when she comes resist
.cssly and floods it with her beams?
Rat-tat-tatl Rattat-tat!
sprang 10 the door TO see the post
mans rctreating figure, and on the floor
at my feet the letter ! wanted. | tore
it open and kissed the name on the last
page Of the sheet. | kissed it all over.
! | rushed TO the window to read il by
the sunset light.
h" was thinking this morning that
I'd as lief be meadow with the sun on
it, one of my own dear meadows, that
have taught me so many things, and
helped TO educate my ancestors before
me, when your note coming made RE
remember that human relations were
imposs bic then, except in such dumb
fasion as have described. so | must be
content to be myself. who is happily
looking forward to a visit from her dear
old cousin. | was wondering yesterday
if June hadn't reminded you of the
visit you promised us. 1t seems to be
particularly propitious time, though all
times are propitious for having our
friends with us; but now the roses are
at their prime, and the foxgloves and
the rest wait your approval Of their
beauty. Come by all means on Friday.
These days have been all out-ofdoor
days with me. | am very faithful to
my drawing, hoping 10 get a great deal
of sketching done before the summer
settles down upon us with her sitting
| heat. Tom tells me that ] shall be too
late for the mail, but ! hope not, for
then it would be like you not to come.
Do come, whether you hear or not.
1t will be so stupid Of me if you
TN" (which may stand for NOR.
tificaotin on my part.
The time that elapsed between the
reading of that letter, and the moment
when | sat by Molly's side in little
open wagon, driving from the steamboat
that had brought me there TO the house
where Molly lived, is complete blank
in my mind. ] don't know what did,
or how the hours went. | knew that |
was sitting quite silent beside Molly,
just feeling the delight Of her presence,
and never remembering that | was a
little, unattractive man of FIVE feet six,
with hazel eyes and a sallow skin, a
very short purse, and rather weak
nerves, never remembering how the
little sign sneered at me on my studio
door, nor the drel iful canvas inside
that stood with its face to the wall.
Again | was in the porch, where !
had stood so often, and where the
honeysuckle surrounded me with fra
GRANGE.
Again the kind cousins were welcom.
ing me. Again | stood alone in my
little accustomed room, three-windowed,