The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1873-06-11

l week lnaC Cue regular sciioola
were open at the South Kensington
On. the other three days Madg'
was compelled to fall back onaco
pying. So she set up her easel i,
a good position before the cage o
Innocence" and labored hard tx
reproduce it faithfully.
1t was a very popular picture
among the young Students, and
five or six of them were copying it
The one whose easel was next to
Madse's was young man of about
twenty-seven or eight-a serious
selfcontained young man-who
seemed to have no friends among
his fellow-wnrkers, and whose face
was picture to Madge and a poem
to me, from its mixture Of flashing
brightness and intense sadness. He
flashed out sunshine-smiles that
seemed actually to warm one
when Madge would ask his advice
about either her coloring or strip
Epling up, and he darkened away
when he .fancied himself unobserv-
I ed in way that made me very
curious about him. Altogether his
face reminded me of one of those
table diamonds which we find in
settings of rarely wrought old We:
netian work, which never lavish
the light that is in them lin glitter
and shine, bn, now and anon blaze
out royally.in a broad flash.
Just at first, for three weeks or
so, I religiously accompanied my
young sister on the days when she
was painting in the gallery. But
at the end of those three weeks |
grew less vigilant about her and
the beauty priced so highly, and
wended my way instead to the read
ing-room of the British Museum,
where I perused dead and watched
living authors. q
At last my work was ready for
the press, and then I sent it to, and
fortunately had it accepted by, "a
a magazine. Then | took breath
ing time, and dnri'g this time 1
went once more to the South Ken
sington gallery of painting with
Madge.
I volunteered my company to
her, and she accepted my offer with
sort of languid indifference that
stung my vanity, or whatever quail
ity it was that was peculiarly ram
pant just then. edo as YOU like.
Helen,' she said shut really there
is no need for you to come; the on
ly dragons there are on canvas, and
it is a dreadful waste of your time
TO sit and watch the growth of my
age of Innocence"
MY time is my own until [ hear
what the literary journals say OF
my article,' I said, rather pompous-
"; stnen there may beScalls made
upon it which 1 shall be proud to
fulfill
She made no further opposition,
and, we walked along toward the
Museum. When we neared it [
saw the same young man whose
face I had compared toaa table
diamond standing nearthe entrance,
and I asked, carelesslv, asSwe near,
ed him, 'Ts he still about the age
of Tnnocence,' Madge?'
NO; he's copying the companion
piece, the Infant Samnel, ,''tshe an
swered, hastily; and then we passed
him, and I saw that he slightly.
bowed to her.
'Madger I exclaimed, reproach-.
fully, as we passed out Of his hear
ing, you're not falling into familiar
acquaintanceship with any of these
people about whom you know no.
thing, are you?'
She shook her head, and said,
No. CURLY, and I fancied 1 had
wounded the family pride, which
was so strong in every one of u.s..
by the suggestion. Our father had
henn in tLe habit of sneaking too
scornfnlly of 'cads without a drop
Of blood in their veins for us not
to prize highly the color and age OF
our own.
To my annoyance, when we
reached the Age Of Innocence |
found that the Infant Samuel was
hanging very near it-so near that
copyists of either picture could con-
verse with each other while still
pursuing their work. Presently
as soon, in fact, as Madge had
adjusted her easel and settled her.
selt-the young man we had passed
at the entrance sauntered up and
stationed himself before an already.
planted canvas, the workmanship
,uu which had struck me as being
finer than any other around.
Idon't know by. what means 1t
was brought home to me that there
was some understanding between
this young unknown anu my beau
tiful sister. They did not speak to
one another, and if they looked at
each other | did not intercept their
glances... Still l felt sure that they
lad been in the habit OF both look
ing and speaking to one another
frequently, and that they regarded
me as beng in their way.
There was nothing mean or un-
l,,b.,,l or s,ao LrIpu IN the n3tITe