Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1874-02-19
Mn1ERsBuRG, HOLMES COUNTY, O., THURSDAY 49, 1874.


She wrote verses for the county paper
and il WAS vaguely limited that she was
engaged OH something that would some
time, etc., etc. or course her time was
quite too precious TO be wasted on
houSe-work.
Laura was fair, placid, indolent
beauty. She did not like TO wash dishes,
for it spoiled her hands. She did not
like TO sweep, fer ii made her back ache.
She did not like to cook, for it reddened
her face. As for Mrs. Munro, she was
one of those women TO whom, be she
old, or be she young, the grasshopper
is a burden.
Money was not over plenty in the
house; and to take city boarders-iust
as an accommodation, you know-was
considered a respectable way TO exc out
Il moderate income. it was an easy way
as well, when there was Il Cindy to the
fore. Before she went TO bed that night
Mrs. Munro had written to Miss Alden
that rooms should be in readiness for
her brother the last of that week.
lie came, this Winthrop Alden, Il
handsome, manly looking fellow, in
spite OF recent illness. Well born
and well bred, with plenty of blue
blood in his veins, which WAS yet
warmed and enriched by the red of our
common humanify--an artist, as Cindy
had said, but with 50 much of ancestral
wealth that he could afford time to ,lo
good work and to do it well-iull of all
beautiful enIhusiasm>, with an eye that
was quick to see, an ear to hear, and Il
heart TO feel whatever WAS best worth
seeing, and hearing, and feeling, was it
any wonder that he was sweet-temper-
ed and charming, and that lie brought
into the quiet house glow brighter
than that of the summer sunshine?
IL does not seem strange to me that,
in less than week, there was fiutter-
lug in that dOve-cote. Every one Of
these girls had her own ambitions;
even Cindy, who had not found it out
yet. Elizabeth was only sensible of a
vague longing for Something better
than she had known" i'm Millthorpc-fOr
a higher culture and Il loitier living
Laura was beautiful, and she knew it,
and meant to make the most of it
Beautiful with mere physical beauty
the beauty Of roundness and coloring,
of pink-and-white flesh, blue eyes and
golden hair. She was not going to
marry Millthrope clod-hopper-do
her own work, tend her own babies,
have two calico gowns a year-and,
may be, new silk once in five-not
she. She WAS waiting for the prince to
come and array her in satins, and laces,
and jewels. But she was not such a
fool rs to say this even in whispers;
and to all appearance she was sweet
itself, guileless and unso-
phisticated as child.
What was Cindy's ambition? 1t had
taken no tangible form as yet. God
had gwen this girl, who had never seen
more than two or three really fine pic
lures in her life, whose knowledge of
the miracles Of art was confined to IL |
few engravings and photographs, all
love Of form and color, and |
a burning eagerness to reproduce them.
The creative instinct was strong within |
her.. She drew, rs The bird sings, from |
pure love, with no thought of what |
might come of it. But upstairs, in |
her own room, there was one bureau
drawer filled with precious scrap, bits |
Of cardboard, drawing-paper, envel-
opes, and what not, covered with PEN
cilings, outlincs-hints of the glowing
life of the girls heart and brain. There
were crude attempts ut color, too; here |
Il flower, there Il spray of grasses; now
Il child's face, and then Il bird with |
folded wings. There were gIimpses of
sea, with lone ship fading in the dis
tance.
| said there was a flutterinS in the
'lOve-cote. The studies that formerly |
held Elizabeth lost their attraction, and |
she began to feel IN intense interest in
all that pertains to art. Raphael, Gui-
do, Michael Angelo-these became upon |
her lips rs common household words. |
She never tired Of sitting, mctaphori- |
cally speaking, at Winthrop Alden's |
feet and being Taught OF him. Art was
the one thing needful, and her very |
soul did reverence at the shrine OF the |
genius that could make the ileeting |
beauty oil day immortal as the stars.
Laura played different game. She
was arch and saucy and cOquettisli. She
praised his work to-day, and made lun |
of it Tomorrow. Then, when She had
succeeded in annoying or wounding
him, her penitence was most bewitch- |
ing; and, with tears in her sweet blue |
eyes, and quiver of her child-iike lips.
she would plead her ignorance and in
and beg his pardon with
dangerous humility.
One day she came running to him with |
Il pretty ailectation of simplicity.
s'Oh, Mr.. Alden,'' she said, clasping |
her hands, 'if you would only. teach
me how 20 draw, have wanted to
learn all my life. But how could !,
away up here where there are no
teachers-no anything? Maybe" she
went OH naively, dropping her eyelid>
till the long lashes swept hcr cheeks,
"maybe / could appreciate your work |
better if should try my own hand at
it, and learn some of its difficulties
Mr.. Alden laughed outright. Ii
seemed supremely ridiculous to him
that he--Winthrop Alden-should be
asked to give lessons to his landlady's |
daughter, and the idea OF her being
able TO judge of his difficulties by any
she was likely TO encounter. But the |
very simplicity of the request was 50
amusing, that he said:
"Very well, Miss Laura. 1t is Il bar
gain, if, in return, you will be my guide
to all that is beautiful and picturesque
in this wild region"
''Oh, thank you." she cried. 81 have
been longing 10 show you some lovely
but feared you would think me intru-
SiYe. Shall we 90 ND TO Sunset Rock