The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1874-08-14

his "perquisites."
You may be sure there was Joy in the
little clearinghouse up among the
chimney-pots, for now Peter could have
pencils and paper and India-rubber,
and a few other things that artists need.
Then he changed his way of of life a
little. He went out early every morn
ing and wandered about Florence. and
drew everything he could find to draw,
whether the pictures in the churches,
or the fronts of the old palaces, or the
statues in the public squares, or the
outlines of the hills beyond the Arno,
Just as it happened. Then, when it be-
came too dark to work any longer, Pc
ter would go home to his boarding
house, and find his dinner all nicely
tucked away under the old straw bed,
where landlord Thomas had put it, not
so much to hide it as to keep it warm.
Things went on in this way for about
two years. None of the servants knew
that Thomas kept a boarder, or if they
did know it, they good-naturedly shut
their eyes. The cook used to remark
sometimes, that Thomas ate a good
deal for a lad of his size, and it was
surprising he didn't grow more.
One day the Cardinal took it into his
head to alter and repair his palace. He
went all over the house in company
with an architect, and poked into places
that he had neve in all his life thought
of before. At last he reached the gar
ret, and, as luck would have it, STUN
bled right into Thomas boarding
house.
"Why, how's this ?" cried the great
Cardinal, vastly astonished at seeing the
mean little room so beautifully decora-
ted in charcoal. "Have VIC an artist
among us? Who occupies this room?"
1.-THE kitchen-boy, Thomas, your
Eminence."
ga kitchen-boy! Blu. SO great a ge-
MUS must not be neglected. Call the
kitchen-boy, Thomas"
Thomas came up in fear and trem-
bling. He never had been in the mighty
Cardinals presence before. He looked
at the charcoal drawings on the wall,
then into the prelGte's face, and his
heart sank within him.
Thomas, You are no longer a kitch-
en-boy," said the Cardinal, kindly.
Poor Thomas thought he was dis
missed from service-and then what
would become of Peter?
"Don't send me away ~ he cried, i'm
ploringly, falling on his knees. 81
have nowhere to go, and Peter will
starve-and he wants to be a painter so
much !"
Who is Peter ?" asked the Cardinal.
"He is a boy who boards with ME,
and he drew those pictures on the wall,
and he will die if he cannot be a
painter"
Where is he new?" demanded the
Cardinal.
"He is out, wandering about the
streets to find something to draw. II
goes out every day and comes back at
night" .
when he returns tonight, Thomas,
bring him to me-" said the Cardinal.
"Such genius as that should not be al
lowed to live in a garrett"
But, strange to say, that night Peter
did not come back to his boarding
house. One week, two weeks went by,
and still nothing was heard of him. At
the end of that time the Cardinal caused
a search for him to be instituted, and
at last they found him in a convent.
1t seems he had fallen deeply in love
with one of Raphael's pictures which
was exhibited there. He had asked
permission of the monks to copy it, and
they, charmed with his youth and great
talent, had readily consented, and had
nourished him all the time.
Thanks to the interest the Cardinal
took in him, Peter was admitted to the
best school for painting in Florence.
As for Thomas, he was given a post
near the Cardinals person, and had
masters to instruct him in all the learn
ing of the day.
Fifty years later, two old men lived
together in one of the most beautiful
houses in Florence. One of them was
called Peter of Cortona, and people said
of him, "He is the greatest painter of