Smyrna times., 1875-10-06

The artist shook his head as he thought
of the belle of the neighboring village with
crimped locks and simpering smile. "No,
no, Hester; not Bessie"
81 do not know any other, Sir"
"There is no hurry; shall find her if you
will help me. But l mean to rest for
while first"
he know Of work, this prosperous man,
whose brush was the magic wand that
brought golden shower around him, like |
the water that rushed from the rock at the
touch of Moses's rod?
eyes, Hester, rest. know it makes you |
smile-alazy man lil1eme But not otanother |
stroke of work shall my paint-brush do |
until
"Until what, Sir?"
"Until L have found the model for 'Sun-
shiner"
He was standing close to her now, and
the brightwinning smile that won the hearts
of all who knew him woke an echo in
Hester's heart, for the clouds lifted a little,
and she smiled back at him.
"When do you think you will find her ?"
81 fancy see her coming in the distance
even now."
"Whom is she like?"
"Did you ever read Tom Moore, Hester?"
Poor Hester! the only poets she had ever
studied were such cheerful singers as Milton
and Cowper and DR.. Young lent
her by the minister, who would not have
allowed the presence of line written by
the merry Irish bard in his house
She shook her head.
We'll, my Sunshine will be like young
Nourmahal, the Light of the Harem. Dark
eyed like an Eastern beauty, with clouds of
dusky chestnut hair, she shall possess, not
"a beauty forever unchangingly bright,
Like the long sunny lapse of Il summers days light
But that lovelincss, ever in motion, which plays
Like the light upon autumns soft shadowy days"
Shall read you the poem, Hester?
a gleam of pleasure shot up into the dull
eyes, and the girl answered with a halE
breathless accent that showed the deep
poetic nature underneath the cold exterior,
81 should like it so much"
Then after that, every day when supper
was concluded and those weary dishes back
again i'll their places, Hester would come
out on the old porch, and Henry Spencer
would read her Moore's lovely melodie,
and stories until twilight forced them tc
p close the book. Sometimes he would coaN
,, her away from the old farmhouse to wan
der over the hills and watch the COLDER
glory Of the sunset as it faded away into
=, shadowy night. Then he would talk to hel
: of other sunsets, other lands, where thesC
. same sunbeams glinted over icy peaks O
= shone on the warm surface of tropical sea
: Through his wonderful descriptions h
, pushed aside the narrow bands that encom
i passed Eestcr's life, and led her into neY
:, world of beauty. And the girls hear
- gradually grew light with the brightnes
:. reflected from the artists own sum
= nature. She began to talk-this quic
Hester heretofore so silent because thcr
i were none to listen to what she had to say
!, She was no longer dull and stupid. Brigh
% and sweet were the merry fancies that fe
- from the smiling lips. The shadow wer
n out of her eyes, and the lines of car
;. smoothed themselves away from her for
:, head.
to There was a wonderful change comm
ID slowly over Hester. Under the artist
Il. skillful moulding, the weary girl, oppre
h. sed with the dull routine of disagreeb
a duties, was becoming brilliant, beautifl
er woman. Life was no longer a dreary thin
to be endured with patience, but ric
II, heritage full of glorious possibilities. An
as Hester was happy. She thought she ha
w found a,friend-did not know, this inc
in perienced Hester, that she was only wande
hit ing in the path familiar to all maidcns sin,
nd the time when Eve loved Adam.
Ill One day she asked the artist if he hg
tn found the model for "Sunshine."
an He smiled and answered Yes"
nv "Who is she?"
a " "TO-morrow you shall see."
nv In the morning Hester knocked at Il
he studio door, anxious to see the face who
ch portrait should be the companion piece {
her own.
ilv "Where is she?" asked the girl, as s.
Ike looked around the shabby room that CO
lid tanned no other woman's form but h
nd own.
ter "You shall see her presently" and Hen
md Spencer smiled as his glance met Heste
ose puzzled look.
lch Then he rose from the great old-fashion
er | armchair where he had been sitting, a
taking her gently by the hand, seated /
er's in his own place. Resting one arm on
the ugly leather back, he bent over her III
mp the sunny blue eyes looked full into I
les. depths of the dark ones beneath.
so al did not fad the model for 'Sunshir
ler- Hester; | created her. Up here amc
un- the mountains, where even the breath
the the summer wind is cold and chill, fou
lonely woman who had lived life
she unsuitable labor amidst uncongenial &C
ntle panions until dreary shadow Of perpet
n of gloom hovered round her brow and sett
ture itself in the depths of her dark eyes.
heir of late the shadow hos liftad chased awa,