The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1876-12-22
TOM DUFFAN'S DAUGHTER.


Tom Duffan's cabinet pictures are
charming bits of painting but you
would cease to wonder how he caught
such delicate home touches if you saw
the room he painted in I; for Tom has a
habit of turning his wife's parlor into a
studio, and both parlor and pictures are
the better for the habit.
One bright morning in the winter of
1872 he had got his easel into a comfort
able light between the blazing fire and
the window, and was busily painting.
His CHEEKY little wife-pretty enough,
in spite Of her 81 years-was reading
the interesting items in the morning
papers to him, and between them he
sung softly to himself the favorite tenor
song Of his favorite opera. But the
singing always stopped when the read
ing began and so politics and person
ais, murder and music, dramas and di-
vorces, kept continually interrupting
the musical despair of "Ah! che le
nlOrte 0g'loqd."
But even a morning paper is not uni
versally interesting, and, in the very
middle of an elaborate criticism on
tragedy and Barry Sullivan, the parlor
partially opened, and lovelier picture
than Tom Drffan painted stood in the
aperture-a piquant, brown-eyed girl, IN
morning gown of scarlet opera flannel,
and a perfect cloud of wavy black hair
falling around her.
Mamma, if anything OH earth can
interest you that is not in newspaper,
L should like to know whether crimps or
curls are most becoming with my new
seal-skin set2"
"Ask papa"
If were picture, of course, papa
would know; but seeing / am only q
poor live girl, it does not interest him. y
because, Kitty, you never will dress
artistically."
Because, papa, must dress fash
ionably. 1t is not my fault if artists
don't know the fashions. Can't / have
mamma for about half an hour9"
"When she has finished this criticism
of Barry Sullivan. Come in, Kitty /; il
will do you good TO hear it."
THANK you no, papa; am going
to Drury Lane myself tonight, and ]
prefer to do my own criticism"
Then Kitty disappeared, Mrs. Duffan
skipped good deal of criticism, and
Tom got back TO his "Ah che le qpOrte
ognOrd," much quicker than the column
of printed matter warranted.
Well, Kitty, child, what do You
want 2"
See here"
"Tickets for Drury Lane 2"
Stalls, middle row, center seats;
know them. Jack always does get just
about the same numbers"
Jsck3 You don't mean to say that
Jack Warner sent them"
Kitty nodded and laughed in a way
that implied half dozen different
things.
"But | thought you had positively
refused him, Kitty 2"
"Of course did, mamma-told him
in the incest kind of way that we must
only be dear friends, and so on"
"Then why did he send the tickets p
"Why do moths fly round O candle
1t is my opinion both moths and men
enjov burning"
"Well, Kitty, don't pretend to un
derstand this new w-fashioned way of be.
ing of and on with lover at the
same time. Did you take me from papa
simply to tell me this Z"
"No; / thought perhaps you might
like to devote few moments to papa't
daughter. Papa has no hair TO crimr
aud no braids to make. Here are all the
hairpins ready, mamma, and will tel
you about Sarah Cooper's engagement
and the ridiculous new dresses she is get
ting !"
1t is to be- supposed the bribe proved
attractive enough, Tor Mrs. Duffan tool
in hand the long tresses, and Kitty rat
tied away about wedding dresses anc
travelling suits and bridal gifts with a.
much interest as if they were the gen
uine news of life, and newspaper intel
ligence q kind OF grown-up fairy lore.
But any one who saw the hair taker
out of crimps would have said it wa,
worth the trouble of putting il in; ant
the face was worth the hair, and the hal
was worth the exquisite hat and the ricl
sealskin and the tantalizing effect,
of glancing silk and beautiful colors
Depend upon it, Kitty Duffan was jus
az bright and bewitching life-aize,
picture az any one could desire to see
and Tom Duffan thought so, as sh