Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1876-07-19
The Rented Portrait.

The Rented Portrait.
Jennie Elting was the dearest little wo-
man in the world but in these dark days
she was grieving sorely for her dead hus-
band 50 sorely that her good-hearted brother
inlaw Edward Elting made up his mind
that il was part of his mission IN life to live
near her so that lac might be able TO look
after the little widow and attend TO her
affairs.
lie announced his intention in the fol-
lowing words
Jennie, want house. and have an
idea about the little brown stone next
door. Tom Harris is going to Europe he
told me he expected 10 sail some time in
May. lie closes his house, no doubt. Now
it occurs to me, that for such tenants as
mother aud myself shall send for mother
he will be willing to rent the place until
he returns next fall. | should be close at
hand, my girl, and able to keep an eye upon
you aud the children"
The convenient Tom Harris, who had not
| thought of the possibility Of renting his
house ia summer, and who was looking
for a responsible person TO leave in charge,
| gladly accepted Edward Elting's proposal to
| rent the premises for six months. BY the
middle Of May the widow Elting and her
son were comfortably established there.
Poor Jennie was wonderfully sustained
by the aifectionate arrangement uext door.
| She leaned upon it" She said but to Ed
ward Elting there was something very lonely
about the strange house with its strange
| furniture that lacked all the old associations
which could make it seem like home.
One evening in late September when the
heavy storm, the equinoctial," had brought
a
freight Of his chamber, he remembered
that hippant proyerb, Lucky in cards, un-
| lucky in love-
Not that he played cards, or that he was
/ in love. But the adage started up whmsi-
cally and reflected upon his life. Rarely had
a self-made man attained so easily, by
such honorable MEANS fair fortune before
middle age; and rarely had a man so capa-
BILE of tender affection reached Elting's age
of thirty-six without taste of true love.
To be sure, circumstances in part explained
this there had been so many helpless ones
| dependent upon him, there had seemed no
/ time to think of self.
The half good of the fippant proyerb
brought no smile TO Elting's face this lower
ing September night, No; all summer
| long, aud at its close, when the sad scenes
shrouded his brothers home, there had been
| growing in his heart, even while he com
forted others, longing for something nearer
and dearcr than the love of sister and mother
and brother.
Perhaps the room which he occupied in
| the rented house had exerted some influence
to the effect If walls have ears, why should
/ they not have mouths? And these walls
/ had much to say of delectable affection and
| happy married condolences.
Elting himself ascribed the phenomenon
to the influence Of picture--the picture Of
a woman's face that hung above the fire
place directly opposite his bed. Every morn
ing that sweet grave face was the first oh
ject that met his eyes. At night as he
closed his Bible. and was about 10 eXtnguish
the lamp Of the readng-stand he gave one
parting glance to the expressive canvass.
Actually the pictured canvass had influenced
his summer. low must the heart of a
man repose ITSELF he thought, with sigh
"upon woman whose soul should prove
soberly sweet and daintiy compassionate
like the face in the picture "
lie arose from his musing, fastened to-
gether some little packages he had brought
up town for the children, and presently, all
selfish dreaming east aside, appeared in the
expectant parlor "neXt door"
Mrs. Peter r, Perricaste was creatur,
of impulse, and some of her impulses were
kind. 1t was one of her kind impulses that
induced her to invite to the Perricastle sum
mer-place, as guest for week in July, "pool
Miss Dexter" the teacher in town of select
infant class, of which the infant Perricas
ties We're members.
" The truth is, said Mrs. Perricastle. tC
her audience of neighbors, " the girls pal,
face haunts me. Besides" she added, Will
unconscious mixture of motive, she is O
excellent famiy-related TO the Dexters o
u and just now no one is with me bu
Sally Deveraux, whom do not count any
body, You know"
When the stylish envelope, with its mono
gram in tricolor and gilt, reached Miss Dex
ter, that pale young woman was bending
over her desk, which had been removed 70
vacation from the school-room 10 the small
upper room of dngy boarding-house, an,
she was in the midst of a sum in arithmetic
Two columns to be added the greater TO b.
subtracted from by the less. The items o
one column board for an invalid mother
loans 10 a wayward brother, board and cloth
ing for little sister, rent for school-room
boayd aud clothing for self. My earnings
the other column. Add and subtract. Sim
pie enough The veriest tyro in that school
room tare and fret, the inyeterate " tit-tat
toe of the infant class, would have laughe,
at the easy task. And yet
II WIS one OF those wonlan- sums
That make the angels weep
Would it ever come right Yes, every
thing comes right" said Miss Dexter "l
it were not for this hope, this faith in th'
over-ruling protection of Heaven, shoul,
have given up the struggle long ago"
At that moment arrived Mrs. Perricastlei
note.
4" Not visit had dreamed of, deal
mamma" Mary Dexter said 10 the invalid
who was pleased and excited by the ilatter
ing request not one, perhaps, that | shoulC
have exactly wished but it seems 30 be
providence. And as you think so too, | vii
accept"
How could have dreaded the coming
so much Z" was the young sehool-teacher,
soliloquy more than once that first evening
after her arrival, when she found herself
sauntering up and down the broad piazza
arm in arm with Mrs. Perricastle, who wa,
all kindness TO her guest, The dinner had
passed charmingly. Mr., Perricastle wa,
genial the children rather troublesome al
school, were gentleness itself as hosts. The
blue muslin dinner-dress, with its simple
rnfile at the throat clasped by the old-fash.
ioned brooch, had proved Just the right
thing. And now, upon the broad piazza,
how delicious was the mountain air, the
wilderness Of garden and vista Of wooded
walk, the gleam through the darkling chest
nut-trees OF the sunset-gilded lake
"My dear" said Mrs. Perricastle on the
morrow, If you stay awhile pM me, you
will have all your roses back"
Four delightful days OF the visit passed.
Sunday morning came, and the recollection
of its Saturday evening was the crowning
pleasure of the week. There had been a
rowing party upon tho lake, and company
to tea, followed ,a ~ music and animated ma % con