Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1876-08-09
THE RENTED PORTRAIT.

From Harper's Weekly


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From Harper's Weekly. dw nauu
JEANNE Elting was the dearest little
woman in the world; but in these dark
DAYS she was grieying sorely for her
dead husband, SO sorely that her good
hearted brother-in-law,. Edward Citing,
made up his mind that 1t was part of
his mission in life to live near her, so
that he might be able to look after the
little widow and attend to her affairs
He announced his intention in the
following word: qsIfi11 s9d3 oa3 i
'sJeannie, Iwant a house, and Ihave
an idea about the little brown store
next door. Tom Harris is going to
Europe; he told me he expected to sail
some time in May. He closes his
house, no doubt Now it occurs to me,
that for such tenants as mother and
myself shall send for mother-he
will be willing to rent the place until he
returns next fall. I should be close at
hand, my girl, and able to keep an eye
upon you and the children"
The convenient Tom Harris, who had
not thought of the possibility of rent
ing his house in summer, and who was
looking anxiously for a responsible per-
son TO leave in charge, gladly accepted
Edward Fittings proposal to rent the
premises for six months. By the mid
die Of May the. widow Elting and her
son were comfortably established there.
Poor JEANNE was wonderfully sus-
tanned by the affectionate arrangement
of next door. She cleaned upon it,
she said; but to Edward Citing there
was something very lonely about the
strange house with its strange 4furni-
ture 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 keen autumnal chill,
while musing In the freight of his
chamber, he remembered that fippant
proverb, !" Lucky IL cards, unlucky in
love-"
Not that he played cards, or that he
was in love- But the adage started UP
whimsically and reflected upon his life.
Rarely had !" self-made man " attain
ed so easily, by such honorable means,
fair fortune before middle age; and
rarely had man so capable Of tender
affection reached Eting'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 fiippant proyerb
brought no smile to Elting's face this
lowering September night. No; all
summer long, and at its close, when
the sad scene shrouded his brothers.
home there had been growing II his
heart, even while he comforted others,
longing for something nearer and
dearer than the love of sister and
mother and brother. 1'I ga
Perhaps the room which he occul
pied in the rented house had exerted
some influence to the effect. If walls
have ears, why should they not have
mouths u And these walls had much
to saw of delectable affection and happy
married condolences. - E8mea sH3
Citing himself ,ascribed the phenom-
enon to the influence Of a picgure-the
picture Of woman's face that hung
above the fire place directly opposite
his bed. Every morning that sweet
grave face was the first object that met
his ewes. f1At nlght,d as he closed his
Bible. and was about to extinguish the
lamp of the reading-stand, he gave one
parting glsnce TO the expressive can.
Vase. Adaallyf the pictured counte-
nance had Influenced his summer.
Chow must the heart Of man repose
ITSELF" he thought, with q sigh, "upon
woman whose soul should prove
soberly sweet and daintily compassion
ate, like the face in the picture !"
He rose from his musing, fastened to-
gether some little packages hs had
bought up town for the children, and
presently, all selfish dreaming east
aside, appeared in the expectant
parlor next door, aas asl ,sAsa
Mrs. Peter. p Perricastle was a
creature of impulse; land some Of her
impulses weresskind. 1t was one of
her kind impulses that'induced her to
invite to the Perricastle summer-place,
as a guest for a. week in July, poor
Miss Dexte11thG teacher 10 town of a
select infant class, of which the infant
Perricastles were members.