The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1877-01-20

you snlle-a lazy man ike me. Bu
not another stroke of work shall m,
paint-brush do until"
"Until what, sir?'
"Until | have found the model fol
Sunshine ="
He was standing close to her now
and the bright, winning smile tnat wor
the hearts of all who knew him, woke
an echo in Hester's heart, for the cloud:
lifted a little, and she smiled back al
him.
her?v
81 fancy see her coming in the dis.
tance even now."
"WhOm is she likc?"
"Did you ever read Tom Moore, Hes.
ter?'
Poor Hester. the only poets she had
ever studied were such cheerful singers
as Milton and Cowper and DR.. Young
--volumes lent her by the minister, who
would not have allowed line written
by the merry Irish bard in his house.
She shook her head.
"Well, my Sunshine will be like
young Nourmahal, the Light of the Ha-
rom. Dark-cycd like an Eastern beau
ty, with clouds Of duslSy chestnut hair,
she shall possess, not
| "a beauty forever unchangingly bright
Like the long sunny lapse ofa summers days
But that loveliness ever in motion, which plavs
Like the light upon autumn's soft, shadowy days.
Shall ! read you the poem, Hester?"
A CLEAN of pleasure shot up into the
dull eyes, and the girl answered with a
half-breathless accent that showed the
deep poetic nature under the cold cxte-
rior, 81 should like il so much"
Then after that, every day when sup
| per was concluded and those weary
dishes back again in their places, Hes
ter would go out on the old porch, and
Henry Spencer would read her Moore's
lovely melodies and stories until twi-
light forced them to close the book
Sometimes he would coax her away
from the old farmhouse to wander
over the hills and watch the golden glo-
ry of the sunset as it faded away into
shadowy night. Then he would talk
to her of other sunsets, other lands,
where those same sunbeams Qlinted
over icy peaks or shone on the warm
surface of a tropical sea. Through his
wonderful descriptions he pushed aside
the narrow bands that encompassed
Hester's life, and led her into a new
world of beauty. And the girls heart
gradually grew light with the brightness
reflected from the artists own sunny
nature. She began to talk-this Quiet
Hester, heretofore so silent because
there was none to listen to what she had
to say. She was no longer dull and stu
pid. Bright and sweet were the merry
tancies that fell from the smiling lips.
The shadow went out of her eyes. and
the lines of care smoothed themselves
away from her forehead.
There was wonderful change com
ing slowly over Hester. Under the
artists skilful moulding, the weary girl.
oppressed with the dull routine of dis
agreeable duties, was becoming a brill
liant, beautiful woman. Life was no
longer dreary thing to be endured
with patience, but rich heritage full
of glorious possibilities. And Hester
was happy. She thought she had found
friend-did not know that she was
%anaeerng 1gda n tie TIE Rath taemifeeee fee i6ve
Adam.
One day she asked the artist if he had
found the model for "Sunshine.'
He smiled and answered eyes"
''Who is she? ?"
''To-morrow you shall see."
In the morning Hester knocked at the
studio door, anxious to see the face
whose portrait should be the companion
piece for her own.
"Where is she!' asked the girl as she
looked around the shabby room that
contained no other woman's form but
her own.
"You shall see her presently" and
Henry Spencer smiled as his glance met
IIester's puzzled look.
Then he rose from the great old-fash-
ioned armchair where he had been sit
ting, and taking her gently by the hand,
seated her in his own place. Resting
one arm on its ugly leather back, he
bent over her until the sunny blue ewes
looked into the depths of the dark ones
beneath.
~ did not .ffd the model for Sum
shine,' Hester; created her. Up here
among the mountains, where even the
breath of the summer wind is cold and
chill, found lonely woman who had
lived life of unsuitable labor amidst
uncongenial companions until a dreary
shadow of perpetual gloom lowered
round her brow aud settled itself in the
ucptus VI HcI UdTk eyes. Dut OF late
the shadow has lifted, l dare to think,
by the sunshine of love. Look, Hester,
at the reflection in that little cracked
mirror yonder. Do you see the fair,
sweet forehead, so calm and quiet, and
the lovely eyes bright with the glitter
ing light of happiness? There is the
model for Sunshine Now, Hester,
lift your lips to mine, and tell me that
she is my own-mine to shine around
my life, my heart, my home. Tell me
darling, that have found my model
and-my wife"
No answer came from the tempting
lips beneath him, but as his own rested
on them they returned the kiss.
"Sunshine" was not painted-a we'd
ding interfered. But at the great exhi-
bition that autumn there was a picture
called Shadow"
A bystander remarked, ~ heard il
was portrait of Henry Spenccrs
wife,"
But another who had seen the bride,
replied, "What nonsense ~ THarper's
Weekly.
Dull BoYs.-Don't be discouraged
Slow growth is often sure growth. Some
| H.,