The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1877-01-25
gor Ro,,,,.l Beadtrs.
LITTLE BY LITTLE.

| Yes, but you can"
j "It is too large and hard, and has
trees"
"That makes no difference
But it does, indeed, sir" said Ma
rion, half-vexed.
! "You want it for a New Year
giftg'
| "Yes, SIR"
j "For your father, you told me, I
believer"
Eyes; 1 thought it would please
him."
| "Then tell me; if it is no trouble
to do, is little and does not amount
to anything, what will he care for
it?'
"Oh, 1 don't know, Mr.. Damescino; !;
but like little easy sketches; I cam
not do such large one; it is so COM
plicated; it is pretty, but too diff
cult"
"It is pretty, you think?''
"Oh, yes, it is more; it is beautiful,
but too fine for me to do"
Enough! Who is master?'
"You, Mr.. Damescino;" and Ma
rion laughed.
"You like the picture, but it is too
large and complicated; you are afraid
you cannot get through with it?"
eyes, SIR"
"Then it is settled. You will not,
miss, draw the whole picture at once,
but will do line at time-a por-
tion, day after day. You can draw a
house?"
eyes"
"And trees?"
81 think so.'
"And you can draw a horse and
cart?
elf try, think l can.
"Then you can keep the picture.
You will not do it all in day, but by
doing little each day, in its proper
place, and doing it well, the whole
will make picture fit for a fathers
New Year gift" ..-.
Marion looked incred 1lously at the
picture, as she set to work, and COM
planned:
cit will take me year to do it,"
"No, it will not take you year
and suppose it did; would it not be
better to have beautiful picture at
the end of that time, than to have done
a tree on one slip of paper, house on
another, and horse with its cart on
another? Great pictures are brought |
to beauty by touch at time. To
look at task and count over its diff
culties is to be discouraged in the be-
ginning; but to take hold and make
the first line, and meet the difficulties
as they come, one at a time, is to in
sure success"
So Marion measured and looked,
ard thought only of about the lines of |
tho ho,,eo With ITO ->-n++-- old --"iic-
many other things to look at-a will
derness of other work to do; and when
the first days lesson was over, enough
of the outlines was on the card board
to give fair promise of finish after
ward. !
"It is too bad" said Marion to
mamma, after Mr.. Damescino had
bowed himself out of the room; !" he
thinks he is so wise, and that l can do
just what he says. Look here, man.
ma; he has brought me picture big
enough for an artist to do, and with
work enough to last year. l only
wanted a little sketch to give papa at
New Year" .-s.
"New Year is a great way off; and,
you know, perseverance does great
things. The picture is very beauti-
full one"
"Oh, yes, mamma, like it; but
cannot do it. 1 cannot do it!'
"'Cannot' does not seem to me
quite the right word; may be you
mean aOiU not
"Mamma! do you think me perverse
enough for that?' e. a..
"No; and 1 expect to see your
drawing in pretty frame, with papa
pointing it out, among his other treas
ures, as Marion's picture"
"Do you think he would like it?'
She smiled, and stood regarding it,
with an air of half-pleased uncertainty.
81 will do it, any how. Mr.. Danes
cino says by thinking about and work
ing at only little spot at time, it
will grow, almost without my know
ing it, to be pretty picture.
So, little at time, trying to forget
the greatness of the big task before
her, Marion worked away-sometimes
during lesson hour, sometimes alone
ofted getting tired, but as often get
ting refreshed. So, when autumn
crimsoned the leaves, and winter
drifted it's first snow, Marion's picture
was beautiful; and when, at New Year,
papa saw the finished work of so
many months, and heard how it had
been done-not by groaning over the
whole, but by thinking about each
part in IT'S turn-he felt not only
pleasure in his daughter's triumph, in
completing such beautiful picture,
but the additional pleasure given by
the realization of the lesson she had
learned in triumphing over difficulties
of life, in all their varieties; for it is
by conquering little at time that all
obstacles are overcome.
Marion stood on New Years Day
among her fathers choice pictures,
her hands behind her and her eyes on
the fruits of her labor, her face bear
ing the impress of the high resolves
stirring at her heart; and the words
upon her lips, as she thought of the
work she had accomplished, were:
81 will never again say cannot
for it seems to me, now, that, little by
little, almost anything can be accom-
plished; and it is so pleasant to per-
severe and to conquer."-Geo. Krin-
gls, in N. Y. Observer.