The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1879-11-13

| temptation which drink might have for
this man, with his smaller advantages
of fortune and education; and then an
idea flashing across his mind, he deter
mined to act upon it.
"Have you had your tea, boyP" he
asked, as he unstrapped his knapsack,
and took out a small parcel wrapped in
paper.
me until get home, sir" replied Char
lie, too brave to complain to u stranger.
.'That's all right" said Eustace,
understanding and respecting the feeling
that dictated the answer; meanwhile,
l shall give you this piece OF cake, just
to pass the time away. When 1 was a
small boy, stray pieces of cake never
prevented me eating my meals when
they came, so your mothers tea will not
be wasted. Now you sit still, for l am
going to paint a picture, and when it is
finished / will show it to you"
Very few dainties fell to Charles share
in those days, and Eustace was highly
amused at the manner in which he ate
his cake, nibbling it off around the edge
so as to make it last rs long as possible /;
and he succeeded so well that the pic
ture was finished almost at the same
time as the last currant disappeared.
"Well, was it good ?" asked Eustace,
"as he tied his portfolio"
Eyes, mother does not put currants in
her cakes. Sometimes on our birthdays,
when father has not been out, we have a
cake, but then we have no seeds in it."
And those are not so nice P"
"Oh, no, sir, of course not!" answered
Charlie, surprised that any one should
ask such question.
We'll, I am glad you like it. am
going back to London in a day or two,
but shall put another piece of cake in
my knapsack in case l meet you again
before | GO. Look here, co you know
what this is?"
Charlie glanced at the little picture
Eustace held out to him, and then lie
gave a scream ofsurprise.
"Why, it's me and father"
And so il was, and even though Eus-
tace should live to oe an old man, he
will never succeed in making anything
MOI e true to- nature than that hurried
sketch. He had just caught the tirLd |,
wistful look on the child's face, and it
was all the more striking as it was
brought into such contrast with the va
cant countenance of the tipsy sleeper,
who looked so thoroughly out of place
beside the child and the pleasant green
background of the hedge, where the con-
volvulus blossoms mingled with the
wild roses and blackberry flowers.
"Wait a moment" said Eustace, and
then he wrote at the bottom of the sketch
three lines from poem of Burns:
ooh wad some power the giitie gle us,
| TO see oursels as ithcrs see US,
1t wad iree mony trouble free us "
"There," lie continued, putting the
| picture in the child's hands. "You
to yonE 6nE d{sr {t oR9 onS if if Sk f. do b So
it may teach him a lesson" And before
the child could make any reply, Eustace
was off and away, tramping along the
high road.
Five years had passed before the
young artist had the time and chance to
visit the quiet village again. In those
five years he had done good work-had
! thought, and worked and painted, until
people begun to believe in him and
talked of him as one of the most prom
Using painters of the day.
Still, in the midst of it all, he often re-
mcmbered his little sketch and Won
dered-- without much hope in the Won
der, though-whether his idea that it
might do good had come to pass; and
on the day he travelled down to Merston
the memory of the scene came clearly
]
old words: ''Cast thy bread upon the
waters, for thou shalt find it after many
days"
"Sucl poor little crumb of good,
though it was" said Eustace to himself,
"still I wonder-I Wonderland I'll
try to find it out, too"
And so ithappened, Eustace did find
it out moro quickl ly than he expected,
ior tnat very evening as he was return
ing from walk, in the course of which
he had visited some of his old haunts,
there passed him on the road man and
Il handsome boy of thirteen.
my little friend and his father" sud-
denly thought Eustace, whose quick
artist eye seldom forgot face or figure,
and he quickened his pace in order to
keep within short distance of the boy.
So the three went on, past the corner
of the field where the sketch had been
taken, down the road and across the
narrow bridge, till the man and boy
reached little cottage, the small front
garden of which was gay with bright
colored, old-fashioned flowers.
THAT looks promising" thought Eu-
STAGE; "no drunkard ever had a garden
like tnat." and determined to ascertain
the facts of the case, he went up to the
door with the intention of asking the
nearest way to the next village.
Through the open door he caught &
glimpse of the neatly-kept cottage
. kitchen, as Charlie came forward to an
swer the strangers question; but before
half the right turns had been described
bright smile broke over the boys fac
: and, half turning around. he exclaimed
Father, it is my painter!" and to hi
3 surprise, Eustace found that in 'ha
| household, at least, he was hero, an,
the Young artist never felt more reyer
v ence for his art than he did as he lis
4 tened to the account of the good his pic
t tur had done.
n Forsome time Charlie had kept tn
A sketch and had been afraid to show
to his father, but the man found it b
o ;hance one day, and
1T was more than | could stanC
d sir" he said, addressing Eustace. "
k did not need any one to tell me what
e meant, but although wondered whel
d it came from / was ashamed to ash
Y Somehow l could not get the pictuI
|, out of my head. even used to dreal
y of it at night until it fairly worried m
E. SO that gave up the drink; and ha
lie the picture hung up there, that migl
}. not have chance of forgetting what
l. dragged myself down to once"
So the story ended, and in his hea
1, Eustace Carroll is prouder of that lit
st sketch, hanging in common bla'
10 frame over the mantelpiece of the cou
try cottage than he wOuld be If