The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1879-05-15

He was hungry, he was cold, he was
desolate. The passengers had all gone
their various ways The old lady's son
had come for her in a coach; the little
child and its mother had been welcomed
by man who was certainly the papa"
of whom the little one had babbled.
The surly old gentleman had declared
the stage an hour too late, and kicked
Cliff for being in the way. The driver
was at supper in an eating-house hard
by, and even these acquaintances of an
hour or so were no longer near him.
Cliff repented his escape, and shed bitter
tears of self-reproach. What should he
do in that city where there were no ber-
ries to pluck, or nuts to find, or bushes
to sleep under; he who had neither
friends nor money. He wished himself
back again in Aunt Dusenbury' s kitchen,
and would have taken two whippings
for one plate of pork and beans had he
been offered his choice. But he had al.
ready chosen. He had come alone to
Boston, and through the city streets he
wandered, looking in vain for friendly
face all seemed indifferent to him..
At last, however, on corner of a
wide street he saw something that trans
fixed him with admiration and astonish.
ment. Only an italian image man and
his wares, but he had never seen any.
thing like it before. 1t was his first ex-
perience of statuary, save and except
his own clay absurdities. He stared
wildly and drew nearer. The Italian
looked at him.
"Buy an image, my little boy ?" asked
he. isa
And Cliff replied:
81 wish / could buy 'em all but ]
have not penny. Who made 'em; did
you? / would give the world to make
such things"
And delighted with his admiration
the Italian entered into conversation
with the child, and ended by taking him
home to supper. r,sf a..at
That night Cliff slept in a very dirty
bel with the four sons of the image
vender, and was happy in the thought
that he should learn to make magnificent
statuettes. .
Never, perhaps, in the years to come,
did he rejoice in any work of art as he
did in his first plaster cast of a parrot
to be painted green; and the image
maker had so earnest a pupil, by de-
grees it came to light that he had genius.
He made models instead Of casts. At
last bust of his master. .ii's
This being in the window of the
Italians shop, caught the eye of asculp-
tor, who, considering it a wonderful
work for boy, took Cliff to his study
and taught him carefully. The good
italian, thankful that his pupil had
met with appreciation, was quite willing
to allow him to go, and always proved
the warmest admirer of Cliford's works
for soon the boy had actually. become a
and began to be known by the
artist brotherhood and by the fashion
able world
Busts of great men grew under his
lockwood tools. Beautiful ladies sat to
him, and many an exquisite statuette
of Hebe, Venus or Cupid, filled his purse
and added to his reputation.
So the years flew by. Ard yet amidst
his success, the sculptor never forgot
the one kind, though helpless friend Of
his hildhood-little Sukey. Her pretty
face and plump figure remained i'm
pressed upon his memory and at last in
an idle moment, he began work which
he fancied should be only for his OWL
eye; statuette of no pretensions-
neither goddess, nor angel, nor sprite-
only child in humble old-fashioned
garments-only "Sukey going te
school"
But his heart was in it, and it grew SC
simply true to nature, 20 pretty and SC
graceful, SO like the dimpled, rounded
Sukey of those days, that bis artist heart
told him it was the best work of hii
hands, and others, seeing it, thought the
same. And from that moment Cliford's
fame was established.
Copies of "Sukey going to school u
were the rage, and the richest man in
the city, one Joshua Goldspinner, paid
tremendous price for the first dupli
cate in marble of the statuette, though
with the original Clifford never would
part for any price, however tempting.
"Sukey herself may have become al
hard and coarse as her MOTHER" he
thought, "but my tender.hearted, sweet
faced, little cousin lives for me vet
while look at this" And then Clifford
would sigh, and but for the dread of the
change in her, would have gone to the
farm at once to see Sukey once more
But the dread was too great. Already
he had seen in others such changes as he
feared in her.
And while Sukey in marble was bring
ing Cliff such fame, Sukey in flesh anc
blood was in sore trouble. The Dusen
burys had had i'll. luck, and the farm wa
mortgaged. Some of the crops haC
failed, and this year the interest on tn,
mortgage could not be paid The farm
would be lost unless help could be OBJ
tanned, and in this dilemma Mrs. d
thought of her wealthy cousin, Joshu;
Goldspinner. He used to promise /;
great deal in those days when the Dusen
burys were SO much better off. He wa
always vowing to do anything and every
thing when he was rich and they needet
him, and the time had come. He wa
rich and they were in need. So to boz
row the money of Cousin Joshua, Mrs
Dusenbury and Sukey, now the pretti
est young woman imaginable, cam
"down to town."
Poor Sukey, she had no faith in Cousil
Joshua, and she hated the begging ex
| pedition, and she was shy and fright
ened, and sure, somehow, that thei
dress was not like the city folks, an
that they were stared at. And then tn
great city house, which Mrs. Dusenbur,
insisted was church and at the door o
which they would not ring, until as
sured by friendly strangers that Mr.
Goldspinner did live there, was quite a
alarming as palace would have beer
And not guessing she was the pretties
thing under the roof, she blushed an
trembled as the servant ushered ther
into Mr.. Goldspinner's presence.
Was that "Cousin Joshua?" Mr.
Dusenbury could not believe its
portly, SO well dressed, so pompous -bu
he remembered her and Sukey, and CON
plimented her on her good looks, an
Mrs. Dusenbury summoned up courag
to proffer the request for the loan.
"You said you'd help us, if ever 20
was rich, and we wasn't" she said tr,
ing to laugh.