The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1880-04-08


And, when my earthly course is run,
Iwant the Masters Kind "Well doney'-
All this want, and nothing more.
0Jdmes r. Gilmore Edmund kirke.)
AN EASTER CARD.
"what can a girl do in our dayr'
exclaimed Agnes Clement, petulantly.
The speaker rested her elbows on the
table and gazed at the lamp.
Opposite was sister Anne, calm, ma
tronly, self-satistied, mending baby's
pinafore.
PLENTY of occupation may be found
in your profession, if you would seek
it," replied sister Anne, biting off her
thread, and forming a new knot.
Painting china, designing wood-cuts,
even coloring photographs"
Agnes raised her head. with flashing
eyes.
"Oh, why do you not add taking in
washing. or scrubbing down the stairsp"
she cried, with scorn and anger.
"That is the difficulty" continued
sister Anne, with unruff1ed composure.
You are impatient, and despise the
beginning. One can not spring into q
fullfedged artist at one bound. Pray,
how did the European artists commence,
about whom you are so fond of reading?
Very modestly, l promise YOU"
Agnes made no immediate response.
Instead. she ruffled her blonde hair with
her hands, and stared moodily at the
lamp. The room was plain, and the
noise of the street below was audible
in the tinkling of car bell, the rattle
of carts on the pavement, the distant
strains of wheezy organ, blending
with the footsteps of late customers to
the shops. Located on one of the
wide business avenues of the city of
New York, this modest home of clerk
with slender salary held dissimilar ele-
ments united by close relationship. The
very lamp on the table possessed diff
ferent significance to the two women
seated beside it. To sister Anne,
comely, thrifty and practical, good
wife and mother, it was the humble
beacon of welcome to the absent hus-
band. To Agnes, imbittered by hard
study, overwork, the failures of youth
full rashness in unfulflled dreams, it
meant dull, yellow flame, fed by kero-
sene oil. and burning monotonously in
an ugly room, family redolent of cab
bage and onions. Such chamber has
often been the cage of genius.
81 could not obtain any of the work
you propose, if l tried" resumed the
young artist. There are more appli-
cants than labor in all fields and in
every land"
. "True," sighed sister Anne. mind
full that week of illness would replace
her husband at the store by q dozen
eager competitors in need of bread.
A key was inserted in neighboring
door, and the object of her solicitude
entered, bringing gust of keen winter
air with him. The husband of sister
Anne was a brisk little man, with
shrewd blue eyes, faxen hair, and a
spot of red ON either cheek-bone. He
greeted his family cheerfully while un-
winding a silk handkerchief from his
throat.
give got something for you in my
pocket, Aggy," he said to his sister-in-
law. 1.-The very thing for YOU"
She looked at him with faint smile.
Eyes, came on it quite by accident,
| may say--riding up town in the car"
be pursued, with animation.
Then he unfolded a newspaper, and
placed his finger on paragraph. The
trio read together the following adver-
tisement:
DREMIUM offered of 500 for best design Of
4 Easter card for the approaching season.
Competitors are requested to present their ap-
plications to LANG AND Co.
Sister Anne read over the shoulder of
her husband.
"What a chance for you, Agnes!"
she said. II am confident you would
toor'
"Lang and Co. are the great lithog-
raphers, you know supplemented
the husband. ~ saw it by the merest
chance in a column of advertisements.
Nothing like reading the papers,"
Agnes studied the paragraph, and
made no comment. She grew pale, and
her eyes darkened ominously. One
would have inferred that she had re-
ceived some affront, but restrained her
indignation. Finally she rose, and took
the journal in her hand.
= = "Thank you, and goodnight" she
said, dryly.
els she offended?" demanded the
little man, puzzled.
''She is very silly" said sister Anne,
rather tartly, as she poured q cup of
tea and placed some delicate cakes be-
fore him.
Agnes went to her room, locked the
door, knelt beside the bed, and burst
into tears. A prize given bv a lithog-
raphcr was offered to her competition!
She had dreamed of fame and artistic
excellence! Instead of the mountain
peak where she had longed to plant
her standard, the slough of the valley
of poverty was destined to ingulf her.
Oh, the scorching tears Of discourage
ment and humiliation which fell from
her eyes! At length she rose and light
ed the gas jet. in order to again read
the detested advertisement. Her room
was cold and bare, partaking of the
characteristics of studio rather than
the abode of a woman. In one corner
the iron bedstead was concealed by q
screen, with a tiny mirror suspended
near it; opposite, stove reached with
its rusty pipe to shelf holding several
plaster busts. The windows opened ON
glass-covered piazza, the sanctuary
of the easel. Here the artist INDUCED
in reveries. or wrought with pencil and
brush. forgetful Of the hour Of the
MONDAY meal, and oblivious Of the vi
cinity of . laundress, who employed
the next glass-covered piazza for the
purpose of drying linen-a practical
industry which brought in far more
satisfactory returns, in payment, than
did the color box Of Agnes Clement.
The latter sought the spot now, and
seated herself on the sole chair. it
boasteti. mechanically. A large cantDs
was propped against the wall, repre-
ssphag . ws-siss Bsstssos N Paradise