Litchfield enquirer., 1880-08-26

withiLdlla's very different world and work.
Lila had just now in her studio veritable
child OF her heart; dearly, beloved '.study, -
as she called it. She would never have dared
to have called it more than a study. but she
had bestpwe more genuine work upon 1t than
many OF our popular artists bestow upon their
pictures for the Simmer exhibitions 1t new.
er occurred to her that anybody would See this
beloved canvas except her mother; the delight
OF the actual work vas her stimulus, and was
What she found her reward in. 1t was forth,
nate thai this Was 81, rs she dared not show
any production of hers to her Professor and
She was i.:uch too shy tn eAhihit'it to any one
else. But her mother was her unfailng critic
always ready 10 give an opinion. and happily
not always too ready to encourage. Mrs
Asllinton was one Of those persons whose
inhorn .ggsl taste carries them safely through
many dangers She, knew more of painting
thar does that general public which s., patient.
.ly wearies itself in picture galleries year after
,year and season after season But 4 natural
scnsihility and true instinct taught hel to adj
nlire in her daughters work only that which
seemed to her Ineligible and right She
never praised vaguely, and thus her criticisms
were after all of ssule value; and she could
sympathize abundantly; SO that when Lila
found at last, as every now and then she did,
that'her studis would no longer hold her, she
went to her mother, and invariably found a
friend in need. gr. .tf !1s -v,rs5s..N 20
This evening. when Lila came suddenly
into the sittng-room, Mrs Ashllnton was Ger
tainly very busy, but she looked up instantly,
with the quick smile that always came at her
daughters entrance. r..tas .sG .nav0al
y "What is il, Lilla?" she said. ''What has
happened p YOU look very bright"
Mamma" said Lila solemnly, coming over
TO the hearth, and standing there with an cir
as il she were about to announce some great
event, ''you have not seen my picture for a
whole month, Il is changed, it is altered. Il
begin to believe it is a picture. have put
the lasttouch can ever put upon that canvas
/ am going to put it away altogether. But
have lit it up now, and ! want you to come
and have one farewell look at it, ... ....,..,.
Mrs. Ashlnton laughed little amused
laugh as she got up to go with her daughter
My dear child" she said, ''if you put it
away you will have it out again In week !;
you love that picture too much to live without
it, believe -
.s No, Mamma, said Lila positively, Sin
these last three weeks l have put everything
into it that can put. 1t is done with And
besides And as she spoke there came curl
Gus dreamy look into her eyes besides. I
have seen something else. l want to begin
something new"
So That peculiar look in Lilla's face, which had
come over 1t as she spoke, always a little awed
and startled her mother A something seemed
to rise between them and separating atmos-
phere to surround the girl. Lila did indeed
belong in the very nature of her temperament
and physique to the race of artists; and the
members of this race are never quite under
stood, however much they may be liked or
mate associates When Lilla's eyes looked
as they looked now, Mrs. Ashlinton felt there
was power beside her stronger than any in
her own nature, and she very quietly took the
second place. So without saying anything
more she followed Lila out Of the sitting
ROOM, and went with her ito the end of the
passage int the queer little room which. was
devoted Ia Lila. her chalks, paint and can
vases. 1t was lit up with great care. The
solitary gasiet at the side of the room was
turned up to its full, but shaded. 50 that the
light fell upon the easel. On that easel stood
very small picture. 1t was framed and
that made great difference, for Mrs. Ashlin-
ton had not before seen it in its frame. But
that was not all the difference. Mrs. Ashlin-
ton saw Immediately that what had been an eff
fort, an attempt at expression, was now a
thing accomplished. In these last three
weeks. during which Lila had been SO quiet
and so absorbed, she had really done piece
of original expression.
1t was one of those little pictures which the
ordinary sight-seer hardly notices, but which
is appreciated if it have the luck to attract the
attention of real critic. 1t was a piece Of
mountain scenery. Last Summer, when the
two had reveed in a delicious Autumn holt
day in Scotland, Lila one day had q strange
feeling, as if she had met the very ghost OF
Autumn itself upon the hills, and as if she
must try to tell what the vision was like, and
so get il out OF her brain. She had made q
dozen sketches of that particular piece of wild
scenery which had so taken hold of
her Imagination aud Mrs Ashlnton had
ywai,ei another week in lonely llt-
tie inn, in, order that Lila might gaze upon
her mountain as much as she chose. All
through the Winter these sketches had been
to her d joy, adelight, and, at the same time,
a very vivid torment. They were delight,
because through them she saw again the ideal
of the implanted picture; they were torment
because the longer she worked the more i'm
possible it seemed to approach that ideal But
this was only an experience, which, later in
life, most artists learn to regard as one of their
peculiar trials. 4 real piece of work has to
be fought for it seems as if It's creator must
needs, at some point of its history, drag it out
of the mud. Lila had not yet discovered that
this dreary, dishcartened period is an excellent
augury of success. She was. therefore, unaf-
fectedly surprised when she found that after
painting Oh the little canvas half ~tlle Winter
through, and producing apparently no effect,
her touches suddenly began to bring the whole
thing to life, and t" show the real value of
that patient work. ~, t,ss- -.tg ;ss,,.a. q.l-
Now the sketches were all put aside, and
there was nething to be seen to remind any
one of those days of difficult work. There
was only the little picture, finished, 1comDlete,
perfect. Mrs. .Ashlinton, looked at itfor some
lime before she said anything 81, all, and then
What she did say made Lila start and flush
and Hook perfectly scaredarigsd Il" sa@o lis
Aud yet it was very simple remark. s.a3
+ TYou must send this in to the Academy"
said she. How fortunate that you have I'm
Shed it just in time 70 ID OF Sis2 3ii"}al q
''Send it in TO the Academy q said Lila,
after q moment of amazed, silence why,
mamma, I should be laughed at to send a, silly
little thing like this a" s'''''''''' ~ -
''No.sLila,n said her mother, sit is really
picture; and; it is only right that you should
Try ii, They can but srefusesit.aan "a Il .IIE
on mamma, | dare are, not" said Lila, in a
Let me do 1t, then, said Mrs! Ashlinton,
very quietly. 81 You askehme for myaopinioh
about the picture !; my opinion is that il should
be sent into the Academy, a. . ,,a f.,.a
Lila was really scared at the andacity Of
the idea. But when her mother had made up
her mind about anything, and took it in hand
p her gentle determined way, Lila always
gave In. fortunately they understood each