Daily Republican., 1880-08-27
AN ARTS E'S PICTURE.
A veyy Pretty story, without
Mach Plot.

!. AN ARTS I'B PICTURE.
A voTy Pretty story, without
Mach Plot.
! Such . lovely day The sky intense
ly blue, woods and fields clothed wit
June verdure. In the distance, a littI
white cottage Nesting Among maple
. and elns, and half hidden by thei
lea!y shadows.
At thesummit OF the hill, s.oCd tn
charming little village Of Woodville
with Its imposing academy, while TIN
spires Of its several churches glitteret
In the rays OF the sun.
In the east lay range OF high hills
idignified by the villagers with the it'll
Of Douglass Ridge.
The village was becoming popula,
Isummer resort, and was noted for tn,
beauty Of its views and the salubrity
of the air, beside having in its vioi pity
three celebrated mineral springs, which
added . decidedly attractive feature
for invalids.
Hither had come Seldom Gray, 9
rising young artist, with the laudable
intention of recruiting his health, and
at the same time sketching some Of the
beauties of Woodville scenery.
He was seriously i'll, although a
slight affection Of the heart, induced
the previous winter by the bevitchiDg
glances OF pair Of bright eyes, had
somewhat unsteadied his nerves.
Men seldom die Of this form Of heart
disease, so we will not be too anxious,
but wait and see what the pure air,
nauseous tasting mineral water, Of
which hs was careful never to taks an
overdose, and the appetizing meals of
Mrs. Atherton will do for him.
Mrs, Athertou, a charming widow Of
forty, was the owner OF the whi!e cot
tsge among the trees, and also the
mother Of a very pretty daughter.
10 this Goiet retreat had Seldom Gray
came to mend, If possible, his shatter-
Cd heart, and We shall seo If the rem
edy proves a potent one.
On this particular afternoon Mrs.
Atherton had sent her daughter, Grace,
to q neiShboring held for straw berries
for their supper.
She had fine bed Of them in her
garden, but she liked the flavor Of the
wild ones best, 80 Grace, attired in a
cool muslin with little basket on her
arm, had started of in quest OF the
luscious fruit.
She waded about in the fragrant
grass, filing her basket with berries,
and making a wreath of the sweet
clover blossoms for her hat, sang little
snatchss of songs, ohased q butterfly
half across the field, and then, feeling
tired with her effort, threw herself
down to rest under the spreading arms
Of an immense maple, for just one mo-
ment, she told herself.
She leaned against tree, tanning
her flushed face with her broad trimmed
hat.
Birds warbled in the branches over
head-insects hummed drowsily in the
air-tAe south wind gently kissed her
hand, and all unconscious Of the atti-
tude she had assumed, Grace Atherton
was in dreamland, and at the same
time, was furnishing a picture for the
young artist, Seldom Gray.
She had thrown herself down under
the tree, only few feet from where he
was sitting With his sketching mate
rails.
A little clump Of bushes had con.
cealed him, and he sat watching her
with an amused look on his handsome
face.
Soon he picked up his pencil, and
just for fun, began to sketch the sleep
ing beauty.
With her fair young face turned
toward Lim-a delicate flush in her
cheeks, eyes closed, and fringed by
long, dark lashes, q mass Of nut. brown
hair, clustering in curls over her neck
and shoulders-plump, brown, little
hands, with fingers stained by red ber-
RES, and the tiniest little foot, pseping
,ut from the cloud Of muslin drspery-
he little basket Of berries by her side.
What wonder that his pencil moved
'wiftly, with such q subject for
.ketch
The sketching was soon done, to BE-
lnished at his leisure, and then he |
picked up his portfolio and pencils, and
of and hour later, when
Trace got home with her berries, just
n time for tea, he was sitting in her
parlor, reading Is intently as
I 1t were the great object Of his life.
He did feel little guilty at having
AIKEN the advantage OF Miss Grace in
Ter innocent slum6er, but he argued 7
With himself, that he could not help it, l
he looked SO pretty, and after all, she q
vas mere child. IL she had bsen a I
,oung lady, it would have been very
lifferent.
He staid at Mrs. Atherton's few I
weeks longer, enjoying with keen zest b
he delicsoies she prepared with her b
'wn fair hands for his improved appe d
ite, feeling no return Of his heart r
rouble, and, II she had not been 30
many years his senior, I am not sure u
'ut he might have fallen in love with #
lis landlady, for 1t is said the surest Il
ray to a mans heart is through his
tOmach.
At all events, when he left Woodville
n September, he was not only com C
etei y cured Of one grand passion, but h
adly in danger of falling into another. n
Seldom Gray went back to the oity fl