The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1880-04-02
From Harpcr's Magazine
AN EASTER CARD.

AN EASTER CAKD.
"What can girl DO in our days" ex-
claimed Clement, petulantly.
The speaker rested her elbows on the
table and gazed at the lamp.
Opposite was sister Anne, calm, mat
ronly self-satistied, mending baby's pin
fore.
PLENTY of occupation may be found
in your profession, if You would seek
1t, replied sister Anne, biting off her
thread, and forming 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 stairs ?"
she cried, with scorn and anger.
THAT is the difficulty" continued sis
ter Anne, with unrlffied composure.
"fou are impatient, and despise the
beginning. One cannot spring into full
tedged artist at one bound PRAY, how
did the great European artists COM
mence, about whom you are SO fond of
reading? Very modestly, promise
You"
Agnes made no Immediate response
Instead, she ruffled her blonde hair with
her hands, and stared moodily Mt the
lamp. The room was plain, and the
noise of the street below was audible in
the tinkling of car bill, 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 a clerk with n
slender salary held dissimilar clements
united 10y closer relationship. The very
lamp on the table possessed different
significance 90 the two women seated be-
side II. To sister Anne, comedy, thrifty,
and practical, good wife and mother, ii
was the humble beacon of welcome To
the absent husband. To Agnes, embit-
tered by hard study, overwnrk, the fail
ures of youthful rashness in unfultilled
dreams, it meant dull yellow flame, fed
by kerosene oil, and burning monot-
onously in an ugly room, family redo
lent Of cabbage and onions. Such n
chamber has often been the cage of
genius.
81 could not obtain any of the work
you propose, if | tried" resumed the
young artist. There are more appG-
cants than labor in all fields an in every
land"
"True," sighed sister Anne, mindful
that week of illness would replace her
husband ut the store by n dozen eager
competitors III need of bread.
\ key was inserted in a neighboring
door, and the object of her solicitude en-
tered, bringing gust of keen winter air
with him. The husband of sister Anne
was brisk little man, with shrewd blue
eyes, tiaXen hair, and n spot of red on
either cheek bone. He greeted his fami-
ly cheerfully while unwinding q silk
handkerchief from his throat.
i've got something for you in my
pocket, Aggy," he said to his sister-in-
Law. The very thing for YOU"
She looked ut him with faint smile.
Eyes, l came on it quite by accident,
L may say-riding up town in the car"
he pursued, with animation.
Then he unfolded Il newspaper, and
placed his finger on the paragraph. The
trio read together the following adver-
tisement:
DREMIUM Offered Of 800 for best design Of
Easter card for the approaching season. Com
pchors are requested to present their applications to
Sister Anne read over the shoulder of
her husband.
"What n chance for you, Agnes !"
she said. 81 am confident you would
win the prize. One hundred dollars,
tool"
"Lang a. Co., are the great litho-
graphers, You know" supplemented the
husband. ~ saw it by the merest
chance in 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 received
some atfront, but restrained her indigna-
ton. Finally she rose, and took the
journal in her hand.
"Thank you, and goodnight" she
said dryly.
sis she offended ?" demanded the
little man, puzzled.
"She is very silly" said sister Anne,
rather tartly, as she poured cup of tea
and placed some delicate cakes before
him.
Agnes went to her room, locked the
door, and knelt beside the bed, and burst
into tears. A prize given by litho-
She had dreamed Of fame and artistic ex-
cellence! Instead of the mountain-peak
where she had lOnged to plant her stan
dard, the slough of the valley of poverty
was destined to ingulf her Oh, the
scorching tears of encouragement and
humiliation which fell from her ewes
At length she rose and lighted the gus
jet, in order TO again read the detested
oil Hon. Il
bare, partaking Of the characteristics of q
studio rather than the abode of a woman.
In one corner the iron bedstead was con-
cealed by screen, with tiny mirror
suspended near it; opposite, stove
reached with ITS rusty pipe to a shelf
holding several plaster bIsts. The win
dows 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 vicinity of n laundress, who en-
ployed the next glass covered piazza for
the purpose of drying linen-a practical
industry which brought in far more sat
isfactory returns, i'll payment, than did
the color box Of Agnes Clement. The
latter sought the spot now, and seated
herself mechanically on the sole chair it
boosted. A large Canvass was proppcd
against the wall, representing life-size
Beatrice in Paradise reckoning to a
shadowy Dante. Agnes had concen-
trated the labor, ambition, and hopes of
a years application in this bold attempt.
had entered the lists valiantly for exhi-
bition in the National Academy of De-
sign, and suffered the cruel blow of re-
lection. Beyond was an Ophelia with
yellow haIr, who mad shared similar
fate the previous year. These lovely
heroines languished in the obscurity of
the glass piazza, without ever having met
the approving smile of an appreciative
public. Oh, the cold selfishness of the
world, and the willful blindness OF hang
ing committees and art critics! For the
first time Agnes found the smile of Bea-
trice insipid, and her gaze vacant. A
doubt chilled her heart. Quickly she
turned the picture to the wall, and
g.. sought the easement, gazing forth into
the might rather than contemplate her
own work.
The piazza, located in the rear of the
noisy avenue, overlooked the houses of
the next street. These residences were
aristocratic in proportion az their neigh.
bors were humble. A high brick wall.
bordercd by vine of wistaria. inclosed
stable and garden Of the mansion oppo-
site, while brilliant lights within revealed
O conservatory TO the observer. The
light came through curtains of silk and
lace in more remote drawing room,