Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1881-06-22

'eIhG soil II rich ~ tlG mll ~ Aaf,
Hans said, ~ he turned u over with q
stick, I'VE will plant ard work, The
man told mo Of o farmer above here
who would lot ~ have everything need
ful. You will not ind time Tor dream
Ing, my lad"
The Fmu simply answered -
II shall miss our old nelghb0f !" then
commenced dustlng the lloor TO hide
her rising tears,
The farmer, with true mountain
irIendlInesH, sold them u COW, helped
them plow few acres Of hoping land,
aud taught them the simple customs OF
agriculture,
Little MAY. tho farmers daughter
played, walked with iicltol, and loved
him, ~ the years passed -.
II was no lonely before y0n came y
she said archly one day ~ they sat by
the stream. Idly talking "lhe dolls
father used to bring mo were nothing
hut awdust,"
at was like people In the world" :"
Bertol answered sadly - "hcarts aud
brains nothing but aawdusi, Helen
must have been like that to have left
Mcnolaus for Paris, Achilles was killed.
II ayailcd nothing,
lilo thought TO himself, drcamily,
as ho carved u bit Of soapstonc, III 1t
had been my Venus, II would have been
WELL"
MAY became impatient OF his silence
and slipped away, hoping ho would fol-
low, but Bcrols thoughts wandered FAR
away. The knife fell from his hand ~
he lay on the grass, his faccuptumed to
the sky,
May was flower that had sprung mp
in barren soil, ~ the crimson snow
plant does amid depths OF ice. Her
parents were ruddy pioneers, and when
she came TO them in the May they
named her after the month, and oil the
Joy of spring.timc bubbled up in her
nature, breaking into coquettish little
ways and g,aces, She loved the delicate
Swiss lad, though hc did not seem OF
the world.
His head is wrong," the farmer
declared, roughly; "but he is Il good
lad"
The thought of Venus and his mission
sunk deeper and deeper in his heart
He was twenty now, and longcd to go
out into the world and fill his quest
He was startled from his reverie by u
voice, and, looking mp, saw nm old man
regarding him steadily.
"Boy," he laughed, "you are young to
be nstlling truisms of the hollowness
of the world in maidcn's ears. What
do you know of it here in this solitnde'
Let the people dissect the dolls Tor
themselves"
Bertol started to his feet in con-
fusion.
"Where under the sun have yon inn
bibed the wisdom of Thoth? Are You a
Dryad or an Adonis wandered from the
classic shores to the Sierra, or an En-
dymion by the brook ~ he asked quiz
zically, with CLEAN of amusement as
he watched the boys reddening face,
81 am n simple peasant boy, sir
j who would be n SCULPTOR" he said
proudly.
The stranger laughed heartily.
81 am u wanderer, boy, who also
would be great. The would be's-'ay
there's the ubr A shepherd and {
wanderer with aspirations 1t is joke
at which the world would shake it'
sides and scream in laughter. Ambition
, is for the palace, not the hut, lad. Fame
can be bought The laurel weighs
heavy on the brow, still we rush reck
lessly on, rapsoming our lives for {
mere sprig of the victor's shrub. SapphC
won it, but the sea vanquished it
Leonidas's laurels budded in blood
Homers grew in pain. Nonsense
The fire has taken hold. 1t will burr
in victory or in DEATH"
Bertol looked dazed. He did no
understand.
"You would work in marble" thu
+ stranger continued. "Iour friends, th'
, Greeks, have monopolized that art
, Sculpture has been born, lived well, ant
: died"
"To all things there comes resur
, rection," Bertol added, devoutly
} The stranger appeared not to notice
2 and continued =
Sculpture has limit. Science i
boundless as the sea. The Greek
reached the acme of perfection in TIN
: Discobulus, their Venus. The presen
F.; age is q mere copyist "a clipper il
$ stone. Give up your dreams Of great
. ness" The strangers dark eyes looke'
far away over the mountains. "Ih
I range of science is infinite. Men are t.
| come who will be it's masters"
"Do you know the Venus?" Berto
+. asked.
). Which ?" he demanded. 9Th
@ Medici is affected; dArles human tn
r Melos is the only one who impresse
t you as goddess in pose and figure"
e Bertol guided the strangerto The cabin
t which looked very different from tiv
g years before. The Frau stood in the door
y way, feeding brood of chickens, look
ing happy and we'll content. Sh
s welcomed the guest heartily, and Han
/; bade him stay as long as he would
Day after day Bertol accompanied hin
+ on his walks, carrying his mallet, listen
e ing eagerly to every word he uttered
entirely forgetting little May.
$ every cat must put his own paw i
e the fire." The stranger laughed an
y said to Hans, "Your lad was not made
e to chop wood and mind cows. 70
must send him to Rome to satisf
him."
# 81 am poor" the old man replied
every one carves in Switzerland. 1t
s nothing"
), "The boy will die here" the strange
l. said. 81 am not rich, but shall sen
him to the Mecca of sculptors." II
3 turned to Bertol. "The Borghese
full of what you dreamers fancy"
:, Bertol listened with dilated eyes; h
did not dare to ask.
- Surely" he thought, "Venus mui
y be with Eros"
Preparations were hurried. BERT
e was now embarked on sea of happnes
>. The good Mutter clung round his nee
v and sobbed. Tears streamed down littl
s Nays cheeks when she kissed hin
$ giving him wild rose blossom, wbic
/. she babe him keen for her sake.