Smyrna times., 1881-08-24
Lady Artists on a Lark.
HOW THE DAILY NEEDS OF GIRIIsu t,I..
MANITY WERE NOT PROVIDED
FOR IN MAINE

Life had quickly settled into regularity.
Every morning sketch-books and easeIs
paint boxes and palettes came out; the
girls broke up into groups of two or three
and started out in various ways to work.
Not picturesque spot but had sketchers
"nramped about it; dilapidated set of
bars, the scorn of cows but the delight of
an artist pile Of rocks in an orchard
the thorn In the flesh to IL farmer. who
stared open-eyed to find it attractive to
SomehodY; path through the woods; or
lnXuriant group of tall ferns. The
hcighborhOOd was an unworked mine of
wealth. One could not turn in any direc-
tion without seeing charming spot that
she longed to carry away with her, and
the one regret of the enthusiastic students
was that each one had not two pairs of
hands to work with. Dinner brought all
/ home and then came criticism, compari-
son, and much pleasant talk oyer canvas
and paper, ending-in the Lark;s Nest
III mailing the studies to the wall. and
making ready for the next days work.
Before long some of the daily needs of
girlish humanity became pressing, and a
party was made up to visit the "store" of
the neighhorhood-a barn-like place, with
drugs and dress goods, hardware and gro
ceries all in one room,
Have you straw hats" asked the first
girl.
The clerk was sorry. but they were out
of hats.
What! E! no hats? ?" in chorus from the
party who had been seized with an ambi-
ton for hroad-rim hats.
:" | should like some shoe-buttons." be-
gan the second.
These, alas! they never kept.
What! no shoe-buttons - in one breath
again.
PLEASE show me some ribbins," spoke
M tie tltirl
The clerk regretted toSay that ribbons
were moi III stock,
What no ribbons 2" cried the chorus
in dismay.
Writing paper, if YOU please cried
the fourth, suSe that she at least could
supply her wants.
The clerk was embarrassed. He began
70 haHe horrof of the chorus, and hesi-
tatcd whether he had better slip out of a
back door and let his inquisitors find out
for themselves his stock or whether he
had better laugh. He decided on the
latter just in time, for Peggy began:
want some rye -four for sunbum."
The man shook his head.
What! no rye -four"
Clip had been looking about, and seeing
potatoes thought struck her. Il say.
girls, she began, in eager whispers, now
We're out here in the woods and no cal
lers, we might eat-OniOns ;"
Onions! onions!' whispered one and
another. " Delightful! so we will!'
Il lore onions, cried Clip; and, turning
to amusc the shopkeeper, added. PLEASE
send "s UP hushel"
The man laughed, but again he shook
his head.
What no onions? OH" and thor
oughiy disgusted with the country store,
the party went out in search of another.
After that, whenever in their rambles,
which extended for many miles around,
they came near to store, they invariably
went in and asked for those articles, ex-
pressing their surprise in chorus as at first,
and always ending with the demand for
onions, which, by.the-way, they were
never able to get In that land of farms and
gardens, though Mrs. Duncan offered to
send to Portland for them.-Harpcr's Mag
0yine for September.