The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-10-18
Lady Artists on a Lark in Maine.

Life had quickly settled into regular
ity. Every morning sketch-books and
easels, 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 encamped 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 farmer, who stared open
eyed to find it attractive to somebody;
path through the woods; or a luxur-
liant group of tall ferns. The neigh
borhood was an unworked mine OF
wealth. One could not turn in any di-
rection without seeing a charming
spot that she longed to- carry away with
astic students was that each one had
not two pairs of hands to work with.
Dinner brought them all home, and
then came criticism, comparison, and
much pleasant talk over canvas and
paper, ending-in the Lark's Nest-in
mailing the studies to the wall, and
making ready for the next day IS work.
Before long some of tho daily needs
of girlish humanity became pressing.
and party was made up to visit the
'tstoren of the neighborhood-a barn
like place. with drugs and dress goods,
hardware and groceries, all in one
room
Have you straw hatsen asked the
first girl.
The clerk was sorry, but they were
out of hats.
WHAT no hats?'' in a chorus from
the party who had been seized with an
ambition for broad-rin hats.
II should like some shoe-buttons.'
began the second.
These, alasi they never kept.
What! no shoe-buttons?h in one
| breath again.
/ please show me some ribbons"
| spoke up the third.
| The clerk regretted to say that rib
! bons were not in stock.
''What! no ribbons" cried the chorus
in dismay.
s.Writing- paper, if you please cried
| the fourth, sure that she at least could
| supply her wants.
| The clerk was embarrassed. He be-
| gan to have a horror of the chorus, and
| hestated whether he had better slip out
of u back door, and let his inquisitors
| find out for themselves his stock, or
whether he had better laugh. He de-
| cided on the latter just in time, for
Peggy began:
Il want some rye flour for sunburn."
| The man shook his head.
''What! no rye fiourP''
Clip had been looking about, and
seeing potatoes, thought struck her.
81 say, girls" she began, in eager
whispers, ''now we're out here in the
woods, and no callers, we might eat
oaeioas!''
'Onionsi onionsr' whispered one
and another. I'D lightful! so we willt'
II loUe onions" cried Clip, aud turn
ing to the amused shop-keeper, added,
sP!ease send us up u bushel."
The man laughed, but again he shook
his head. ... is.
What! no oni3ns? Ohr' and, thor
oughly disyusted with the country
store. the party went out in search OF
another. After that, whenever in their
rarnbles, which extended for many
miles around, they came near a store,
they invariably went in and asked for
these articles, expressing their sur
prise in chorus SIS ut 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.-IId7T-
en- S Magazine.