The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1882-09-01
A TRAVELLERS STORY.
Told by a rransvaal Camp-Flre.

Our land was rented from very large
landed proprietor, man who had made
his fortune in business. He bought the
estate about the time of my birth, and
came occasionally to live at the large
house attached to it, bringing his wife
and children with him. His wife was
very kind, but very homely person WHO
was liked by all the tenants. She was
very kind to me, and used to have me
great deal at the Hall, as the house was
called.
When first remember her children,
there were three of them-two boys and
a girl; but before many years passed all
but the youngest child died. and then.
Mrs. Clark, as I will call her, gave up
going to Manchester with her husband,
and always remained at the Hall, think
ing the country air beneficial for her
little girl 5tlH
"The child's name was Lucy, and l
thought her perfect. She was but few
years younger than and she and |
were constant playmates in our holiday
hours. Ny father sent me to neigh
boring grammar school, but kind Mrs.
IL
got there by allowing me to profit by the
lessons given to Lucy by very accom-
pllshed goVerness.
cit was in this way that great love
of art was developed in me. Ihad me
natural talent for drawing and painting,
and / eagerly availed myself of every
opportunity of cultlvating it. Lucy and
/ never spent happier hours than those
in which we used to go out sketching
together.
SIT all rises before me even now like
a picture; the morning sun glinting
through the trees and checkering our
path as we wound through the wood :;
the discussion as to the best point Of
view for our sketches the calm Of the
noon, when we used to stop our paint
ing and have picnic, feeling as If we
deserved some rest after such hard work,
and then our pretense of diligence when
we used to say 80, this will never do,
wasting so much lightp and began to
paint with renewed ardor until sunset.
''Then how delightful it used to be to
wander slowly homeward until we came
to q certain stile where we always babe
each other good-by, unless L were in
vited to go to spend the evening at the
Hall. There was tangle of dog-roses
and honeysuckle all around that stile,
and plowed 1eld beyond, with the little
spire of the village church showing in
the distance, and the rocks were always
cawing in the tall trees close by when
Lucy and | used to say goodnight.
"The governess of Mrs. Clark was al
ways with us, or l believe we should
have kissed each other but that was
put a stop to when Lucy's tenth birth
birthday with black cross in our
memories in consequence.
shocking back [ often wonder why
they let us grow up so closet. bound to-
gether. | suppose it never occurred to
them that any unhappiness might come
from it. The farmers son and rich
heiress we're sure to be separated by cir
cumstances as soon as she should be in
troduced into society, and in the mean
time aided in making her happy, and
was happy myself | suppose Mrs.
Clark looked no further, and Mr. Clark
let his wife have her own way about all
things that did not interfere with his
own plans, and his plans were chiefly
commercial.
"Lucy was Is and | was 81, when Mr..
Clark one day astonished me by telling
me that he was going to speak to my
father about sending me to Italy to
study art He sent for me into his IL
brarY to tell me this. He sat in his arm
chair in front of the writing table, oa
which lay numbers of papers, and l
stood before HIM. did not know him
well, for when he was at the
Hall did not go there much, and he
called me young man., and spoke OF
my father as q very worthy man who
has striven to give you every advantage
his limited means allow 1t struck a
chill through me, although my heart
leaped at the idea of going to Italy.
The hardest part of it all was leaving
Lucy but [ felt bidding good-by to my
old father very keenly.
" | went up to the Hall the day that I
was to leave the old place Mr.. and Mrs.
Clark aud Lucy were in the drawing
room when l entered; Mr.. Clark bland
and patronizing, Mrs. Clark fearful and
nervous, and Lucy very pale and silent.
1t was a miserable affair, and 1 soon
ended it. Mrs. Clark kissed me and
cried, and called me dear boy,' while
Mr.. Clark looked at her with deprecat-
ory smile. Then he shook hands with
me, little pompously, and made sort
OF valedictory speech which struck me
as being like funeral Grafton, and all
this time Lucy sat with her head averted.
and her hands clasped on her knees.
Lucy, my girl said Mr.. Clark. are
you not going to wish your old play
mate good fortune in his new life ?
Then she sprang up and came over to
me quickly. ooh, Frank = she said.
and, throwing her arms around nv neck,
kissed me. The next instant she was
quite calm, with look on her face I had
never seen before. | believe she awed
her father and mother, for there was nc
~ord spoken as l left the room.
81 walked rapidly home, crossing the
old stile for the last time. snatched 8
piece of honeysuclIle as / passed, but
was no longer thinking of the happy by.
gone days. The portals of another ex.
istence had been thrown open to me for
an instant, and was dreaming of its ra.
dance still. My father was in his gio
waiting for me, and all the old farm la
borers and their wives and children were
gathered to bid me God-speed. NY ia
ther spoke but little as we drove to the
station, whittier my luggage had already
been taken in cart. When we were q
short distance from it he slackened the
pace and, putting one hand in mine,
said: Frank, my boy, I've been think.
ing that it's a chance as how you ma,
not like this new-fangled life you're go,
ing to. If you don't, why then write,
andsay so to nae without any further ado
and the old man will be right-down glad
to see you home again, and glad to pay
back whatever Mr.. Clark has spent on
you, for that he mayn't be throwing il
IN Your teeth. I pressed his hand, and
he went on: I'm glad to see you SO
mettlesome about going away, but lust
yolt take word of advice from your old
father. | don't know anything of max
lngsnictures or that like, but I take ii
that an artist has to learn his trade like
any other man. You must know how -
pillow well if you want to get good crops
so don't you be in hurry, but take the
thinu standby and dons+ 49,, -. ~