The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1882-01-21
He stood of and examined, and Chem

He stood of and examined and ar,
shut his eyes and imagined, '
| mo-" he concluded, "neither car
claim precedence. Each is admirable
IN itself, and yet each is necessary E
tne other, to give it complete effect.
wonder what kind Of an artist / sbould
nave made. 1t strikes me / have yastIv
more taste than l Thought. and / think
I should be distinguished for what thew
cal colorng. But am done yet
There is more paint left. I wish tbis
kitchen was twice as big. / don't feel
quite satisfied yet. Isn't there soma-
thing more to make the beauty still
more beautiful, and the harmony moro
harmonious? There isl have il. I
see there is. Why, bless me / hayen't
begun to be done yet. Why not paint
all the wooden utensils which belong To
kitchen use2 I'll do it. if I have 70
send for more paint How Thought ex-
pands by exercise. At first 1 Thought
only of the floor and now, pooh Il il
the last and least Of my thoughts but
I thank the floor for Leading to These
IDEAS"
In this happy mood my father re-
sumed his decorative work on wood, and
engaged himself busily for several DAYS.
during which he was obliged to send for
even more paint than he had bought at
first, to enable his busy brush to adorn
baskets, kuife-tray, bread-trough spice.
The house-and 80 forth: for having
got as far as have stated, he sent for
still more paint, no letter having come
yet, and, like one determined to give a
fiery aspect to all he owned, be set to
work with undated ardor, and painted
the barn, sheds, coops, sty and we'll
house, all the gates and fences, and then
the trunks Of all the trees, as high as he
could reach, to keep the worms of, and
perfect the prevailing consistency Of
color.
The month was now up, and still my
mother did not come, nor yet letter.
At this period, think slight oddity
did really begin to appear in the conduct
OF my father. Summer was coming, and,
rejecting that the whole Of the inside OF
the house had not yet been painted, his
diary says that he deliberated one whole
forenoon, and then thought how cool it
would be TO do away with carpets, and
have all the floors painted for naked use
during the warm season. Acting upon
this, he took up all the carpets, and
painted every floor In the house, and, in
his haste to finish before my mother
should arrive, he so daubed the walls
and some OF the furniture that he painted
Them too. embracing bedsteads, bu-
reaus, tOilet-tables, wash stands, cor
nices, with all the wood. work, in all the
kitchen style OF universal fame.
And still my mother did not appear.
have heard my father say that dur.
ing that particular period, while his last
batch of paint was drying, he did not
eel anxious for her 10 come. / do not
ioubt his intentional veracity upon any
point. but think his memory failed him
n chat instance; and that, in his sorrow
hat the paint spoiled some OF her dresses
when she did come, lie forgot how he had
onged for her.
For my mother did come before the |
asst paint was dry.
My father was on his knees, in suit |
hat he had spoiled, red as a butcher,
nut innocent as lamb, engaged in |
,ainting the fagstons walks in front of |
he house, and proposing to paint the
eilings OF the h0use, il time should yet |
Omit, when carriage drove mp and
~ mother, SO long absent, aiighted at
he gate-the red front gate, set in that
ing, red front fence, in front of that
cry red house, with the flaming l., and
no burning trees, and walks not quite
indled into complete glow.
/ am the only son OF the couple who
ien met, but I feel incapable Of doing
lstiee to their emotions at that iunct-
re. ! believe / have the idea in my
cad, but my pen is not equal to my
lther's brush, and can but darkly
ladow forth what that brush oc-
lsioned.
Forgetting his sanguinary appearance,
. rushed down the red walk, and
rough the red gateway, and embraced
~, brush in hand, before she had fairly
cognized him or the house. She
lrieked, and gave him a push, dis
'yering his identity at the same time
at she begsn to soold him for soiling
" dress.
Never mind that look at the house,
liza, +" said he
Her name was Eliza.
. Look at the house and things,
iza,p said my father, expecting an
lmensity OF delight and praise, as he
w her hold up her hands In dumb as
~ haven't been Idle while
~ were gone, believe me. But this is
thing mere nothing, that you soc.
MY come inside. I say nothing. That
u speak for itself.
And so IL did.
/ was told my mother did not say 9
,rd till she went inside and knew the
,fst. And then my father knew ii.
3 was appalled, ut her Rppallment, and
mined and stung by her loud and pierre
& expressions Of horror, grief and dis
ut. She said he had done these
mes purposely, in revenge for her abb
noe and delay, he said he had pnr-
sed it, but thought such combina-
m Of novelty with beauty would en-
pture her and thus reward him for q ,
5nth Of slavery. Even the kitchen, |
on which he had chiefly prided him !
4, she declared looked like the kitchen
some demon aud, when the kitten, {
Dc white, but, By falling into paint /
D. lad become red, ran up To her,
! mother ghrieked at the apparition i
ran behind red chair, III
II was an awful day Tor my father, 4
d no less 90 for my dear mother for q
u n -. II = ~ Is,,, y Al ff,ss n, q xuhan n