The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1882-10-14
LINDA'S LEGAcY.

Tt was one of those strong affections
which sometimes exist between the old
and the young, and which seem to shake
the theory of natural Inheritance. For
old Mr.. Walters twas much more like
Linda's father-or grandfather, for the
matter of that-than was her own legiti-
mate progenitor; and the love between
the two would have afforded capital
theme for discourse on the power of
elective affinity. Both were artists; old
Mr.. Walters being &maHter in the craft
whereof Linda was bnta humble begin
ner; and part of tha4ie between them was
the old mans desire to see his favorite's
professional improvement, and the conse-
.uuent lessons which hegave her on the
management of her colors and the laws
of perspective. 1t was thus O double
bond-master and pupil, father and
daughter; and on either side it was
equally strong.
Il will always be your friend, little
Linda" Mr.. Walters used to say. "When
die you shall find have not forgotten
you. / have not much to leave, but you
shall come in for your share with the
rest"
But whenever he spoke like this,
Linda would begin to cry, and protest
that she wanted nothing with his prop
erty, and did not care to be remembered
in his will. "Only say" she used. to sob,
that I have been a good, obedient
daughter to you, and that / never made
you angry"
For Mr.. Walters was peppery tenn
pered old gentleman, and had the knack
of quarreling with his best friends for
word or look. He was the Boanerges
of his society, and his thunder was for
midable. But Linda had somehow
learned the secret OF keeping the peace
with him; and never since their first ac-
quaintance had there been cross word
between them.
Things went on comfortably enough
for some years, when, one summer -
Linda being away nursing sick sister
it is to be supposed the heat mounted to
the old masters brain, for he broke out
like tornado against q certain Mrs.
Law, and the quarrel became so embit
tered, and the old man put himself 30
much in the wrong by his passion and
violence, that he was forced to leave
Fairfield and go over to Tours, where his
family and certain of his friends lived
For he had a wife and children all this
time; only for sundry reasons which may
we'll be imagined and need not be partic-
ularized, he and they found it more
agreeable to have the sea between them
than to live under one roof. Now, how
ever, when his own home had tumbled
about his ears, he was forced to rub
shoulders with theirs. And so it came to
pass that, Linda still being held by her
duty to her sick sister, these two dear
friends never met again, and only letters
of adieu took the place of the daughterly
devotion and fatherly protection which
| had been the rule of life between them.
At Tours lived certain obscure, but
ambitious, and, TOR the matter of that,
| eccentric, painter called Maze. This
worthy had ideas, truly, but he ex
pressed them in such hideous colors and
with such extraordinary contortions of
| lines and limbs. that very few could un-
derstand what his pictures meant when
| they were doEe. He called them one
thing, but they might as we'll have been
another-anything, in fact, you like to
| say-without much loss to sense Oh
probability. They did not sell; but
Maze always asserted that one day they
would, and even now other men bor
rowed from them.
Maze and Mr.. Walters were not what
the world call friends. In spite of the
old masters temper, he had the power o
attaching people to his service, while al
| painters of note or aspiration clustered
round him like devotees round shrine
/ His talk was full of valuable informa
| ton OF his art, and his professions
criticisms were of so much account. tha
to be able to say-"Walters told me te
do this Walters praised that"-wa.
of itself as good as diploma of merit
And Maze was man who, of all others
knew his best mental feeding-grounds
and how to spread his own hay in tht
sunshine of another's intellect.
| Among the few things of value which
Mr.. Walters had to leave, were certain
rare old bits of plate which he had
picked up at curiosity-shops and th,
Like. He was fond of goldsmith
work, and he prided himself on hi
Judgment perhaps little more than j
deserved. To hear him, he has as man,
cups and vases by Cellini as all the res
even insisted on Michael Angeles,
| Wu6u Duc WOEh WAS StJSC tdlLy COAES6-ut
called it broad--and asserted, withou
fear of contradiction, that he could Sc,
the great masters touch here on thi
silver fiagon as we'll as on the ''Moses" o
the "Pieta." All the same, the collec
ton was valuable one; and who was t.
have the reyersion was a matter o
anxious speculation among the friends
To none was it SO anxious as to Mr. Maze
the obscure, ambitious, eccentric ant
impecunious ''genre" painter at Tours
When the time came for the old mai
to go over to the majority, and while b,
had still strength enough to arrange hi,
affairs according to his will, he calle,
Maze to him and said: Maze, you hay
been uncommonly civil and attentive t
me; and, by the Lord, sir, am half
inclined to believe that you are Sin
cere."
MAKE the half whole, Mr.. Walters
and then you will square the circle,
said Maze, who affected as much oddit,
in his speech as in the printing"
..Well, will; I am going to trus
YOU" said Mr.. Walters. Bring M
that box, there in the corner, and tax
ont what you find in it. One, two
three, four" he added, as Maze tool
out one by one those bits of rare oil
plate which the master had picked nj
with so much enthusiasm, cherished
with 81 much care, and the reyerson o
which was a matter of SO much anxious
thought to sc many friends. NOV
pack these carefully, and address th,
box to my little daughter Linda. Th,
others I give to Dashe and Star