The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1882-02-04

reasonable kind, and which can only entail
misery in the end. =,
So things went on at Northampton, with
diplomacy at Mount Grove and despair at
No. IA High street, where DIR. James BROOKE
announced his willingness to relieve the al
fiicted daily from 10 to II a. NJ, and from
to s p. m. 1 had been sitting cogitating over
matters, one evening, at Red Lion-Jlm
having been called to distant part OF the
parish-when an idea, founded, believe, on
a quotation from an old French author, oc-
cured to me. The quotation was to the ef-
feet that "when moral suasion fails from
any cause to change an opinion, it is lawful TO
appeal to the most trivial of our emotions"
Happy idea! thought I. shall see whether
or not 1 can work it out to the advantage OF
DIR. James Brooke and-shall | add TITO
the confusion of Josiah Blagden, Esquire.
Morning, noon and night find me busy IN
the old church. l am hard at work on
canvas. in which the interior OF the edlnce
grows under my brush day by day. Ihere
are no sounds of the 'Kyrie" now; nor are
the iubilant strains of Mendelssohn heard,
as on bright sunny day not SO far gone py;
Nellie does not come to practlce her olu
favorites as of yore. Biagden, | know, hates
music; and painters, as he once expressed
tin shocking bad taste-are usually "a
seedy lot'' / remember Mr.. Josiah's white
vest and cable chain, with enough append
ages attached there to have set up small
ieweler in thriving way of business. The
aisle and gallery of the church are now COM
plete in my picture. l paint it as L sit in the
aisle in the distance you can see the altar
and chancel; and the vicar, who looks in
upon me occasionally, says it is like as eau
be. He is curious, however. to know the
nature of the figures have sketched roughly
in. There is group passing down the aisle
a1t lie ruha thp vicar still
be seen at his post; and there is figure
standing alone and solitary in a pew, as II
facing the advancing party. The vicar can
not quite fathom the design. The church
he can understand; but the meaning OF the
picture puzzles him. bid him wait pa
tiently for the solution of the mystery.
When my study of the church was compet-
ed went home to the Red Lion, and there
painted in my figures. There was little need
for models, for my sketch-book was full OF
studies Turning to my picture, now pro-
crossing rapidly, l find that there are heads
of two elderly men, and there is careful
sketch of a young mans face likewise.
| There is a fair girls face and a matronly
countenance, and another face which seems
| not unlike that of Miss Bagden. At last my
| task is completed. The picture is mere
''study'' but it is a careful study withal.
The old church you recognized at glance;
the figures Well, we shall see.
The vicar has been busily spreading re-
port that have been painting pictures OF the
church, and there is curiosity to see them.
| now propose that one fine day very few
of my Rockhamton friends shall come to see
my work. The circle is very select have
| invited only Mr.. and Mrs. Spalding, the
| great Josiah, Miss Blagden AID Jim. con
| trive, with diplomatic cunning for which |
have not before given myself credit, that
| Nellie Spalding shall be admitted to private
| view. She herself has been all anxiety to
see the picture, and pretend that, by great
| favor, she shall see it before any one else.
| Mine host of the Red Lion has prepared a
| nice little luncheon, even to some dry Pom
| merry, which Sthe great Josiah''-as have
been accustomed to call him, possibly ftom
| the magnitude of his waistcoats-says he
| dotes upon. l make malicious and unkind
| but perfectly just mental suggestion that in
| early life " the great Josiah was better &C
| quainted with the merit of 'alf-and-' alf
| than dry champagne. Mine host has done
his best; and now wait my guests L feel
nervous and excited why, can hardly tell
but confess to myself that l shall be glad
| when my little symposium is over.
| Here at last. They troop upstairs into
| the large room where my luncheon is spread.
| Mr.. Josiah is looking very large to day.
| There is an air of jubilant triumph about
| him as he bustles about Nellie, assisting her
| in taking off her wraps and saying nothIngs
| which are ANYTHING but ''softH as the great
| man expresses them. To me, his air is sim
| ply patronizing. Mrs. Spalding is gracious
| as usual; and Mr.. Spalding seems to regard
| the near prospect of lunch with more evident
| satisfac ton than he does the prospect OF an
| artistic treat Mr.. Blagden suggests we had
| better step in to see the picture-lunch has
evidently its attraction for 'sthe great Josiah.
| But 1 tell him I wait DR.. Brooke, at which
| announcement he subsidies. Then suggest
| to Miss Nelly that, with her mothers per-
| mission, she may now have the picture all to
| herself for momentary peep. Mrs. Spaid-
| ing, who is deep with Miss Blagden in the
mysteries of the manufacture of rhubarb-
Jam, reaulIy consents.
Nelly follows me into the room where my
! picture stands covered with a crimson cloth
| on nv easel. I close the door and unveil
| it. Nelly chances at it for moment; then
| growing deadly pale, sinks half-fainting-not
| into nv arms but into those of DR.. James
| Brooke, who has most OPPORTUNITY come up
| on the scene. In speeches. astonishment
| he gazes at me, but he, too, seems as If he
were going to repeat Nelly's procedure as
| he glances at the picture. "For heavens
| sake, Regy," says Jim in hoarse voice,
'coyer that picture upW
| Nelly opened her eyes in moment or two,
| which seemed to me like an age. Jim had
| employed the interval in a fashion not I'M
| familiar to lovers, I believe. And when she
| did open her eyes it was to clasp Jim round
| the neck, and her words were few, but
1 decided "Jim, dear! Il can never, never marry
| that man will do whatever you wish me
to. But oh! they have tried me SOP
What is it in my picture that has so per-
| turbed the lovers, and brought Nelly Spald-
| ing to her senses? Simple the interior OF
| the old church once again. A ray OF sum
| light Streaming through a chink in the STAIN
| ed window falls on the sad, pale face OF a
| newly-made bride. The BRIDES face is
| Nellys own; and the pompous bridegroom
| is Josiah Blagden, the artistic treatment OF
| whose white waistcoat and chain has cost
me no end of pain. Behind bride and BRIDE
| groom come the figures of Mr.. and Mrs.
| Spalding; and in the dim distance. the vicar
| is seen still standing within the altar rails.
| But the central figure after the bride her
| self is the young man, pale, motionless as a
| statue, who stands in a pew, and whose
| ashy gaze is fixed on the bride. The face
| of the man in the pew is that of james
Brooke. The picture tells its own story to
| Nelly Spalding. 1t places the possibility of
the future before her eyes as she has never
| dared to picture it to herself. 1t reflects in
| all its naked truth the fate to which through
| her ;ndecision she may commit herself and
| Jim. And it tells it's story so well that art
conquers diplomacy in decision, and aids
love in its triumph over the great .osiah
himself.
Footsteps on the stairs. cover the pic
ture again. Nelly stands beside DIR. Brooke;
her cheek is pale, and there are tears like
dewdrops glistening in her eyes. The IRON
master looms in the doorway. He takes in
the matter at glance and trowns darkly at
Jim and me.
AS soon as Mr.. and Mrs. Spalding, who
closely follow Josiah, have entered the
room, Nelly, to my surprise, walks quickly
up to her father and takes his hand.
''Father," said she, with a tremulous yet
decisive tone, "you know the message you
brought me from Mr.. Blagdsn this morning?
Give him my answer now. Tell him that l
am going to marry DR.. Brooke. !"
Now, It's my opinion that, had the discard
ed Josiah at this moment held his tongue.
he might have got both Mr.. and Mrs Spald-
ing to speak word for him with Nelly.
But as it was he destroyed his own case at
blow.
message from me?-and this is my an
swerr' he said in an angry voice. "Why,
care nowt-nowt," he repeated bitterly"
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