The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1882-06-17

all the ola iarm iaDOrers anu llei "iNOS
and children were gathered to bid me God
speed. My father spoke but little as we
drove to the station, whittier my luggage
had been taken in a cart. When we were
a short distance from it he slackened the
pace, and, putting one hand on mine, said :;
Frank, my boy, I've been thinking that
it's chance as how you may not like this
new tangled life you're going to. If you
don't. why then write and say so to me
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 {
be throwing it in your teeth. pressed
his hand, and he went on ''I'm glad to
see YOU so mettlesome about going away,
but just you take word of advice from
your old father | don't know anything
of making pictures or that like, but | take
it that an artist has to learn his trade like
any other man You must know how to
plow well if YOU want to get good crops,
50 don't YOU be in hurry but take to
the thing steadily, and don't yen go in for
high-fying.n
Well. | did 90 in for the thing steadily,
and | made rapid progress. | used to
write to my father and to Mrs. Clark, aud
hear from them regularly | never wrote
to Lucy nor she to me, but heard of her.
She went to London the year after | leif,
and was presented at court, and there was
a great deal of company at the hall during
the autumn aud winter. | used TO scan
those letters which spoke of her as if they
were enigmas. trying TO extract some hid
den meaning from them. Sometimes |
fancied that there was some covert allusion
to her being mindful Of me through all
these scenes of pleasure; sometimes felt
racked with jealousy Of some imaginary
admirers Of hers.
At length | got letter from my father,
telling me 0f her serious illness, and then
another from him saving that he heard that
the doctors had ordered her to winter in
Italy. Between these letters | had one
from Mrs. Clark. mentioning that Lucy had
been ordered to leave England for time,
and that hence must not expect any more
letters until she and Lucy returned home,
for that during their absence her time
would be fully occupied. She wrcte very
kindly. but | felt sure that the reason Of
her not writing to me again was that Mr..
Clark objected to my knowing that Lucy
was to be in Italy.
How dreary that winter was, In spite OF
all the golden dreams Of youth, fsssteEed BY
al the poetical and romantic teachings Of
nature, art and history. with which the
very air of Italy Is electric
| became ~ restless that in the spring
lefi Rome for Florence had never
copied in the galleries there aud | thought
Il wenld he new source Of interest to me
10 do -.
One day Wa s,4,cd in froat of that
beautiful portrait Of Csterino CornarO. |
DO net know If yuu have seen t. Asweet,
sad face aud graceful 6gure, the bodice
Of the dress embroidered with gold and
ieweIs. and ;he neck loaded with chains Il
pearls magnificent fcttcrs laid on their fair
owner by she Venetian repablIe when the
Senate sold her heaaty TO the King of Cy-
prsss. having her noble loves, yoaag 10
rensiano. 10 die EAying l was copying this
picture. and was greatly interested IN my
work. Many perssass passcd through thn
roosn. and Soue paused TO book At my
painting. - that | took httle notice Of the
fast that sonle one was standing behind nsc,
until | heard my name pronounced ia that
ReTer.fonsotsen voice.
Il was Lucy. aud alone She was taller
and more 3onlaply than when | letf her,
bat the same l.ney, still.
She taa ne chat she sad her motheE
were IL PloFenoe waiting for her father to
ioin them: that she bad spent the winter in
Sicily, and ihas her health was better, and
that her mother health was failing rapidly
She said that Mrs Clark was in the ad.
ioinine room, resting, and that | must 20
to see her. There vas a calm power about
her naaDser that surprised me. but she had
lost none of her sweetness
Before We turned from the picture was
copying she asked me who-e portrait it wAs
I told her and she said;
80 that j. the face Of the woman who
lct herself b. boaghs and sold by King
and senate, and not only herself but the
man who loved her, and for whom she cared
too, in some pitiful sort Of way She could
not have loved him, or she would have
taught those naughty senators that there Wa
something proader and s,ronger than even
their pride
Mn. Clark received me With tears ol
ioy. | could see that she was very much
hF5kea and that she was completely undei
her daughters dominion, although Lue,
used her power gently. She did not ask
me 10 20 10 sec them, but she said she would
often come 10 see me At my work, and shs
made some weak little excuse for not inyis
ing nae TO their hotel.
After that | saw her and Lucy every
day al the gallery, and Lucy always man
AGED 10 be alone with me. We never spoks
Of our mutual affection, but ne felt it, and
words were no, needed between us, even Il
explain why we did not speak Of il w
1 lived in an atmosphere Of our own. w
knew that our happiness could not last long
but this only intensified our appreciation o
j, and rendered each moment of il doubl,
precious, while a concentration of thought
feeling. and OF the expression of both grew
out of cur conviction. II seems as if year
of intimate knowledge of each other mus
be and were compressed in these few weeks
One day | was sitting at my easel, wheI
woman approached me and gave me !
letter. II was from Lucy. She told N
{ that her father had arrived and that sh
was to leave Florence at once. She toi'
me that her mother was too feeble for ne
to be able to venture upon any assertion 0
her own wishes as TO corresponding will
me. for that if her father knew that sh
had been permitted TO meet me constantl.
his anger would be excessive. She said
might write to her once, and give the LEI
ter to the wife of the porter Of the hote
where she was staying.
/ did So poured out my soul in tina
letter. and she sent me an answer, whie
| got after she had left Florence. | hay
got it still; in all my wanderings it ha
never left me. Yet it told me that ther
was no hope, only that she would be fol
ever faithful to me, and called on me I
trust her through absence and silence.
My energy tagged, but | whipped my
self up. | determined to be worthy Of hel
and hoped that perhaps ! might win her
but six months after this my father die