Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1883-07-31


Frequent an ancient house, what will ye
with 2"
Michael Angelo. A Tragedy. Lonqfelloao.
When Cissy Denzil came of age (she
was an orphan), she determined that she
would indulge her own caprices to the full.
est extent. She sent for her aunt, an inof.
fensive old lady Of sixty, to chaperone her,
and rented house in Bryanston Square,
not for the sake of the commanding situa-
ton, because it was a dull neighborhood,
respectable, fashionable, and calculated
to exercise soporific effect on her lively
imagination. The agent declared the house
to be thoroughly well-drained and uphol.
stored, and, as it happened to please her. in
less than week she was as much at home
there as if she had lived in town all her life.
Cissy Denzil undoubtedly possessed a
dangerous originality. Without intending
it, she was constant thorn in her aunt's
side. No sooner had Miss Webster recov-
cred from one moral shower-bath than she
received another. Now, Miss Webster did
not like shower baths they gave her cold
and interrupted her in the pursuit of the
whole duty of woman, which was, in her
case, to eat, drink, and dress we'll, to 90 to
church regularly, and to awaken Cissy to a
sense of her many shortcomings.
But Cissy merriiy refused to be reused.
She was not at all overwhelmed by her in
iquities 81 do like to see things for nv.
SELF" she would say. 'What is the use OF
living if am to be always wrapped up in
cotton wool, taken out for an airing, and
then brought back again like those impos-
sible dolls which children buy in the Low
ther Arcade? How can I live my life if ]
do not know what existence is really like 2
Owing to my ignorance of the world, I shall
make some dreadful mistake, and then ii
will be all your fault, aunty Will it not,
Mr.. Singleton?
Mr.. Singleton was an artist who rea!ily
commanded a large price for his pictures.
He was an old man, and had known Cissy
Denzil from her childhood. To him she
was wont to appeal when Miss Webster be.
came plaintiff. Cissy amused him /; he abett-
ed her vagaries, provided that he saw they
were harmless.
81 did not know that you had such a
taste for realism, he replied. ssEvidently
Miss Webster will have bad time of it,
unless we can cure you.''
'Poor aunty"' said the girl, crossing the
room and kneeling carelessly at the old la.
days feet. 81 am sure that I shall some
day give you fit"
'If you want to get little insight into
what human nature really is," said Single
ton, jokingly, ''come to my study any
morning and study the models. Put on d
plain dress and bonnet, and get there early.
Ten o'clock will be early enough. You can
easily reach Holland Park Road from here.
If you will come, I'll have some of the lit
ter cleared away, and you can watch me
paint, sit, or do what you like. often see
twenty or thirty models in day. Patient
Griselda, Cardinal Wolsey, Fair Rosamond
Lucrezia Borgia and other well-known
characters come to me by the dozen. ]
don't want them, they try the next studio.
Artists are clustered as thickly together ur
there as lawyers are in Bedford Row. That
bareheaded, disguised much disguis.
ed, sometimes-a man with a history
French nobleman who sold papers in the
Strand was a frequent sitter of mine he's
dead now, poor fellow"
81 am to sit on the usual terms?'' ask
ed Cissy. "What are the usual terms, Mr..
Singleton ?"
''A shilling an hour, and luncheon
found" said Singleton. SIN your case,
Cissy, the luncheon shall be unexceptiona.
ble."
Agreed gaily cried Cissy. sDo moi
groan, aunty." Miss Webster always
made sepulchral noises when she did moi
approve of anything.) 'sThere is nothing
wrong in going to studio, especially if il
be swept and garnished.
Singleton went away, and speedily forgot
all about, the matter. Cissy remembered
The next morning Cissy started for Hol-
land Park Road, intent upon viewing a
new place of existence. She took Role
with her-an enormous tawny mastiff,
whose head was serenely unconscious Of
the mischief wrought by his tail among
Cissy's dainty bric-a- brac. Role was Of
opinion that all bric-a-brac should be made
of tin, cast-iron or other solid metals, and
testified his joy at being freed from the
dangerous vicinity of eggshell china with
many bark and gambol.
Without misadventure this modern Una
and her lion reached SiDgleton's studio,
Cissy's fair face glowing with health and
beauty, and Rollo much excited by many a
fruitless chase after cats, which would slip
between ratings when he had nearly reach
ed them
Cissy and Rollo entered the studio.
There was no one there.
with Hugh Darrell, young fellow-artist,
though Cissy knew not the fact) was lofty
room some thirty feet square. It was hung
round with the usual artistic properties
bits of old oak occupied the corners, a suit
of armor peeped from underneath the glow
ing hues of Smyrna carpet, and at the
further end of the room was dais of empty
egg boxes, evidently intended for the mod
els. There was one small picture on an
easel, with the face slightly sketched in,
representing a forlorn-looking damsel 60
ing through wood.
'sMake yourself at home, Rollo,' said
Cissy; s'some one is sure to come present
ly."
Rollo did so-on the unarlnored part Of
the Smyrna carpet.
ssWhat the deuce is that dog-I beg your
pardon" said Darrell, entering the studio
suddenly.
ssHe is my dog, demurely said Cissy.
ss{s not Mr. Sinv1af.ny, cornipr to dow ~