Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1883-07-07
the sketch three lines from poem

There, ? he continued putting the
picture in the child's hands. "You
shall have that, and if you like to
show it to your father one of these
days, do so; it may teach him les
son." And, before the child could
make any reply, Eustace was off and
away, tramping along the high road.
Five years had passed before the
young artist had the time aud chance
to visit the quiet village again. In
those five years be had done good
work-had thought, and worked and
painted, until people had begun to
believe in him, and talked of him as
one of the most promising painters
of the day.
Still, in the midst of it all, he Of
ten remembered his little sketch,
and wondered-without much hope
in the wonder, though whether his
idea that it might do good had come
| to pass; and on the day he Travelled
| down to Morrison, the memory of
the scene came clearly before him
with the thought of the grand old
words-"Cast thy bread upon the
waters, for thou shall find it after
many days"
"Such poor little crumb of good
thought it was" said Eustace to
himself, "still | wonder-I wonder
and I'll try to find it ont, too
And as it happened, Eustace did
find it out more quickly than he ex-
pected, for that very evening, as he
was returning from walk, in the
course Of which he had visited some
of his old haunts, there passed him
on the road a man and handsome
boy Of about thirteen.
"My little friend and his father"
suddenly thought Eustace whose
quick artist eye seldom forgot a face
or figure, and he quickened his pace
in order to keep within a short dis
lance Of the boy.
So the three went on, past the corr
ner of the field where the sketch had
been taken, down the road and
across the narrow bridge, TIL the
man and boy reached little cottage,
the small front garden of which was
gay with bright colored, old-fashion.
ed flowers.
"That looks promising" thought
Eustace "no drunkard ever had
garden like that" and, determined
to ascertain the facts of the case, he
went up to the door with the inten-
ton of asking the nearest way to the
next village.
Through the open door he caught
glimpse of the neatly kept cottage
kitchen, as Charlie came forward to
answer the strangers question but
before half the right turns had been
described, bright smile broke over
the boys face, and, half turning
around, he exclaimed
"Father, its my painterl" and, to
his surprise, Eustace found that in
that household, at least, he was
hero; and the young artist never
felt more reverence for his art than
he did as he listened to the account
of the good his picture had done.
For some time Charlie had kept
the sketch, and had been afraid to
show it to his father, but the man
found it by chance, one day, and
sit was more than l could stand,
sir" he said, addressing Eustace.
II did not need any one to tell me
what it meant, but although l won
dered where it came from, / was
ashamed to ask. Somehow l could
not get the picture out of my head.
/ even used to dream of it at night
until it fairly worried me, so that |
gave up the drink and l had the
picture hung up there. that | might
not have chance of forgetting what
| dragged myself down to once"
So the story ended; and in his
heart Eustace Carroll is prouder of
that little sketch, hanging in a COM
mon black frame over the mantel-
piece of the country cottage, than he
would be If he should paint picture
that would make his name famous
throughout his life.
CONSCIENTIOUS DUTY.--'I con-
ceive it to be my duty to you and to |