Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1883-06-30
ApAHaNN,a STORY.

ries, while the ladies visited and eX-
changed pieces of silk necktics and rib
bons for making silk quilts. The men got
to talking about the changes that occur in
peoples lives in few years, and each had
some illustration in his own experience.
The young minister had been quiet lis
tener. and smoked his cigar in dreamy
sort of way, and when they had all had
their inning telling stories the doctor said
to the minister:
"Eldor, you must have noticed, as much
as anybody, the changes that time brings.
Can'tyo tell Us something funny i'll your
experience"
81 was just thinking" said the Elder as
he threw his cigar stub in the cuspidore
and took fresh one aud lit il. 'of some
thing that happened to me last winter in
Chicago. and will tell it to you to illus
trate how added years bring intelligence
TO the most Of us, though il cannot bring
forgetfulnesS, and 10 illustrate also how
man may DO reasonably smart in the
knowledge of the world and not know
how TO keep his mouth shut at the proper
time. About twenty-five years ago, when
was eight years OF age, my people lived
in a little town, and ! was allowed TO run
loose about the ncighborhOod. You
wouldn't believe il 60 look IL me now,
but was terror. That Is, WAS full OF
fun; OH, so full. was up to al sorts OF
mischief, and my good father and mother
feared that l would never amount to
much, and ! guess they fear i. now, but
that is neither here nor there.
"Among my playmatcs was L little girl
of my own age, Il bright little thing with
blue eyes and brown hair, and Il dimplc
in her cheek. If was terror she was
terrOress She could climb fence quicker
than l could. Outrun me, aud wasn't
afraid of anything, and we were the best
friends you ever saw. Her name was
Susan. One day we were playing in the
back yard, baretOOted, and something in
duced us to 20 into her fathers barn. In
looking for something TO amuse us found
n couple OF pots Of paint that lcr father
had been using about the house. One pot
was red aud the other green. We took
the brushes and painted the stalls in the
barn red and one wheel OF her fathers
wagon green, aud finally she suggested
that we paint our feet. SO painted one
of her feet green and the other red, and
she painted mine clear up to my knees,
and then she got jealous because | had
more style than she did, and so painted
her legs also, hut | striped them, the
stripes of alternate green and red running
around like BARRIERS pole. Being girl,
we argued that it was right she should be
more gaudy than me.
"Well, l have seen beautiful paintings
since, and have done little with the
brush since arriving at mans estate, but
have never seen anything that gave INC
the satisfaction, rs 1 work Of art, that the
work OF that afternoon in the studio in
the barn did. / have seen marble sculp-
ture, of the human form divine, in the
galleries of the Ola and New World since,
but ! have never seen anything that
could hold candle 20 the landscape that
! painted Oh Susan. She was so ticklcd
that she had to 20 right into the house
and show the chrome to her mother, and
it was not more than q minute before
solitary horseman, about eight years old,
with one leg green and the other red,
: a mic
fence Just ahead OF Susan s mothers mop.
l got home alive, and presented picture
TO my mother that she had never seen in
her widest dreams. Paint everywhere.
And she warmed me, and Susan's mother
across the street warmed her, and Us tive
Young artists mingled our cries across the
dusty street.
81 need not dwell on the weeks of ag-
ony we endured in having that paint re-
moved. There WAS some sort of dryer in
the paint that made 1t dry and shine, and
it seemed to penetrate clear to the bone.
At least it did on me, and suppose Susan
was made Of the same kind of clay. Any
way, all the time we lived in that town
after that Susan wore stockings and L
judged she was having the same trouble L
was, being washed every night in benzilc,
until almost wished there was no such
thing as being an artist. | had almost
forgotten the circumstances in a busy life,
until last winter. l was down to Chicago
to n missionary convention. There were
o11 nv
many of us took our wives. One even
ing, after the business OF the convention
was over, there was reception at the res
idence of one of the directors Of the So
ciety, and was introduced to the wife of
brother minister. There was something
about her eyes that seemed sort of famil-
lar, and finally she told who she was, and,
rs sure as l am smoking this five-cent
cigar, it was Susan. Well, we talked
about old times and old friends for Il long
time, ant of the good work her husband
was doing out west; bat for the life of me
l could not keep my mind off that incl
dent of the paint. Here sic was, grown
woman; the glorious eyes she had in
youth were ever moro beautiful, and her
smile was enough to break up camp
meeting, but could only see her rs she
looked when got through painting her.
Becoming familiar, finally said, 'by the
way, Susan, would like to ask you
question: and she said certainly and |
allowed my eye 20 twinkle q little, and
asked:
"'Susan, tell me, did you ever get that