Sacramento daily record-union., 1883-09-26
ART In MORALS.
"Shan't go a step farther !"


wait, and l shall do as choose"
But, father -"
"Now don't you talk to me about butts,
Charlie, because 1 won't have it. shall
ait down here, and you can 90 and tell
your mother not to wait--not to wait, the
man repeated, raising his voice with the
stupid anger of intoxication.
Still, in spite Of threat and refusal, the
child persisted in pleading that his father
should 90 him but his words only seemed
to strengthen the mans obstinacy, and all
the boy could do was to get his father to
turn aside from the high road into field
close by, where the man threw himself at
full length on the grass, somewhere under
the shade of the hedge, and in few min
utes he was sleeping heavily, whilst the
child sat down at little distance, with q
strange kind of unchildish patience on his
features, to wait until his father should
wake. Poor little Charlie he knew too
well how useless any attempt on his part
would be to rouse his father from that sort
of sleep.
Rather more than half an hour had
passed in this dreary waiting, and Charlie
was beginning to find all his small sources
of amusement fail him. He had watched
a large bee that kept lowering over the
convolvulus blossoms in the hedge, and
wondered if he had not nearly finished his
days work had placed snail out of
harms way, and had been tempted to
chase beautiful painted butterfly that
fitted past him but he began at last to
lose his interest in bees and butterflies, for
it was now tea-time, and Charlie was grow
ing terribly hungry. Still he did not think
of deserting his post, for no one but the
child himself knew how often he had kept
his tipsy father off the country road when
carts or carriages were coming along, nor
how he had managed to guide him in
safety over the narrow bridge that led
across the river to their cottage.
So Charlie sat there quietly, though he
was growing more tired and hungry every
moment, until the sound of whistle at q
little distance attracted his attention, the
sound gradually coming nearer and sound
Ing more distinct, until a young man
Jumped over the stile at the end of the
field and approached the child, who then
knew him to be gentleman he had often
met during the last few weeks, sometimes
sketching, sometimes wandering about
with his knapsack on his back and his port
tolio under his arm. Indeed, kind of
half acquaintance had sprung up between
the young artist and Charlie-one attracted
by the glimpses he had caught of the
pictures contained in the wonderful port
folio, the other by the child's wistful
glances and his rustic beauty.
Busy with his own thoughts, and judg.
ing from his happy face they were very
pleasant ones-perhsps dreams of the time
when some wonderful picture of his should
hang on the walls of the academy, and by
SO doing help him on the road to fame and
ADMINISTRATORS Carroll had half crossed
the field before he noticed Charlie and his
father. Then his quick eyes told him the
meaning of the little scene the quiet, weary
looking child and the sleeping father, with
his untidy clothes and collar and necktie
unfastened, and his face turned up to the
blue sky that looked down upon nothing
90 debased as this man, whom God had
made "a little lower than the angels, and
who, by his own vice, had thus degraded
himself.
With the quick instinct OF childhood,
Charlie understood the look of disgust
with which the young artist turned to him,
saying kindly as he did so;
"You are waiting to take your father
HON. suppose"
eyes, SIR" replied the child, whilst
flush of shame spread over his face.
"Well, think he is very likely to lie
there for hours yet. Can't you leave him !"
mo, sir, he might be run over, or fall
into the river if I left him to come home
by himself.
"Oh y said Eustace, as he glanced to.
ward the sleeping man, and he wondered
1 10 he
did fall into the river but he checked the
thought, remembering that he, with his re.
fined tastes and many kinds of amusement
could form no idea of the temptation which
drink might have for this man, with his
smaller advantages Of fortune and educa-
tion, and then an idea flashed across his
mind, and he determined to act upon it,
"Have you had your tea, boy?' he
asked as he unstrapped his knapsack and
took out small parcel wrapped in paper.
"Mother will be sure to keep 1t for me
till get home sir ?" replied Charlie, too
brave to complain to stranger.
"That's all right" said Eustace, under
standing and respecting the feeling that
dictated the answer meanwhile l shall
giva you this piece of cake, Just to pass
the time away. When was email boy
stray pieces of cake never prevented me
from eating my meals when they came, so
your mothers tea will not be wasted.
Now you sit still, for | am going to make
q picture, and when it is finished / will
show it to you"
Very few dainties fell to Charles share
in those days, and Eustsce was highly
amused at the manner in which be ate mis-
cake, nibbling it off around the edge so as
to make it last as long as possible; and he
succeeded so well that the picture was fin.
ished almost at the same time as the last
currant disappeared.
swell, was it good ?" asked Eustace, as
he tied his portfolio.
eyes; mother does not putcurrantsin her
cakes. Sometimes on our birthdays, when
father has not been out, we have cake
but then we have no seeds in il"
"And those are not so nice"
"Oh, no, sir, of course not p" answered
Charlie, surprised that any one should ask
such question.
"Well, am glad you like it. am 60
ing back to the city in a day or two, but l
shall put another piece of cake in my KNAPP.
sack in case meet you again before l go.
Look here do you know this!"
Charlie glanced at the little picture |
Eustace held out to him, and thea he gave
a scream of surprise.
"Why, it's me and father p
And so it was and even though Eustace |
should live to be an old man, he will never |
succeed in making anything more true to |
nature than that hurried sketch. He had
just caught the tired, wistful look on the
childs face, aud it was all the more strik.
ing as it was brought into such contrast
with the vacant countenance of the tipsy |
sleeper, who looked so thoroughly out of
place beside the child, and the pleasant
green background of the hedge. where the
convolvulus blossoms mingled with the
wild rose and blackberry flowers.
nWaik n rnnr,nrt . an;d E..l...