The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1883-03-03


3entlV brought no refreshment, | asked
her to partake of mine. She smiled and
thanked me, but declined.
am too anxious" she said; "I
could not eat"
But you are weak, 4" [ demonstrated
gently. A little of this wine wonld re,
vive YOU
| am not weak" she persisted
only very, very anxious
And so we fell into conversation once.
more, and by degrees she told me her
story. 1t was very sad; but by no means
remarkable one. She had been mar
RED SIX years, and WIS now %. Her
husband was q city clerk, aud worked
day and night for herself and their two
children; bet he had been taken sud
denly Ill with fever and was new in the
hospital, and the proprietors of the bank
where he was employed allowed her
something week and promised to keep
his place vacant until he was GONZALES
cent. She found it difficult indeed to
1--we; and lately, to add to her trouble
the landlord of their little home had
threatened to turn them out and seize
their possessions for the rent, which
mad been owing for a considerable
length OF time, and her poor husband
was still very i'll. It must be a long
while before he would be able. the. doc.
tor said, to leave the hospital and re-
sumo his work; but If only she could
sell this picture for f20-e20! poor
girl she would be able to pay the rent
and all would be well
L listened to this narration very sor-
rowtully. She seemed so young to have
had such sad experience of life, and
my heart bled for her. UNFORTUNATELY.
L could only give her words for comfort.
Although L possessed enough 10 main
tam myself Just now, times had been
rather hard for my son, and [ had been
obliged to help him with the little money
L had saved. Every time / looked at
the canvas it made me feel almost
wretched. L had not sufficient strength
OF resolution to tell her the bitter truth.
Ii was, perhaps, mistaken kindness: but
! was weak man, and through childish
humidity L shraDk from dashing all her
hopes to the ground by the utterance OF
a few words. -'',..----.-.--
That night could not sleep for think
ing OF this poor girl struggling with
means of helping her, but in vain. |
could think OF nothing. ITTf aD-
The next day she was at the gallery.
and the following one continued to paint
with the utmost zeal. # 06-5 {
:" think [ shall soon finish it." she
often said to me. ''Of course it is not
like yours, but the man at the picture
shop will not have seen that, and so will
be satisfied with NINE
So she spoke, in her happy ignorance,
and | smiled IN acquiescence. / could
not confute her. Lately she had altered
very much for the better. Her face had
lost the worn, weary look. 1t was be-
cause she was so imbued with the idea
that she would be able 10 sell the pic
ture aud pay the rent
&c have not told Henry" she said
| once, "what | ana doing. He would
not like to think that | had to leave the
children, ard to work: but when he
comes back to us | shall tell HIM how |
saved our little home, and he will call
me a brave girl, and | shall feel so hap
| Ply and proud.
One day she left the gallery several
hours earlier on account of her Youngest
child, who was suffering from a severe
attack of cold, and l offered to put away
her things, that she might start at once,
| SO ANXIOUS she appeared TO reach home
| Directly after she had taken her depart
| IRE 1 lifted the canvas off her easel, rot
because it offended my eye, but because
when | thought of Der high hopes re-
| gardiug 1t, the sight of it made me feel
| quite brOken-hearted.
| had scarcely done this before | per-
| ceived gentleman standing near, ex.
| aiming, evidently with a critical eye
and no small degree of pleasure, my
copy which only wanted a few more
| touches to render perfect. Was the
| gentleman an intending purchaser As
| / watched him, thought flashed sud
| denly across my mind, and not more
| quickly than [ had conceived did | re,
solve to act upon this new idea.
The gentleman, after few moments
mOIe silent examination of NV work,
| turned towards where | stood, with the
brushes and palette of my poor youne
friend III hand, and inquired whether
was the artist of the picture, and if
had any intention of selling it. [ bowed
and answered both questions III, the
affirmative. He then pretended to make
me an offer Of $50 for IT. The sum wa,
not large; indeed, considerably below
| what ! was in the habit OF receiving tol
my works; but accepted this without
hesitation, and promised to deliver the
painting at his house IN G. Squalt
| the next morning.
When he left me ] commenced put.
ting a few finishing touches to the pic
ture. [ felt IN such excellent spirits
What [ had resolved upon doing seemed
to make almost young man of me
again. Now / intended to purchase hel
picture with the EDO, and to tell heI
that, during her absence, | had had the
good fortune to sell her painting TO
gentleman. | would never let her know
who the purchaser really was. | walkeC
home from the gallery thaS night in :
very happy frame of mind. l looked
forward with such delight to meeting gel
again, with the money for Ter picture
IN my hand.
The next was not a students day, aud
| consequently no work was to be done al
the gallery. / did nothing but think o.
her; and when l Aad left my painting a
the house of It's purchaser and received
Jlt ulOHtN, litC hLSG ttlIIIeS L OAu upOL
nv return was to hang her canvas upon
these walls, where it has remained ever
since.
could scarcely eat my breakfast the
! following morning, so impatient [ felt tc
reach the gallery.
When | arrived there l fastened ur
the wide steps and through the severa
rooms, until | reached tue picture Of
/ Claude. There was no necessity now t
| to place the easels IN readiness, our work
was done: and [ somehow thought
rather sadly, that perhaps l should
never paint another picture. But it was
very hot and close, although so early il
the morning, and it was perhaps thai
that made me feel faint, for L was GLAD
to take off my hat, and relieved to lind
| was the sole occupant of this part o.
the gallery.
waited for nearly half an hour before
she appeared. 1 hurried forward to
meet her. She looked paler than usual
Z L - Il