The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-02-23
THE ONLY PUPIL.

! when her father died.
One after the other her elder sisters had mar
red and left home and Lizzie kept house for
her widowed father and forgot the lapse of
| time
The two old servants considered her mere
child and she was always the youngest at the
rare family reunions. Her father had advised,
praised and scolded her as though she had been
in her teens to the last
He was so old when he went quietly to sleep
for the last time that people had thought Eliza
| beth would be prepared for her loss but she
was not, and after the first great grief and the
shock of leaving the old home, when the property
was divided and the house sold, she found that
another change had befalen her
She no longer Miss Lizzie, the youngest
daughter still at home. but mlddle-aged spin
| ster living in a clearinghouse.
| Often when she had hurried up stairs and shut
| the door of her room she had thought to herself
that she could not endure this condition of things
much longer. but. after all, she dreaded to make
a change
She was exactly in that condition to jump at
| anything which offered occupation and interest
when the pOstman one day brought her cir
cular, gilt-edged and rose-tinted, bearing these
| words:
MIR Buckle respectfully desires to make
known to the public the fact that he is about TO
reopen his classes in water color painting, Eng
fish school, next Monday. FERNS most reasona-
4
of pubils will be limited. Studio, No. --
| street
1t was an attractive looking card, and as Miss
| Elizabeth read it an idea came into her mind.
| Why should she not take lessons in watercolor
| painting.
She would enjoy the work She could afford it.
| 1t would pass the time. She could perhaps sketch
| from nature next summer.
! little thrill ran through her at this thought
She got her bonnet and mantilla, her parasol
and her gloves. and taking the card with her, hur-
red to make application for place in the class
| before it was too late, for it was now Saturday
| afternoon.
She found the number easily large
| building, with many rooms, and at the very top
| of the house four engravers, lady designer on
| wood" and Mr.. Buckles name on a neat door
| plate.
Miss Elizabeth, quite breathless by this time,
| applied her knuckles to the panels, and after a
| little delay and some creaking of boots a bare
| floor, the door opened and a middle aged gentle
man, with few gray hairs in his whiskers and
a bald spot on his head, appeared. with palette
on his thumb and brush in his hand, and bow
| ing politely, requested the lady to enter.
''Mr. Buckle?' Elizabeth asked with an inter
rogative infection
The gentleman bowed again.
| Il received your card, said Miss Elizabeth.
II think l should like to join your class if it is
not full"
sit is not full as yet madam" replied Mr..
Buckle 'and l should be delighted to receive
you as pupil"
| He opened portfolio as he spoke.
! ''My work, he said; perhaps you'd like to
look at it,
The portfolio was full of sketches of water
| color of English scenes, cottages lanes, old
women gathering faggots ladies walking in old
parks
They were not great, but they were very good.
| Miss Elizabeth was delighted.
"How kind OF you to take class" she said,
beaming. Such an artist as you are.
Nh. Buckle bowed again. He evidently pre-
! fpTrp1 bOVyiOp a SOpDSjOp
| I'm sure I've seen your pictures in the Acade-
my, she said. 'and admired them"
Mr. Buckle blushed violently and bowed
| again.
Glow modestm thought Miss Elizabeth.
She inquired his terms. They were very rea-
sonable She paid it on the spot received
little list Of necessary paper, colors etc, and
went away.
Sunday passed slowly despite its three cpl
sodes of church going she awaited her first les
son with such Impotence.
At last the hour came. She climbed the stairs
| again, and entered the door of the room on
which the name of Buckle appeared. A long
pine table and six cane bottom chairs, easel,
and some canvases and portfolios, furnished
| the room. South American hammock was
| twisted into a coil and hung over some pegs. A
blanket portiere hung on q rod within the door.
| But there was no one there but Mr. Buckle
Gam too early" Elizabeth asked, gancing at
her watch Il see | am the first
ooh no, indeed replied Mr. Buckle. ut is
the other pupils who too late. We won't
wait for them
He began his lesson at once, and Miss Eliza
beth was absorbed in her work An hour
| passed--two.
The lesson was over No pupils had arrived.
| Ladies are seldom prompt as you are
! said Mr.. Buckle. "Any time will do to begin;
any time. They delay. They procrastinate.
| Its pity"
1T is surprising to me that they are not more
anxious to avail themselves of such advantages"
said Miss Elizabeth hardly able to tear herself
away from the contemplation of the blue sky,
| with white clouds that had grown under her
| brush. Il have had a delightful lesson"
Again she waited with impatience Again she
climbed up the long stairs. Again there were
| no other pupils present. Again none arrived.
But this time brown roof grew under her
brush and gray branches lay against the sky.
| The trunk OF a tree was indicated, and the
| figure of a child carefully sketched amongst
the blossoms, as yet only outlined in the fore
! ground.
Miss Elizabeth trembled with pride and happi-
ness.
''You must find me very stupid she said.
| But don't you think can learn If apply my
selfR
Il am sure you will do well, said Mr.. Buckle;
more than we'll. You have talent, madam-de-
cided talent for art
On her way home Miss Elizabeth thoughtwith
| rapture that perhaps day might come when
she should open a catalogue and see Sunset or
"Reverie," or Moonlight Hours, or some such
romantic title, among the list of pictures, fol
lowed by the delightful words, Miss Elizabeth
Hill
The thought chased away the scruples that
troubled her to the propriety of being the
only scholar of single gentleman; and, then,
he was so gentlemanly He never quite closed
the door. He sat on the opposite side of the
table. He decorum itself. And such
genius! How foolish of the other members of
that limited class not to avail themselves of such
opportunities! The quarter was over, and she
was beginning to wonder whether Mr. Buckle
would trouble himself to teach a class of one
for so small a sum. When hurrying upstairs to
her lesson she heard voices within the door and
paused Two men were talking. One Mr..
| Buckle.
eff you can but wait little she heard him
say.
t.Mell l have waited haven't II renled the