Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1884-05-19
The Only Pupil.

y
tidy little figure when her father died.
One after the other her elder SIS
ters had married and left home and
Lizzie kept house for her widowed
father and forgot the lapse Of time.
The two old servants considered
her a mere child, and she was always
the youngest at the rare family re-
unions. 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 quiet
ly to sleep for the last time, that peo-
pie had thought Elizabeth 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 di-
vided and the house sold, she found
that another change had befallen her.
She was no longer Miss Lizzie. the
youngest daughter still at home, but
middle-aged spinster living in
boarding house.
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 the 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:
''Mr. Buckle respectfully desires
to make known to the public the fact
that he is about to reopen his classes
in water-color painting, English
school, next Monday. Terms most
reasonable. Early application desir-
able, as the number of pupils 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 water-color
painting?
She would enjoy the work. She
could afford it. 1t would pass the
time. She could perhaps sketch from
nature next summer.
, A 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-
ried to make application for a place
in the class before it was too late,
for it was now Saturday afternoon.
She found the number easily. A
large building with many rooms, and
| at the very top of the house four en-
e gravers, 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 little delay anC
e some creaking of boots on a bare
v floor, the door opened, and a middle
d aged gentleman, with few gray
" hairs in his whiskers and bald spo
on his head, appeared, with a pal
e ette on his thumb and brush in hi
: hand, and bowing politely, requested
! the lady to enter.
'Mr. Buckle?' Elizabeth asked
n with an interrogative infection.
el The gentleman bowed again.
t. Il received your card" said Mis-
III Elizabeth. II should like to joil
your class, if it is not FULL
~ ''It is not full as yet, madam re
8. piled Mr.. Buckle, ''and / should b
g delighted to receive you as pupil.
He opened a portfolio as he spoke
i my work. he said; perhap
y you'd like to look at"
u =, The portfolio was full of sketche
y in water-color of English scenes, cot
tages, lanes, old women gatherin
We faggots, ladies walking in old parks
They were not great, but they wer
is very good. Miss Elizabeth was dc
ne lighted.
a "How kind of you to take class,
she said, beaming. "Such an arti:
10 as you are"
- Mr.. Buckle bowed again. He ev
he IDENTIFY preferred bowling to speaking
h "I'm sure I've seen your picture
ct. in the Academy" she said, "and az
IS" mired them
N, Mr.. Buckle blushed violently an
7el bowed again.
49, Chow MODESTO thought Miss Eli
~ abeth
" She inquired his terms. They we
IS: very reasonable. She paid it on tt
en spot, received little list of necess
ice ry paper, colors, etc., and went ava
Sunday passed slowly, despite
III II three episodes of church-going. 81
awaited her first lesson with mus
,to impatience.
80 At last the hour came She climbs
avs the stairs again, and entered the do
ON of the room on which the name
of Buckle appeared. A long pine tab
Ve' ald six cane bottom chairs, an eas'
and some canvases and portfolio
oe- furnished the loom. A South Anne
hon lean hammock was twisted into
ing coil and hung over some pegs.
to blanket portiere hung on rod witt
and the door. But there was no one the
~ but Mr.. Buckle.
oss cam | too early?' Elizabeth ask
ou1 glancing at her watch. | see | ;
IL