Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1884-03-06
THE ONLY PUPIL.

1HE UNI1 fUGlL"
Miss Elizabeth Hill was still a pretty
little woman, with nice hair and a tidy
little figure, when her father died.
One after the other her elder sisters
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
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 Elizabeth would be pre-
pared 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 befallen her.
She was no longer Miss Lizzie, the
youngest daughter still at home, but
middle-aged spinster living in a board
ing 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 change.
She was exactly in the condition to
jump at anything which offered oc-
cupation and interest, when the post
man one day brought her a circular,
gilt-edged and rose-tinted, bearing
these words
"Mr Buckle respectfully desires to
make known to the public the fact that
he is about torropen his class in water
color painting, English school, next
Monday. Terms most reasonable.
Early application desirable, 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 paint
ing?
She would enjoy the work. She
could afford it. Ii 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, hurried
to make application for 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-
gravers, a lady designer on wood
and Mr.. Buckles name on neat door
plate.
Miss Elizabeth, quite breathlcss by
this time, applied her knuckles to the
panels, and after Il little delay and
some creaking of boots on bare floor
the door opened and a middle-aged gen
tleman with a few gray hairs in his
whiskers and bald spot on his head,
appeared, with palette on his. thumb
and a brush in his hand, and bowing
politely, requested the lady to enter.
"Mr Buckle?" Elizabeth asked with
an interrogative infection.
The gentleman bowed again.
Il received your card, said Miss
Elizabeth 81 think | should like to
join your class, if it is not full"
at is not full as yet, madam, re-
piled Mr.. Buckle, land | should be de-
lighted to receive you as a pupil"
He opened portfolio as he spoke.
my work, he said; perhaps you'd d
like to look at it.
The portfolio was full of sketches in
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 de
lighted,
"How kind of you to take class, y
she said, beaming. "Such an artist a:
you are"
Mr.. Buckle bowed again. He evi
IDENTIFY preferred bowling to speaking
I'm sure I've seen your pictures il
the Academy she said, land admired
them"
Mr.. Buckle blushed violently anG
bowed again.
How modest" thought Miss Eliza
beth.
She inquired his terms. They wer,
very reasonable. She paid it on tn,
spot, received little list of necessary
paper, colors, &C., and went away.
Sunday passed slowly, despite it
three episodes of church-going, SHE
awaited her first lesson with much i'm
patience.
At last the hour came. She climbed
the stairs again, and entered the doc
of the room on which the name o
Buckle appeared. A long pine table
and six cane-bottom chairs, an easel
and some canvases and portfolios
furnished. he room. A South Ameri
can hammock was twisted into q col
and hung over some pegs. A blanke
portiere hung on rod within the door
But there was no one there but Mr.
Buckle.
"Am l too earlyr' Elizabeth asked
glancing at her watch. II see | an
the first"
"Oh no, indeed, " replied Mr.. Buckle
at is the other pupils who are to-
late. We won't wait for them"
He began his lesson at once, anc
Miss Elizabeth was absorbed in he
work. An hour passed-two.
The lesson was over. No pupils hat
. arrived.
Ladies' are seldom as prompt as yol
are" said Mr., Buckle. "Any tim
will do to Begin any time. They de
lay. They procrastinate. It's
pity"
/ at is surprising to me that they ar
, not more anxious to avail themselve
of such advantages, said Miss Eliz
abeth, hardly able to tear herself ava,
from the contemplation of the blu,
sky, with white clouds that had grow
: under her brush II have had de
lightful lesson"