Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1884-03-14
UNA AND THE LION.
From Casel's Magazine.


ished pictures. and feared TO touch
them, lest his brush should carry
into them somewhat of the surround
ing gloom. He was feeling very de
iected when there came a note from
Lady Eleanor Carstairs, the wife OF
one Of his kindest patrons, asking
him TO escort her TO concert in st.
James Hall. 81 can't use my eyes
to any advantage, SO | will try to re-
ceive consolation through my ears, y
he said, and accordingly went to the
concert.
For half an hour, carried away by
the music, he forgot, not merely his
pictures and his troubles, but every
thing around him too, and only knew
that his ear was being satisfied with
almost perfect harmony of sound.
Suddenly something made him look
up at the left hand side OF the third
row in the orchestra, and Instantly
the artists eye was attracted by two
faces of singular beauty, absolutely
alike in feature and expression, al
though one was that of a young man,
the other that of girl. Each had
very light brown hair, a broad white
forehead, dark eyes, broad nodded
nose and chin, and mouth that told
of firmness and decision. Both were
leaning slightly forward in the self
same attitude, and appeared to be en-
tirely entranced by the music.
IL ceased AZ length, and Cecil with
drew his eyes for "a moment as he
joined in the applause. When he
looked back again he could scarcely
believe that those were the same two
faces he had been gazing upon before,
so changed were they now, so utterly
unlike each other in expression. The
fixed look of rapt attention, which had
made them almost seem as though
carved in stone. had passed from both
faces. Over the girls countenance,
rs she turned to speak to her brother,
played a bright and tender smile, sof-
tenIng and irradiatlng "A beauty which
had before seemed somewhat stern
and cold. But the stern lines about
the young mans mouth had deepened
and there were others now visible on
his brow that told of suffering, sor-
row and care. Evidently the habitual
gloom of his expression had onl y been
chased away for few moments by
the charm of the music.
One of Beethovens symphonies
again struck the same chord of feel
ing in the two souls, and the two
faces grew strangely alike again
when it ceased they changed once
more.
Who could they bef What was
the life story that had SO marked the
mans face2 Cecil found himself
wondering. Hitherto he had been
too much self centcred ;Snever had
his interest been SO deeply stirred be-
fore.
Lady Eleanor thought him rather
absent rs he took her to the carriage
and drove back with her; she feared
that her plan for distractlng his mind
from his work had not succeeded, lit
tie dreaming that by means of it had
been granted To him an inspiration
that was to raise and purify his whole
future life
He went home to make vain en-
deavOrS to put ON canvas the two
faces that had SO muSh attracted him;
and when Saturday came around he
took his seat betimas in the, orchestra
of St James Hall, hoping to catch
another glimpse of the lovely maiden
and her melancholy brother. Nor
was he disappointed there they were
below him, where he could gaze upon
them comfortably without attracting
their attention. 1t was well for him
that he was SO placed, for if the broth
err CHANGED to notice that any one was
staring ut his sister, he rewarded the
attention with wrathful look that
was almost enough to terrify the of
fender Cecil did not fail to notice
this, and III his mind named the pair
"Una and the Lion"
On the next Saturday he went be-
fore the orchestra door was opened,
waited until they came, and, deter
mined To brave 1.-The Lions wrath,
took the seat next to him. He then
bought one of the SiXpennv books of
music, and, finding that his nelghbor
did not do so, veutured to ask if he
would like To see it before the concert
began.
The Lion was ON the point of
grutlly rejecting the civility, when
far Una leant forward and said
pleasantly, "Oh, thank you; should
like to see it very much; y and her
surly guardian was forced TO take the
book.
While she was looking at it he cast
Side-long chances at the presumptuouS
mortal who had veutured To address
him. The inspection proved satlsfa.-
tory, for Cecil Anstruther, though
poor came of good old family, and
in look and bearing was every inch a
gentleman This the other could not
help seeing, and reporting of his rude
ness he condeScended, as he handed
back the book, to make some remarks
upon the music.
During the intervals between the
pieces Cecil followed up his advantage,
and when the concert was over and
they left the hall, the three were en-
gagged in SO interesting conversation
that, as their homeward road went
for some time in the same direction,
il was good while before they sep
arated. BY this time Cecil, always
frank and open, had told his new &C
Quaintance tina he was painter, and
at parting he gave the young man he
card, and begged that he would pay
him visit il ever he were in the
neighborhood of his studio; he had
also heard that the Christian name of
the other was Geotfrey, but his sur
name he did not discover, nor "Una's"
real Christian name, nor the place of
their abode. Much astouished was he,
therefore, when on Monday afternoon
card bearing the inscription, Mr..
Geotfrey Carew," was brought in to
him. BE had the presence of mind
hastily TO cover the portrait of Mr..
Godfrey Carew's sister, on which he
had been feasting his eyes, before his
friend of Saturday walked in.
OF course Cecil was delighted to see
him. They talked at first ON general
subjects, then Mr. Carsw inspected
the pictures that surrounded him; and
Cecil felt that he had seldom had a
critic more keen to appreciate both
the merits and the defects of his
painting; but all the while he was in
agony lest he should raise the cover of
the easel that stood in the middle of
the room. Luckily, however, Mr..
Carew did not even ask the subject of
the picture, supposing that it was
some unfinished thing which the ar
tist did not wish to exhibit.
Al last aS he was leaving with an