Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1885-01-06
THE LITTLE MODEL.

II happened. in the winter of 1879, that
was Tnavoidably compelled TO leave college
and spend q few months in retirement, hop
ing in the meantime that MY uncle might Ia
able 10 effect compromise with the faculty
The nature of my oifense has no bearing on
this story. 1t was simply judged lie / fol
me 10 seek out n secluded place ntere Their,
would he no temptation 10 the detrinlent u
examining ] cAos. Burlin, as being q
Cousin Douglas llsca of refuge. Here wa.
his oddly p!ann d house, all studio, wher,
he went when the fever Of work vas upol
Kim
Half settled in my quaer LITTLE hotel,
STAGED only t. unpack brush an J comb be
fore hqsteaiag over TO OakWool 4 brigh;
light shone from the ire GUAR. Gns-story
e,lifice. The inhabitants of Burlin pro
nouncei Dou..as' house heatlenish, but il
only characteristic. There gere three
rooms, a vesti5uls connected by heavily
curtained archway with the s;u Ito proper
ian ormous halD, beyond viii h wa, tins
sleepiug room with toile. canyelicnces
Floor and wallssyeTe 81 solid oak: thor. wer,
great windows, through which Sun shaft,
fell, giving the hyn-skin ON the floor "a faysny.
eastern glow Ia n corner quite a day,
journey from, tire studi half oi the room
where tie easel i ,ol VA "a writing de x: IN
annthe., the piano
Tonight great fir, va roaring up the
chinucy's w.d thr AT. bru las sat close
beside it, stretching hi thin, white hands e
the blaze. opened In door after clanc
of the knockeT. AMI pushed side the portiera
t. find him within, bending forward. h. face,
which had grown strangely thin since | saw
it last, ablaze with some eager anticipation.
II was not fiatter:ag - see the light die sud
denly out, leaving friendly gloT enough,
but one quite different from that sunshine Of
welcome.
You, Jack lad boy T. said. taking
10th M hands and looking with guizzical
indulgence into my cI-imsJlIng fac. They
wrote me about it Before III 10
suspended
so 1t SEEMS sou were, before lny day l
ietorted, plucking up courage. L didn't
draw cnrIca;ures, cousin Douglas.7
NO, lad, lecause you c,uidnt Talents
differ. But Let l,y--onrs 70 where they de
serve and come IL the fire" He piled on
great brchen hog. and q tied myself in a
crimson char, in high Glae. With Douglas
always became younger than my years war
ranted and far happier. My, if had kept
with him my young ma1nish air, should
not have been shanicfaced at loving him as
did.
Wei, 50 you've come down here TO work. -
going back to his own seat and watching alb
seHtly the uncoiiing Of the missais Of bark
Partly; 10 see you, mostly. Douglas. don't
talk about grind Everybody has been at
me till I'm SICK. Talk Of your new picture
lie started, flashing his eyes on me s,ispi-
ciousiy.
"Who said had one here:'
Nobody. | know it. You haven't been
down here three months, working yourself
TO skin and bones fer nothing, Douglas: YOU
look like dis mbodied spirit
There arr such things, believe. - he said.
slowly. YES, | have worked har!.- He
elasped his hands i ;ht!y, and bent forward
again over the FIRE. Ii was evident that lie
neither heard nor SAW me in my own proper
person ! was merely voice calling out
voices from lis s,u, : ne tina. had been
long lr-y there among themselves stool
IN boundleSS ave Of hlm, hut I was Fever
afraid. Hi gentleneSs OF spirit seemed to
go through 10 his heart, core
''ShOw me the picture, Douglas, | ven
tured
''No. no: it isn't fnislel7 Still there was
some latent yielding in his tone
~oh, Douglas, show me tie cture.- lie
still sat, reasoning with himself as could
see. Then he rose, and put aside TIE inner
drapery. Il believe 1 wiIl couldn't show il
10 anybody else, but you are strangely to
to be trusted Presently he returned. but
without the picture.
Il think Ill tell YOU about it. first You
must know my full idea, and then Judge nav
WORK Ii is 'Staryation'-no I'll bring the
thing out ana let you interpret At which
l could but trenible. for fear my stupidity
and slowness Of understanding should yex
him. With that he pulled the canvas forth
and adjusted the light, falling back into the
shadow 10 watch me. Bu; in a few minutes
l could not but note how his ewes turned to
feed upon the picture, loving il ami forget
ting me. On the canvas lay level stretch
Of land shut in by mountain wall, and
covered 10y a low dun sky. Itch med rock.
here and there gave some little variety
OF form, e. be cuunteTacted toy the added
monotony of color. \ slight fiGure occupied
the foreground. every streamer If its gar
ments borne hack 10y what you saw T. be a
keen north wind. | could not fOrbear
sEudder. | seemed to feel the chill Of those
bare blue limbs
The boys arms were folded, and he CON
beauty OF the child's face was beyond de
scription. Tie skin was colorlrss, but Of the
Translucent purity OF I.soUnStone, tn. black
locks fell IN heavy 81 laches. and the eyes
held all tie mnuru:ulne>s and vaStnr=Ss Of a
midnight without a star. Despite tine no
tility of TIE face, Ilacidly regnant. Us it
seemed. over physical rain, there was the
pinched hook given 10y extreme hunger; blue
circles under the eyes, and cruel dents of
the destroyer on the noStril, Dcu.lsS was
watching ME again.
There is more there than You SCI meant
more than the death Of the body. I-..ok into
the distance" Far leyond the scene II the
picture-you felt it 10 be beyond the boys
range of yision-the sky had rolled up. ex
posing a rosy vista into region beyond |
There were family TO he distinguished the !
outlines ~ faoes-cheruhic faces in joyful I
song
i have known many souls t. be hungry
said Douglas There are more souls - than /
bodies. Some are starved Take this child; /
what Is in its face"
] struggled Ia express myself. and ended 1
by blunderin;. cat. Everything
Douglas smiled.
~ :, ycu see u: poetry, music, love Of art .
and the ideal But the mountains hem him .
in from hints even Of the beautiful lie viii .
never reach il. He sees that and submits 10 /
his SLOW death Ike goi
He stood with folded arms wOr>hiping his |
work marveled at the power Of love lying /
IN artists FOR canvass and clay.
Is il all cat OF your own head, Douglass
Ecu, what head
i had a model" he answered, hastily, car
Iying the ri ture hack int, the neSt room.
~ go. JacE. Como to-mo row night
And mind" he calei after me. mind You
don't tel wing sou about this.
pr miSei nj went not in tbs at Of
fend Z at MY summary dismissal
took il for granted that geaia> might .
have moods at anothe- man could not I
share. But what had come over pouElasl
Bright as a star. sometimes an uncanny
demon in mood, he had never before be
trayed diseased melancholy. Some hard
blow must have shaken him out OF himself.
Ny thoughts were interrupted when reached
home by finding stronger in the hotel par.
ior. Iva.
I've Smirke- ] had not lived In college
town for nothing l knew few OF
the local celebrities, ard prided myself &C
cordingly He Was dressed in a suit Of cler-
ical cut and hue. and his face WAS smooth.
both rs to fact and metaphor Perhaps the
might not have suggested itself
had not seen Smirke in n dress almost iien-
teal made an excu e for locking at the
visitors book. and found he had registered
himself rs Rev. Augustus Miller. Being
Young and ON the lookout for adventure and
mystery. al plauded myself for my iHtui-
ton. declared | was right and that Smiri.e
4