Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1886-12-08
HER "STEP ASIDE"
Pauline, However, Got Back Into
the True Path.

Nj. Nalrey gave painting lessons In
fashionable New York boarding school
He was a tall, spare man, whose eye,
brows were just touched with gray, al.
though his hair had grown quito white.
His face was shaved clean, so that the
deep lines showed plainly, but failure
and sorrow had aged him more than
years, for in spite of his wrinkles and
white hair he was not yet 60. AT 80 he
had married and brought his wife to
New York, hoping to win the fame and
fortune denied him in France, and he
won neither Still, he struggled along
gaily for awhile, believing that tho rich
Amer cans must sooner or later buy his
pictures, give him orders, heap wealth
and honor upon him; but the rich
Americans ignored his very existence,
and poor Paul Valrey drank the cup OF
disappointment TO the dregs before the
cup of poverty was forced to his lips.
Finally, when his little stock of money
had dwindled down to handful of dol
lars, his wife bore him child, and the
doctor who attended her let Valrev
paint his portrait in payment for pro-
fessional services. The portrait was ex-
cellent and brought him few orders,
and he managed to keep a loaf in the
cupboard, but at last he was glad to exc
out living by teaching. He had
neither reputation nor influential friends
to back him, and for long time it was
hard struggle to get pupils, but in the
course of ten or twelve years he achiev-
cd some measure of fame as teacher
of drawing and painting.
HIS daughter, when his wife dies, be-
comes tho one object OF his existence.
He taught her how to draw and paint.
he had her read and speak French
with him, he educated her as
well as he could, and Pauline Valrey
grew up in the belief that all there was
for her to do in life was to teach, and
accepted her calling without dreaming
OF adopting any other. When she was
almost twenty he succeed in getting her
position in Nine. Kcnyon's famous
school for young ladies, where he had
given lessons for several years, and she
began with teaching the rudments of
French and taking charge of the
youngest drawing pupils. TWAS of her
that he wished to speak to Nine. Ken
yon, and when the note had been writ
ten and the tea brought in, he preached
the subject delicately. Pauline had been
two months in the school, and he want
ed to know whether she gave satisfac-
ton. He knew Nine. Kenyon too well
to think that she would keep teacher
| for any sentimental reason.
mile. Valrcy has the gift of instruc-
tion," said Mime. Kenyon, promptly.
al have been watching her closely since
she came, and | am convinced that as
she grows older she will develop into a
teacher whose services will be very val
liable. Moreover, Monsieur, she has
such charming manners that she SUBJ
dues my wild Western girls by sheer
gentlencss, and | hope they will take
pattern by her. 1t is quite useless, you
know, to preach manners; it is only by
example that hoyden can be trained.
And my teachers must be able to do
something more than correct exercises
and hear recitations; sthey must help
me to refine, Monsieur. do not claim
to send out learned women as Vassar
or Girton do, but when young lady
has been with me three or four years I
expect her to conduct herself properly
in drawing room or at dinner table,
to speak low and use good English, to
dress suitably and word note neatly.
1t is harder to teach all this than to
teach Greek or astronomy"
M. Valrey bowed; he had heard these
remarks many times before, and he
only murmured:
1T is indeed, madame, far more diff
6cult."
Ho had drank the tea, which he abb
horred, and he looked ut the fragile,
painted cup in silence for q minute;
then he said:
81 hope you will be friend to my
daughter always. She may need
friend any day, and you may need a
new painting teacher"
Pauline joined her father after this
interview with the mistress of the fash
ionable school, and as she helped him
into his great coat she brushed speck
off his shoulder; she gave him his hat
and stick, and they went out together
to the busting avenue, and walked
toward the park. She was like him,
tall and slight; it was from her mother
that she had inherited delicate features,
fine-grained, white skin and bright
brown hair and eyes. She could have
sat to the most fastidious of painters
for portrait of lady, but no painter
could catch the charm of her smile, ac-
companied as it often was by faint
flush in her cheeks that faded while
one was wondering what had lit up the
pale face. She looked somewhat older
than her years; she had been trained in
n school that makes girl of twenty a
woman. Her mother had taught her
TO use needle deity, and she could
fashion dress or trim a bonnet to
accord well with her face or figure; she
had true Frenchwomans knack of
putting aroll of lace around her neck
or tying ribbon at her throat. For
her father, she cared in sort of natural
way, looking after his clothes and scold-
ing him gently about his collars, and
she honored him as she loved him, and
since her mothers death she had hardly
had a companion save him. He was
always undemonstrative sometimes So
we're toward her, but she knew that she
was all that kept his heart beating in his
bosom.
She and her father talked but little as
they made their way to the avenue, for
1t was a raw, clustering November day,
and the wind blew the dust hither and
thither in clouds, seeming to take q
mischievous delight in whirling hand
full against girls face. When they
reached the park they got into a belt
line car, which, in its rounds on the
edge of tho town, would carry them to