Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1886-11-01

hueH tufnPU nor uOG cheek 10 tue
pane in disdain of my common sense.
Then suddenly / saw the hot eyes
were glittering with tears.
ssYou are sick, Ruth" I said,
drawing her to me in schoolgirl
fashion. 1t was the first time she
had ever yielded to an offered ca
ress.
Sick of being girl-yes," she
said, burrying her face on my shoul-
der.
.Well, there's no help for that
now, dear. If you mean that as
boy you would have better chances
in life, it's probably true, but there's
no use thinking of it. And even a
girl nowadays, if she is willing to
work, can do good deal. We have
better luck than our mothers did,
Ruth
"See here" she answered, fiercely.
"Here's girls luck. My brother
and are sent away to school togeth-
Ell. He's to have four years of the
best instruction and then time to
study for his profession. | must be
very thankful for one year in
school half as good as his aud then
go back to a farm five miles from a
railroad station and wait for my des-
tiny to come to me. We're poor you
know. But father means that the
boys shall be educated. He don't
think it necessary for me. A year
to learn a little bad French and some
manners is enough. I shall 60 home
to take care of the younger children,
or If I'm ambitious to earn my living,
can teach country school and get
as much in month as Astor will
earn in week. Indictments to ef-
fort, you see.
"But Ruth, you study because you
love it, know that, and if you have
energy and talent you can make a
place for yourself with time and pa
tience."
"And genius. But 1 have only a
little talent, as much as my brothers,
I think. Of course l can get stand
ing room if | have talent enough,
only a woman needs twice as much
as man. She has so much more to
keep. o, should never be Hos
mer or Bonheur, ] know that, but
/ could make something of myself.
The books say woman's life is in
those around her, her husbands or
her brothers career. But l never
could get so devoted to Astor as to
forget myself. One needs more per-
feet brothers for that. | have tried,
tried hard, but l can't. See here
She rose hastily and took an old
portfolio from her trunk. ''My tai
ent Is for drawing. I'm to have les
sons here as soon as-as father
thinks / can afford it. Astor needs
a good deal just now, so l can't be-
gin probably till the second term,
Some people told mother once that
had good deal in me. Look here
and tell me what you think of them u
"They're only dreams," she said
softly, her eyes shining at my praise,
20, | had lessons one term of the
doctors daughter,-I learned to
handle pencil, and then / went on
alone. Part of these are out of my
own head. This" turning up ST.
, Cecilia, 'is copy. I saw the pho.
tograph."
s'It's a Carlo Dolce,' l said lit
tie vain of knowing.
"Qf COURSE" she said impatiently
~ know something of almost al
those old painters. If ] could eve
hope to see their pictures" Ani
she lifted the copy to show a large
!, sketch under it-an angry sea, fly
ing ship; how with her little skill sh,
had been able to give such motion tt
everything one could not tell. From
the parting clouds the moon looked
out, wierd, half-human scorn on it
face as it watched the ship flying t,
its doom,
s'You were born for an artist
; Ruth" | said impetuously. ''Go,
has been very good to give you sucl
!. a talent"
She swept all the sketches away
: "And if man will give me a chanc
to develope it! Now you know VIII
{ | talked so to you. [ had to speak
:. The burden gets unbearable some
times. I want to be an artist and
, can't"
"You can, Ruth, if you will"
j "But girls duty is at home, 20
|. know. / could not go away to learn
70 Even this year is hard for mothe
u and the rest. If Astor had thi
,r talent he would go to seek his fol
a tune with it, and every one woul
10 applaud his effort. l must hide it i
," the napkin of Huntley's Crossing an
develope my asthetio sense in cake
at and pies.'
m ''No indeed, you must not. Some
y thing shall be done. | will speak
X Miss Lane. Have you shown he
70 these things? No? O, you sh
an little thing But now that | hav
y found you out, something shall b
is done,a | repeated
She looked up at me wistfully as
i'd kissed her. ''And you don't thin
n me very, very naughty to talk so?
Il