Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1886-11-19
THE TWO ARTISTS.

crept with a SOFT SOUND; anu Ailce
Aylmer stopped moment at the
door of the old ruined lighthouse
to talk with David NELL, the boat
man.
"Another artist 7" said she. "At
Crescent Pointi Oh, why can't
they keep away p
81 suppose, MISS" said David,
with a shrewd shrug of the should
ers as he went on caulking the
seams of his battered old boat,
"they think lisa slightly place. I've
many q time wished | could paint
myself, when I've teen out on the
bay, of a moony night, or betwixt
day and dawn, when the sky was
all pinky red, and the mornin' star
a.shinin' like a lamp over the old
lighthouse top. But l hadn't never
no talent that way" he added, with
a sigh.
sis it a famous artist y Alice
asked, Tisttully.
Old David shook his head.
"There you have me, ag'in," said
he. ~ dunno much about them
things. His name is Ester6eld,
and he amt bsd.looking."
ooh n said Alice. "The husband
of that cross invalid at the Ocean
House. l pity him y she added,
with a sigh.
So she went on up the winding
stone stairway to the little lantern
chamber, which she had transform.
ed into an impromptu studio.
When the lightship off Crescent
Point had usurped the office of the
old lighthouse, Farmer Aylmer had
bid in the strip of seashOre and the
rulnous stone building at a nominal
price.
"Itll do to store salt-hay and
seaweed in" said he eff it amt
good for nothing else"
But Alice, his granddaughter,
had pleaded for it.
at will make such a nice studio
for me, grandfather" she said, and
she had her way.
Alice Aylmer loved art with a
genuine love, and she put all her
soul into the glowing little pictures
that she sketched on the conch'
shells and bits of floating spar and
stones washed into perfect ovals
by the restless ebb and flow of the
tides.
Each of them was a little gem in
its way, and as they we're sold, one
by one to the fine ladies and Ian
guild "vacationists' at the hotel, it
gave Alice a secret pang to part
with every one.
But it was her bread-winner, that
delicate taste Of hers in color, per-
spective and line. Farmer Aylmer
was old and feeble, and it pleased
( Alice to think that she was helping
the kind grandfather who had been
all the parent that she had ever
known.
Up to this time she had had no
rival in this special line ::of art,
and she was a little amazed when
old David announced the appear
ance of this new artist on the field
Of action.
"Butff he has an invalid wife to
support, 1 can't so much blame
him." she thought. ''Poor fellow !!
Every one has trials in this world,
so far as can seel"
When she came out of the light
house at noon-she would like to
have prosecuted her work a little
longer by this glorious midday
glow, if it had not been for getting
her grandfatheTs dinner, at the
old farmhouse under the cliff-she
saw a young man sitting on the
keel of David Neilps upturned
boat, and talking with this sturdy
tOiler of the sea.
"Bere's the gentleman | was
tellin' We bout, Miss Alice" said
David, with a simple ceremony of
introduction. "Mr. Esterfeld, this
is our Miss Alice"
Mr.. Esterfeld took off his broad
brimmed hat and bowed courte-
Ously.
~ am told that your family owns
this picturesque old ruin,' said he,
inclining his head toward the light
house.
"Yes,' said Alice.
81 should like to rent it for a
studio"
81 already occupy it as a studio"
said Alice, stihy.
"Indeedl Them said he, "yOu
are the young lady who paints
those little couch.shells and smooth
stones. They are very pretty, in
deed.r
Alice bowed with conscious pride
"That room up there would be a
glorious studio " said Mr.. Ester
field, longingly. "COuldn't you
give me easel.rOom theref l think
the sight of the sea and the sound
of the breakers would inspire me-"
81 have no more space than l
myself need to occupy" said Alice,
more frigidly than before.
Was it not bad enough for this
patronizing artist to come here at
all, poaching ESQ to speak on her
manor, but he must even want to