The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1889-09-21
Stlert Sturp.
MY DRESDEN SHEPHERDESS,
From BclErayla-
CHARTER l.

CHARTER l.
Nv father had been portrait painter
I Of some little uote in his day, but he dieJ
while | was still in the nursery. leasius my
mother to determine my career for me
She foudly but enormously imagining that
the mantle Of my father mus; Of necessity
descend upon his only child, had me ciu.
Gated As an artist. am net clear that she
could have taken . better eeursc, for | Wat
one Of lhos., awkward and isnializing speci
mems Of humanity who exhibit no marked
bias or prelilecliou 10 help decision.
distributed my affections with magnificent
imrar,iality among music. science, art. in
deed. ANYTHING to which friend or a cir,
cumstaEce called my fccting attention
In due course I went 10 the academy
aud had The opportunity Of seeine--l Dc
not 20 So far a. 60 say studyiug-,bc an.
taeouistic methods of the great painters Of
the day. also Of lganing what my fellow.
studcrfss could teach me They. too. were
nos without their conflicting ideas upon
ATT. but concerning me they had uuani-
nous opinion Il was-ihat shoald
never paint docen, Visare.
rc.rct 10 have O. recor1 that up % thc
present nothing has occsrros3 to prove that
opinion III founded
I did. however, develop talent !or
patching and ,acnding, whieh has stood
u1c 10 good stead a. regards that uut-to-b--
ls-pisci question, au inoomc--a necessary
my father had no more h,!uea:hei to me
than has genius
,ri,-i ny hand 6r-t uPon portrait Of
INV rrras aunt which ! ana sorry 90 say
had fallen a victim ,o ihe goy-plsiol of my
knick .rbockcr days, and 50 completely DAD
restore she lady 60 he's feFmcr appear
anec that I had the qualification Of hearing
my work angruisiuelg praised by somo of
my fathers old friead--my hr-t exp
ricncc cf the kind
If yoa canu0; paint an original PIE
ture. said one "a ,hem. AZ least you can
restore ems in a manner traly brilliant
80 in the coursc Of time | 80, gruat
deal Of this work 70 da and took a rial
pleasure in Is
one morning, after had bcrS folioEins
this vocation for some years wJth success
found On entering ms mothers hrcak-
f.ust-ro7m letter from an old fellou stu
dent, \ Fieh wilower hyiug IN ihe oouu-
try had. il appeared, purchased 3 number
II dilapidatel pictures which he heeonsidcrs,i
too valuable 80 b. trusted cut # bis sight,
and he wanted some one trustworthy 70
restore tham on The sPos.
Il have ysEturcd, wrote my friend, TO
mention your name "a him, bnt warn you
that the picsur,s are in az probability mere
rubbish. for Mr. Heath Is a known victim
of unprineiplcd dealers, and can b. per
suadcd % buy any picture, provided It has
a sufficient number Of costs Of 1irt aud
yarnish 10 render il dark aud mysterious
But. nv dear Compton, be viii pay Ike a
prince and runor goes that be has an
uncommouly pretty daughter.
l smiled Al the last sentence. My cor
respondent Buruleigh By name was in
aud out Of love three times a year ou an
average, while was either - una,,Eac,ive
or over-lastidious that | bad no tender
episode Of my own to relate at the club OF
dream Of in the solitude Of my studio Il
was said Of me that should end by mar
rying lady chiefly conspicuous for the
absence of all the charms which theorcti
cally was known to set such store by
But in this case my friends prophesied les.
truly than they did regarding my painting
As this story viii show.
A few days after the receipt Of Burn
+ leigh letter all my arrangements wer,
complete, and l set forth to perform my
( patching task" at Mr. Heath's residenc,
among the Surrey hills, aud possibly
thought | speculatiyely, TO fall in love will
tke pretty daughter But withal l was
skepueal