The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1889-12-20
AN ARTISTS IDYL.

AN ARTISTS IDYL,
It was in the midsummer Of 18-
that q lad Of sixteen or seventeen years,
but so small he appeared much younger,
might have been seen in the province
of A. driving before him two or
three dozen sheep. The youthful shop
herd had That thoughtful, sad express
Gion, peculiar to those who spend much
Of their time in solitude. Romauccs
had not turned Petit Fierre's head. for
such WAS his name. lie did n0t know
bow to read, nevertheless he was q
dreamer. Day after day he would lean
against q tree, his eyes wandering over
che horizon IN q sort Of. ccstatic con-
temptation.
What was he thinking OFF He did
not know himself. He saw the sunrise
and sunset, the different tints Of the
Collage, the shadows Of cloud ana
mountain, without taking heed thereof,
but they influenced him nevertheless,
and he-SSaught it weak spirited, almost
on inllrmity, to be thus influenced by
water, woods and sky. IIo would say
to himself, s"Thore Is nothing SO won
u6lltl Ill dll UlllO1 plCCo NlO llOu ASkCs
neither is the earth, why should l stop
60 look at an oak or q hill, forgetting
cverytlllngp Without Fidele I would
have lost moro than one sheep, ana tho
master would beat me-. Why am l not
like the otllcrs-big and strong, always
singing--instead Of spending my time
looking at the grass, my sheep?" One
might have almost thought that Petit
Pierre was III lovc-but ho was not
sylvan shepherds are not SO precocious,
and this Corydon had hardly yet noticed
O. Phyllis.
Entering a meadow covered with fine
grass, dotted here and there with
elumps Of trees, altogether Il picturesque
spot, Petit Pierre threw himself on u
rock, ard leaning OH his stick looked
notf unlike u shepherd Of Arcadia,
wHile he gave himself up to his
Thoughts. His dog, sagaciously judging
the sheep would not go FAR from a spot
where the pasture was so inviting. with
his head OH his paws and his eyes fixed
sn his master, lay at his feet notion
Less. Tho sheep disported themselves
in their happy, needless fashion. 1t
was q charming, peaceful picture-so q
younE ~airttAqught lle entered tN6
meallOQs lrDnl anollicr De,
'NNYtiAl WlQN9ly sue iOr aNelelljnrlis
M,QVl(ed, uAltluG Nnrf wing matelialti
tr3iit Pr|iun!a, w{.c{N Wlliiher.
HMF ~fIhYUe93ng htrycli { "a liuil9 llnolt.
lcgaluies d. is.t. fresh Mite robe, aud.
arranging her drawing materials, she
began with u firm llanu to sketch the
Ecene before her. A great straw hat
CAST Il Transparent shade over her lovely
features; Il glimpse Of her sunny hair,
In a round knot at tho back, made her
aoJ unlike one Of RuDcn's pictures.
Petit Pierre, absorbed as ho was, had
not at first noticed tho arrival Of this
charming apparition. Fidele had raised
his head. but seeing nothing particu-
sirly ~antagonlstic, returned to his or.
mer sphinx like attitude. When Petit
Pierre glanced finally on the dainty
white figure before him, he suddenly
;Sselt rs If his heart had stopped beating.
10 overcome this emotion he rose to
his feet, and whistling TO his dog left
the spot.
But that had never entered into tho
young girls calculation, who was about
putting III the young shepherd with his
flock as III Indispensable accessory. She
threw down her album and pencil and
flew III the direction OF Petit Pierre,
and insisted OH his returning to occupy
his former position on the rock.
"You," she said, laughingly, 'must
stay in this position until L tell you
that YOU can go-this arm u little more
forward, and your land II little tt the
left
AS She spoke, with her white, deli
cate hands She placed and arranged
Petit Pierre IN the position to suit her.
what beautiful eyes lie has, Lucy
FOR a PEASANTS eyes," she continued,
with another laugh to her maid.
The model arranged to suit her, the
l~ighl-hcarted young girl returned to her
drawing Which was soon finished.
"You can get up o and go, but it
fatigue l have caused you, remaining
still SO long, like II rustic saint.n
The shepherd very siiamefaccdly, worry
slowly, came to the yonng girls side,
who slipped u piece OF gold into his
hand.
"That Is to buy q new vest for the
Sunday fetes, " sho added.
The shepherd glanced furtively on the
half open album. stood translixed with
amazement, without closing his hand
where the new twenty frank piece
gliltered. The scales fell from his
eyes; Il sudden revelation came over
him. III & half stupefed voice he said,
following the different portions of the
drawing:
''Tilo trees, the stones, the rock, the
dog-and | am here, the sheep, too, on
this paperl"
The young girl, amused at his admi-
4. ration and naive astoDishment, showed
him other drawlngs-lakes, chatcaux,
rOcks-tllen, as IL was growing dark,
she rose and with her maid disappeared
Oh tho road to a great chateau.
Petit Pierre followed her with his
eyes as long as q ,old Of her gown re.
NAMED III sight. The humble shepherd
began to have q confused idea What 1t
meant to watch The trees, the clouds,
the landscape. The emotion lie cxpe-
rienced on seeing anything beautiful