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

It was In the midsummer Of 49,
chat 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
J three dozen sheep. The youthful shep-
herd had that thoughtful, sad express
alon, peculiar to those who spend much
of their time i'll solitude. Romauces
had not turned Petit Fierre's head. for
4 such was his name. IIe did not know
bow to read, nevertheless ho was u
{ dreamer. Day after day he would lean
F., against a tree, his eyes wandering over
Che horizon IN q sort Of ecstatic COLI
temptation.
What was he thinking OFF Ife did
not know himself. He saw the sunrise
ana sunset, the different tints Of the
Collage, the shadows Of cloud and
mountain, without taking heod thereof,
out they influenced him nevertheless.
and h~e.-5SSught it weak spirited, almost
al intrlnity, to be thus influenced by
water, woods and sky. Iio would say
TO himself, "Therc is nothing SO won
derful i'll all this; trees are not rare;
aeitlier is the earth, why should I stop
&c look at iii oak Oh Il Till, forgetting
cverythingp Without Fidele I would
have lost moro than II sheep, anu tho
master would beat me. Why am 1 not
like the others-big and strong, always
ginging--instead of spending my time
looking ut the grass, my Sheep" Ono
might have almost thought that Petit
Yierre was in love-but lilo 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
clumps Of trees, altogether picturesque
spot, Petit Pierre threw himself on u
rock, pid leaning on his stick looked
mott unlike q shepherd Of Arcadia,
wbile lie gave himself UP to his
thoughts. His dog, sagaciously judging
The sheep would not go far from q spot
where the pasture was so inviting. with
his head on his paws and his eyes fixed
on his master. lay at his feet motion
Less. Tho sheep disported themselves
in their happy, needless fashion. 1t
was q charming, peaceful picture--so a
roung Girl brought q lie'entetod Tie
meadow it>Nl unothGr do.
''iYhAt q lov2ly spQ ior sbctchingr'
hle-rried, taklug hnr wing lhatellals
" yfunl ller fYda!d, wEoN With her.
Thru ,Ylng hgrself N a little knoll,
tegaldlc95 q ii4r fresh lite robe, and
arranging her drawing materials, she
began with Il firm hand to sketch5the
scene before her. a great straw hat
CAST il Transparent shade over her lovely
features; y glimpse Of her sunny lair,
In a round knot at the back, made her
not unlike one Of Ruben's pictures.
Petit Pierre, absorbed as he was, had
not at first noticed the arrival Of this
charming apparition. Fldele had raised
his lead, but seeing nothing particu-
larly altagonistic, returned to Ills or.
mer sphinx like attitude. When Pctit
Pierre glanced finally on the dainty
white figure before him, he suddenly
glelt 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 in the young shepherd with his
flock as an Indispensable accessory. She
threw down her album and pencil and
flew IN the direction Of Petit Pierre,
and insisted Oh his returning to occupy
his former position on the rock,
You" she said, laugllingly, "must
stay in this position until L tell you
that YOU q go-this arm Il little moro
forward, and your hand u little to tho
left
AS she spoke, with her white, deli
cato hands She placed and arranged
Petit Pierre in the position to suit her.
What beautiful eyes lie has, Lucy
2or a PEASANTS eyes," she continued,
with another laugh to her maid.
The model arranged to suit her, The
light-hearted young girl returned to her
drawing which was soon finished.
you can get up now and go, but it
ls only fair | should reward you for tho
fatigue I have caused you, remaining
still 80 long, like u rustic SAINT
The shepherd very sllamefacedly, very
slowly. came to the Young 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.opon album. stood transllxed with
amazement, without closing his hand
where the new twenty frank piece
glittered. The scales fell from his
eyes; a sudden revelation came over
him. LII & half stupefied voice he said,
following the different portions Of the
drawing:
cite trees, the stones, the rock, the
dog-and | am here, the sheep, too, on
this paperln
The young girl, amused at his admi-
ration and naive establishment, showed
him other drawings-lakes, chateaux,
rocks-tren, as it was growing dark,
she rose and with her maid disappeared
on tile road to a great chateau.
Petit Pierlo followed nor with hia
eyes rs long as iold Of her gown 10.
NAMED IN sight. The humble shepherd
began TO have a confused idea what it
meant to watch the trees, tho clouds,
The landscape. The emotion lie expe-
riencod on seeing anything beautiful
assumed different proportions. lie was
neither then a fool nor an imbecilo. lie
lad seen on the chimney-piece III the
cottages images Of Gcnevieye do Bra
bant, and the Mother Of Sorrows, with
III her seven 01rOHa imhnldo1 a ~ hnr