The Press., 1890-08-14


 little north studio, gazing long at the bit of landscape framed in by the lower half window-the red sunset across the snow, the thread of river tangled among far away hills, and the tall red chimney of the distant foundry towering with as much dignity as though it marked the site of famous battle or the burial place of 8 hero. At little distance a cluster of houses-their bright sides turned toward the setting sun-gave an inhabited look to the landscape, and a rising whiff Of smoke from the yellow brown chimney of yellow brown house near by assured Katherine that she was not the sole in- habitant of the universe.
 This little north studio, unfurnished save by huge fur rug and the necessa- ry chairs and easel, together with some studio properties of drapery and the ike-was nevertheless lavishly dec- orated as to it's walls, where charcoal Apollos and Minervas and numerous sightless crayon people hung in profu- sion, together with dashy little water color landscapes, sepia sketches, still life studies, and some more ambitious at tempts from life. Katherine Weatherly herself, sitting in the fading light, might have made an interesting study in mon- ochrome with her dove gray gown. her face so wan and pale, almost ashy in hue, and the soft rings of her hair gray -ah, so gray.
 Yet she was not old. Only twenty four years had passed over that fair head, but sorrow had dwelt much with her; her happy days were easily num- bered. In childhood little Katherine Star had had a loveless home. At IS she married Roger Weatherly, thinking her sorrows were ended and life had begun at last. They went abroad for time. Means were not lacking. Life broad ened. No longer drear and monotonous, it was bright and eventful, fleeing all too fast. On their return from Europe the young couple went to Southwick, the early home of the Weatherlys before so many of that family had died and gone. A short lived race were they, and Roger, the only remaining Weatherly, was not favored above his kin, so that the old homestead at Southwick proved not an abiding home for him, for the consump- tive tendencies which were part of his birthright became stronger than tenden- cies and finally gained the mastery.
 So Katherine Weatherly, widowed at somewhat depleted through mismanage- ment, had to face life and her child's future with what courage she could muster. There was something left of her husbands portion and a small an- nuity of her own, but economy was needful to maintain the home, and that in due time the boys education might be compassed.
 Katherine's love of art had been the rainbow on the storm cloud of her life. In her young girlhood always drawing, in after years she was permitted few lessons with colors; and after her mar riage, in the happy travelling days, she had seized with avidity every chance offered for lessons-in Paris, studies from the antique; at Nice, in water colors; in Munich and Dresden, in oils from life. So that a fair art education, albeit some what desultory, was hers, and what time she gave to her art, together with the care of her child, occupied all her days
 Although thus fully engrossed there were yet many lonely hours when cour- age faltered and heart failed. Katherine Weatherly was a woman of deepest sensi- bilities, of warm heart and earnest sym pathies. Few thought it, however. A cool reserve concealed in large degree her true nature. This reserve, natural to her, had been intensified by her sur- roundings all her life, and now her grief but increased it. With the outside world she l-td very little to do. Her child, her art, her home constituted her world. The other occupants of that home were old Prudence, the house. keeper at the old manse from time inn memorial, and John Pidgin, the boy, who by caring for the horse and the garden earned his home and schooling.
 The little town of:Southwick dated it's early history back into colonial times, and many of it's families were descended from Revolutionary heroes and worthies of that time. The architecture of many of it's buildings bore the stamp of those early days some of them quite English, some considerably Dutch; altogether CO., lonial were the dwellings in the quaint streets of the old village. The north end was almost new town of itself, which
 knew not old Southwick-the busy, en- terprising, iron manufacturing end-the thrifty sprout on last years bulb. North End was modern, progressive, commer- cial; So1lthwick a memory of what had been.
 The old Weatherly homestead was a little out of old Southwick-a rambling stone house, we'll supplied with the wood en balconies and gothic windows which were the pride of the period in which 1t was erected. A mansion it was consid- cred ill it's day, built for hospitality and festivity, as was testified by it's ample dining room, it's numerous guest cham bers and spacious ballroom in the third story. It was 8 fairly homelike place in this later day, with it's wide fireplaces and broad, sunny windows, it's old time furnishings, comfortable and inviting though anticipated, and Katherine's for eign knickknacks enlivening sundry niches and corners; albeit gentle decay was here and there observable, leaving the old manse but asemblallce of4ts for mer pretension to .boast of Fernwood the place had always been called, the dense woods on the east whese tiny .ra-