The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1890-10-19

KATHERINE vEATHERLY SAT ALONE n
THE LITTLH MOTH STUDIO.
Katherine Weatherly sat alone in the
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 talired chimneyof the
distant foundry towering with as much
dignity as though it marked the site
Of famous battle or the burial place Of
i hero. AT little distance cluster of
houses--their bright sides turned toward
the setting snn-gave sn inhabited look
to the landscape, and rising Whit 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, unfinished
save by huge fur rug and the necessa-
~ chairs and easel, together with some
studio properties" bits of drapery and
the Hke-was nevertheless lavishly dec
Grated as to its 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
teznpts from life. Katherine Weatherly
herself, sitting in the fading light, might
have made an interesting study in mon
ochroIne with her dove gray gown, her
face SO wan and pale, almost ashy in
hue. and the soft rings Of her hair gray
-ah, 50 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-
lbered. In childhood little Katherine
Star had had 1oveless home. At 18 she
married Roger Weatherly, thinking her
sorrows were ended and life had begun
at last. They went abroad for q time.
Means were rot 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, 50 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-
Icies and finally gained the mastery.
So Katherine Weatherly, widowed at
90, with an infant son and resources
somewhat depleted through mismanage-
Iment, had to face life and her child's
future with what courage she could
muster There was something left of
her husbands portion and small an
nuity of her own, but economy was
needful to maintain the home, and that
in due time the boys education might be
comprised.
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.
50 that 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 woman Of deepest sensi-
Ibil;ties, 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
bat increased it. With the outside
world she lad 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 i'm
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 its
early history back into colonial times,
and many Of its families were descended
from Revolutionary heroes and worthless
of that time. The architecture Of many
Of its 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
Fad was modern, progressive, CONNER.
cial; Southwick memory Of what had
been.
The old Weatherly homestead was a
little out Of old Southwick--a rambling
stone house. well supplied with the wood
en- balconies and gothic windows which
were the PRIDE OF the period In which il
was erected. A mansion it was conaid-
cred in its day, built for hospitality and
fegtivitys az was testified by its ample
dining room, its numerous guest cham
hers and spacious ballroom in the third