Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1890-08-26


Hester as her brothers and sisters would
never see her unless among the fadeless
blossoms of the world where crooked
things will be made straight.
March Gilchrist was not poeticai ex-
| cept with his brush. 1t was his tongue,
his song, his story. Through it, Hetty
Alling first learned to know him, yet
| they were never strangers after that
earliest meeting in the orchard. She
was a capital sitter, and he fingered
over her portrait as he dared not over
Testers for fear of wearying her.
While Hetty posed, and he painted, May
and Hester became warm friends. Miss
Gilchrist had her own sketch-bools, and
March improvised an easel for it which
was attached to the wheeled chair, in
desk-fashion. Under Mays tutelage,
Hester made study of apple
and another Of plumy grasses which
the overlooker praised with honest
warmth, and promised to keep forever
as souvenirs of the "pink-and-white
week" The robins were so used to the
sight of the social group that they OK.
changed tender condolences freely, over
head, as to summer plans and prospec
tive birdlings. Thor's massive bulk
f1attened, daily, the same area of sunny
turf. and he may have had canine
views as to the folly of working when
the sun was warm and the sod softest.
The orchard, where every tree was a
mighty bouquet, was an impervious
screen between the party and the streets
and such windows as commanded the
slope.
at is paradise, with rows upon rows
of shining, fluffy angels to keep out the
rest OF the worldl' said Hester, on the
afternoon of the last sitting. I'm glad
II is we who are inside! And not another
soul!"
March was dabbling his brushes in a
widc-mouthed bottle of turpentine, pre-.
paratory to putting them up
Nothing exclusive about her is
there?" he laughed to Hetty, in mock
admiration.
She answered in the same vein:
she was always an incorrigible
aristocrat!''
Say beggarly aristocrat, and free
your mind!" retorted Hester, good
humoredly. II don't care who knows it.
Who doesn't prefer a select coterie to o
promiscuous 'crush% I'd like to dig out
this orchard just as would a square of
turf, and set 1t down in the middle of
the South seas wherever they may be)
where the trees wouldn't shed their
blossoms the whole year around, and
we four-with the robins and Thor
thrown in, ornamentally-migh paint
and talk and live forever and dav.
used to wonder what answer | would
make to the fairy who offered three
w:Shes-but | am quite ready for her
now. Id fuse them all into oner
Are you sure? Goingl Going! the
last call! Gomez" cried March, bring
ing down his biggest brush a Ia auction
GERS hammer upon Thor's head
Gone it isl" responded Hester, fold
ing her tiny hands upon her heart, and
closing her eyes In an ecstacy of salts
faction. Let nobody speak for five
minutes. Look at your watch, Mr..
GilchristD For five minutes we will
make believe that the decd is done, and
we are translated. l hear the surf on
the shores of the dear little isle Of our
own"
Where the winds never sigh. and
the skies never weepl Hush"
They humored this one of her caprices,
as they had others. She was full of
fancios, some odd, some CHASTITY, some
graceful. Even practical May yielded
obedience to the mandate, and, laying
her head against the bole of the tree,