Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1890-10-11
THAT CUPBOARD.

When Aunt Mehitable died she left
her niece Bessie curious cabinet, so
ugly, Bessie thought, that a few days
before she married Victor Harper she
packed it off to a storage warehouse.
When the storehouse man died she re-
ceived letter from his widow inform
ing her that the old cupboard had been
loaned to a genteel boarding house
keeper, where it would receive the best
of care.
The lady who kept boarders unfortu-
nately found it impossible to make tlnan-
cial ends meet, and at the end of year
gave up her clientele, and the next ten
ant put the old cupboard up into an un-
used room.
Its queer thing" said he, "but I
suppose somebody'n call for it some day
or other And, as it don't eat nor
drink, there it may stay"
There, accordingly, it remained until
one day long bearded aesthete pene-
trated into the deserted room where it
stood against the wall, and, much edited
by its decorations and age mellowed
tints, straighaway brought other critics
to see it.
"Bess, said Mr.. Harper, as he smoked
his cigar by the tireside one evening,
I've seen treasure to-day-a perfect
art treasure.
"lndeed?"
Bess was ci~S ged now. Not less beau
tiful, but less provincial. She wore long
clinging gowns of dull sage color, and
sat on a madonna blue sofa, with her
hair knotted low at the back of her head,
while the carpet was of one shade OF
gray green and the curtains Of another.
There were no brilliant colors now to
battle with each other, no gaudy tints,
no startling effects; but only tender
blending hues and soft shadows surround
ing her like an aureole.
"A genuine Antwerp cabinet" said
the artist. I'D give thousand dollars
for it.
"Then why don't you buy it?" muir
INJURED Bess, who in this refined atmo-
sphere was changed in voice and manner,
as we'll as in dress.
"That's the worst of it," said Mr.. Har-
per. 1t can't be bought.
"Not for thousand dollars" with up
raised eyebrows.
mot for any money"
"What is an Antwerp cabinet, any
way p vaguely questioned Bess.
"It's thing of beauty" her husband
answered enthusiastically. "a joy for
ever! A poem done in dark wood! A
dream of medieval art! I'll take you to
see it tomorrow, Bess. It's in the old
room above Varley's studio. All the fell
lows are raving over it. don't think
there's anything finer on this side of the
water, unless it's that one in the Middle
sohn collection in Philadelphia.
And then he relapsed into silence, star
ing at the fire and smoking harder than
ever.
Bessie went with him the next day to
"the old room above Varley's studio. to
look at .he poem done in dark wood. 1"
She clasped her hands with little cry.
"Oh, Victor" she cried, "it'f mine!"
"Yours?"
Young Harper stared at her with eyes
of wide open amazement.
"That old Aunt Mehitable Barlow left
me, said Bessie, sin her will. And II
didn't understand the value of such
things as do now. And sent it to Nal
vina Perkins to be stored in her hus-
bands warerooms, and she left it with
Mrs. Duckworthy, who used to live here
and keep boarders-at least this is the
number-and when Mrs. Duckworthy
failed she must have gone off and forgot
ten all about it. So this is an Antwerp
cabinet, is it? Well, do remember that
Aunt Mehitable told me over and over
again how Uncle Joe bought it from a
merchant in Antwerp the last time but
one that he ever sailed there. He was a
sea captain, Uncle Joe was, and the house
was full Of"
But Bessie's explanation was cut short
by Victor's shout of triumph, as he
waved his velvet cap in the air.
BLESSED be Aunt Mehitable's MEM
ory!" said he II wouldn't sell this cab
met for 1000 golden guineas!"
The artists gathered around, congratu-
,ating, envious, loudly applauding by
turns. Bessie looked in sweet eyed sur
prise from one to the other.
After all, what was there in an old
antwerp caplnet W hlnule suoh d heile
of enthusiasm.
"Harper's wife is very handsome, :"
whispered the brotherhood of artists one
to another, "but her mind must run in
very narrow groove. The idea of her
not knowing the value of treasure like
that!"
Emperor Wilhelm of Germany keeps
personal supervision over even the
museums. He spent whole day not
long ago in the Art Museum at Berlin
indicating where some cartoons by Kaul-