The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1891-04-15

uhC iIaS tuhBlSsi JhhlO ilau SOhS W AndhC
her attempt.
Then Phil was angry in good earnest
and inquired no more. Why what right
had she to--2 Then he remembered
that she was no longer his promised
wife and went back to his inventing, re-
solved fercely to mind his own business
and smother his feelings, and a discour-
aging job enough he found it.
Janie's idea of the advantage offered
by the city had been gathered from vari-
Gus unreliable sources, and her going
was cheered by the fancy that fortunes
there were to be had almost for the TAX
ing. She could paint little-butter-
cups and violets on saucers and placques
and the like-and fancied, poor child,
that she was destined, if not for great
artist, to at least make something of a
name and fame for herself
Her pretty little daubs would not sell.
But jamie, though sorely disappointed, e,
was not conquered, and she set bravely
to work and painted other pretty little
daubs, which did scarcely better than
their predecessors. One sold, after sever
al days, and the little girl chirked up
wonderfully for time. 1t was slower
work than she had anticipated, but with
perseverance she would win success after
awhile. Rome was not built in day.
And so she struggled on. Economic
as one will, board and other necessities
will eat up ones savings and jamie saw
the little store of money she had brought
with her decreasing day by day. And
still the little daubs did not sell.
Then, when at last she knew not which
way to turn, she secured chance to color
photographs for a miserable pittance pei
dozen.
Though she worked, poor child, to the
limit of her endurance, day after day,
till she grew wan, hollow-eyed and al.
ways weary, the scanty pay was scarce
sufficient to keep body and soul together.
This was very far from achieving thu
fame and fortune she had SO fondly ex
pected would be here. And there seemed
nothing brighter to which she could look
forward.
In fearful retrospection, in the solitude
VI nSl DdiICLl, CuCCIlCSs lOOul, llS 1ulS
little village she had left seemed NJ
longer mean and commonplace, but tn
brightest spot on earth. And the quiet
little home that poor Phil had planned
for her seemed in fancy almost like Para
! disc. And Phil-he was no longer tn,
commonplace clod to which her inspira
tion had likened him, but his talents tn
brightest, his honest face the dearest anC
his love the most desirable in the who'll
| wide world.
How she hated the inspiration that hat
tempted her to leave them and to 81
wrong Phil, dear old Phill Oh, i
she could only-but she was proud
this little jamie, and she could not g
back to them. And so the days dragged
drearily on.
Then, even the pitiful boon of tn,
photograph coloring was denied her, anc
she could find nothing to do even to earl
the few dimes necessary to keep life il
her weary little body. Her scanty stor
of pennies went one by one and no NOR
were added to them. She had no recon
mendations, no influence, that Nigh
have secured her a situation. Nobod
knew, nobody cared for the poor littl
struggling, despairing child. The ren
of her dismal little room came due an
there was no way of paying it. In
day or two she must give it up, an
then
Day after day she had sought for some
thing to do, be the reward ever so small
that would add to the pitiful remnant o
her fast disappearing store of dimes au,
pennies anything that was honorable
no matter how lily paid. But nobod
wanted her, and worn, weary, heart
sick, discouraged, she dragged hersel
back each tune to her cherries room
to sob herself supperless to unrefreshin
sleep.
She told herself that even Phil, deG
old Phil, would scarcely have known he
now. The bloom was gone from hC
face, which had grown very thin an
white, and the dainty hands that he ha
so often held in his strong, warm one
were growing more slender and like lii
tie claws.
Presently came the day when eve
that miserable existence could 90 on II
longer. On the morrow she must leav
the room for which she could no longe
pay. She had cried herself supperles
to sleep the night before. The last @
the pennies, only half dozen of them
purchased the mite that made her break
fast. Then she set out bravely to max
one more hopelese attempt in the battl
of existence. Nothing rewarded her
and weary, despairing, defeated, sh
dragged her tired little feet back to he
dinnerless room at noon.
The struggle was almost over. Their
seemed nothing more for her to do bu
to lie down and die. Her pride wa
broken at last, and weak, wan, hungr
little jamie sank down on her hard be
and sobbed out her pihtul loneliness an
weakness and despair like a poor lorr
lost child. Oh, if only Phil-if onl
she hadn't
Then a thought came to her. If sh
left a letter addressed to him, after sh
was gone, after the troubled spiri
weary with the battle, with the bait
with privation and despair, had taken i
flight, they would send it to him as IL
one likely to be most interested, and h'
if he came, could take the cold lit
body and do with it as he might.
The letter occupied a long time i
writing. She had not so very much
say-the pitiful story was not Ion
one-but her weak hand trembIed an
tears bedimmed her sight and droppe
, on the cramped lines so often. ~aAheI
when it was done, she left it lying O
, the table. But she could not renal