New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-02-21

|
who had always been so laboriously busy, could
so easily let her work slip ont of her hands.
Marthy S privately informed Rowena that she
| thought this Was bad sign" She saw that
her nearer grew pale at the words and she fastened
to say that she didn't, for her part, put no
! dependence signs"
Since that first evening the dressmaker did not
seem to dislike Mis-. Bradford" as she had done.
Every day Mrs. futile made Rowena 90 out for
| a walk, and that was the only time when she
would bear her eldest daughter to he out Of her
! sight. Again Rowena borrowed Nathan Henry 8
rubber boots, and with Buster and Marmaduke max
| ing the snow fly in their antics. she would go
across pasture back of the house until she came
to wide hollow that sloped upward, and that was
almost surrounded with young pines and birches.
1t was this place that she had come out from Bos-
ton to study. She went at all times of the day.
She saw it in every light She made scores Of
sketches of it. She thought she az last came to
recognize the crows which few over it. She
| knew the lling-bird that came occasionally to sit
| on the old fence beyond. Once she saw the rab-
bit whose tracks she had come upon for two days.
What phase Of that clear, unsympathetic sky did
| she not know? And what snowy cloud un-
familiar 10 her?
When she came back TO the front-room" she
would try different bits with oil on canvas Her
mother would watch and talk. and dozc.
At the end of a fortnight, though Mrs futile
said every day that she was better and really
seemed worse. Rowena wrote TO Mrs. Sears.
She begged that lady to send the physician she
| deemed most trustworthy in such cases as she
tried to describe. Mrs. Sears telegraphed back an
answer which Mr.. jerks delivered. And on the
second day Mr.. jerks brought over, by means Of
the Loomis horse, a large gentleman in fur coat
| .tl,o 1oI and al
most over his face. This person was very mild
hammered and very hopeful He used stetho-
scope. He asked a great many gentle questions.
| He said II'm-ah-ycs" at every answer that Mrs.
futile or Rowena gave him. But his eyes were
very keen.
| lie remarked that he would prescribe a tonic ,
| that they had done very well with the patient.
That nourishng food would be better than mcdi-
clue: that when spring opened" hm-ah-ycs"
And he went away with Rowcna's check on
Eoyle's in his pocket.
That's Jest what told YOU" said Mrs. futile
| triumphantly. Il told you that when spring
| came, you know
| Meanwhile, the spring of the calendar had come.
for it was March. But it was really the drcariest
part of the winter Two days after the doctor S
visit Rowena received word that her picture " In
| Mid August" was sold, and at a figure that made
|
but for what it meant. 1t was Still. however.
| to remain on exhibition.
She tcld her mother. and Mrs. Tuttle laughed
joyously.
Rowena set TO work in earnest now on Mid
| winter" She was soon under the influence of
that sublime frenzy which sometimes dominates
the true worker. II these two pictures.
though the latter was not finished until nearly
wear later, that established Rowena's position as
one of the best interpreters Of country scenes.
They gave to her a reputation for certain touches
which no one else could command and which told
| how lovingly nature had revealed TO her some Of
| her secrets.
But the painter could not forget her mother as
she had forgotten her sister She felt so kecnly
the mothers love and pride that this presence was
| always soothing 10 her. You are likely 10 be
soothed by one who thinks that whatever you do
| is right.
Something's wrong with Sarah Kimball." sud
denly remarked Mrs. Tutte from her rocker in
| the front
| Rowena turned toward her in surprise.
| yes" said Mrs. futile. She's dretfully
outer sorts, some way She keeps snubbin'
Philip till l shd think he'd stop comm here.
Jim Townshend says Phil Barrett don't have no
| sort of luck with the Tutte girls, n he sh'd
| think he'd try some other family"
The speaker laughed dcprccatincly. Then she
| went on sobcrly and with some anxiety:
Sarah Kmball's real pretty, and she seems to
be goin to have fit if she can't go to the postolce
| every Thursday n Saturday. | d'now what 10
make of it, Did she see anybody in particular
| up to Boston, Last Saturday, you know, Nathan
Henry didn't git home from havin' the boss
sharped till it too late for her 10 90 over TO
the Office She had regular cryin' spell Do You
| think she zee nobody in Boston 2? repeating the
| question with Still more anxiety.
Rowena had quickly laid down her palette and
brush. She came and stood by her mothers
chair. She was trying TO think.
Before she could answer Mrs. futile drew from
her pocket an envelope.
Il picked that up the kitchen floor, she said.
"when went out TO dinner to-day. There amt
| nothin' in it, but / sposc there was. ! guess she
| got it last night She's been brighter to-day DO
you know the wrtin? / wish she wasn't so close
mouthed And how awful pretty she's grown,
amt she ?'
Yes she has, said Rowena.
She had taken the envelope and was looking AT
il. Had she not seen that slim, angular hand
writing? The stamp that Of the Back Bay
Postofice She turned over the bit Of paper She
knew that her mother was looking at her eagerly
She didn't meet many people in Boston, re-
marked Rowena thoughtfully. Il was busy: we
lived very quietly indeed. l think she found il
| rather dull, sometimes"
WANT there no young men ?' inquired Mrs
futile II sposc she somebody"
Rowena now turned with quick movement. She
went to a portable desk and took from it handful
Of photographs OF scenes in Venice. Before hei
mind had risen the picture Of her atclier in Paris
| of herself and Keats and two others. one Of whom
was Mr. Soule They had all been looking over thcst
photographs. or this particular one Mr.. Soulc had
spoken in terms Of warm appreciation. lie had
held a pencil in his hand. and had scrubbed his
aa,,.c on the hack after a sent.nce of nralse.