The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1892-03-18
THE PRETTY ARTIST.
A Girl Who Insisted on Having
Her Own Way.

Mrs Barbara Best was one of the
sweetest. most peculiar old ladies in .
the world. To begin with, size was .
very rich. That in itself was, perhaps, 1
not 80 much OF Pcculiarity- But, I
then. She was spare and croo!sc.i and {
with-red mp like a crab appl" which (,
has hung too long on the tree, an She 4
wore a little bluc.5 satin c;,p.. an :: .
cap trimmed with ribbon bo"- such /
a were IN fashion half Il century ago. ,
and she walked with q gulG-Acalrd
cane. a IL Fairy Godmothcr; and her
eyes spark ed wcirdly through gold (
sp ctac.c~. and her hands warr Gov
cred with little knitted silk mitts.
And a. she sat by her draw :l---rnoTa
fire, drinking chocolate and talking
with another witch-lIkc little old
woman, they made = very funny pair
indeed.
Yes said Mrs. B..rbara. nod ling
her head. Il couldn't endure II any
longer tCld her she must either -ly2
up me or give up her everlasting dab
bling in paint and varni~h.
Dear. dear sal! Mr. I'aa>hav, tho
second witch-lille little old voru@a. -
tribe more sugar in my Chocolate,
please, dear"
For my part observed Mr. Bar
bara. Il don't know what th- world Is
coming To- In anu time. W u.sl 10
leave that sort Of work II the t~&l.--
people But Glady5 haA uu ".iI ua..au
about inaep .ndcncc. All ~hr ina .r.f-
ed some OF that arti,T-1i.ni .-pm her
father fa nily. Ihc~r. ., none O. 1t IN
tho Bot. i III very sure
no. to be sure not" said Mrs
Fau-haw.
And l told Gfaly- pls-rlr .hat !
would not tolerate it s...L -ir is-'E'-
bara. -.Cgoosc bsuEceE us ---s l.
..B. 4 la.l,- or a. grubDin.r r-- -t- r...i...-
ever suits You bvst. rr.-.u.,. sid i-
If you don't consult Any Wishes / shall
disinhcrit You an1 east E"I OF.
know OF another young relation whom
| can adopt and Who ca~-~ T" inore
for art than | do Tor tho rEI--an
obelis!l.
And what did she say?" asked Mrs.
Fanshaw, contcndcdly sipp.n- her
chocolate.
..,she told me to do Just aS pleased"
answered Mrs. Barbar.s, III an -
rricved tone Of voice. -'I..cuu-r. -s.C
said, shr intended 10 take the same
privilege
mented Mrs Fanshuv, h--.-iur e dep
sigh.
.'Of course we parted good friends"
said Mrs. barbara. ..But Gi;. lys knows
very well that I never shall ..a Aer
again. If she has wrecked her own
fortunes, she has only herself TO thank
for it
And where is she now asked Mrs.
Fanshaw.
In a studio, somewhere on Sixth
avenue" solcmnly answered Mrs Bar
bara- with "a sign ont: Art sales
ROOM AMI Painting and Decorating
Done to Order
Did you ever" said Mrs, Fanshaw.
And, 10y way Of answer, Mrs barbara
only groaned-
But l like Lowell very we'll" she
added Hes q splendid Young fellow,
although | sometimes find his COLLEGE
bills higk and his how of spirits rather
overwhelming. But he's gentleman.
y real Best
Docs be know about Gladys MIR.
Fanshaw ASKED. IL mysterious whis-
per
Certainly not said Mrs barbara.
''ther. - Just enough Of the Don Qu.xotc
about him 10 make him 90 TO sea or take
to vcrsc-yyr. .tinr or sou1c other pr.pos-
ferrous business if H.. thought he wa
standing between Giatjv, and her for
tunc-vvhieh he isn't" Mrs. Barbara
added, with cIaDhisis. Tho money Is
mine. TO leave to whom | please. and
ne is just "a near a relation ON the side
of the BeSts rs Gladys Is on the Matt
lands
Dear, dear. how silly young folks
are said Mrs. Faushaw.
'.All want thein To know is that
am not to hc trifi-d with, said Mrs.
barbara, with the air of "a Nero. in
black satin AMI little corll~crrv curl,.
In truth Mr. Lowell Best wa, 81 very
frank, loyal-nuturrI, hand-1Ino younr
fellow. lie liked Aunt Barbara Tee
cause Aunt barbara was kind 90 hiia.
hut he rallied hcr to her race. trascl
. her parrot, made her pu~ hrrl, laughed
at the stiff old portraits OF the dead
and-gone Bests, that hung on the par
Tor walls. and kept a,tnui-aiu" her
pcrpetually. But all the time Aunt
barbara knew thar Lovci vas fond o.
her in his heart, and II warmed her
chill old pulses u hug this EnOwiedgr
TO her,
4 Hes wild chap" she said 10 her
! sclI: but he'll come ont all right. The
Bcsts always do, when they have had
heir fling. lie has none of Gladys
ub,tinacy about him"
And GIadysP Wei, that headstrour
young votary Of art lived ON the la :
po asible amount of money, anG
dreamed rapturouslv over her sketch
ing board She had a very htle
money, which her mother had be
queathed hcr-about sufficient to rent
the little studio and pay the gas and
fuel bills.
''As for eating and drinking. what
does that signify?" said Gladys.
So she taught a class daily in
Miss Mincher'S academy, TO furnish
the bread-and-cheese part of the bust
ness; and very tedious work she found
it.
but 1 shall sell some of my
placques and vases soon,' said she,
hopefully.
She did not, however. To be sue
| cessful artist, one must have an ap-
preciative public, and the public never
came near Door Gladys Maitland. In
vain she decorated the doorpost with
signs; in vain she put ont her prctticst
paintings and most spirited sketches;
nobody came to buy. The agencies
represented themselves as overcrowded
when Gladys came blushing in with
specimens OF her work, and our little
heroine began to wonder how Ong
this sort of thing was to endure.
Even Rosa Bonheur didn't get rich
all at once" she comforted herself by
rejecting.
But one day there came a CLEAN OF
hope athwart the Gin merian darkness
of her prospects. As she was working
at her easel footsteps stumbled up the
semi-lighted stairs, and knock
sounded at the door.
''Is this Miss Maitlands studio?" de-
manded cheerful voice.