St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-01-11
TOLD BY THE FAUN.

| draught, and IN the worst light possible,
so that | could pot see anything. nor
could any one see me; and then they
would not give me a new pedestal-they
tried to palm off on me the one that be-
longed to discarded neleid, which
| made me look top-heavy, as it was
much too small. However, one day, a
waiter, who was rushing past with Il
| soup tureen Git was when stood close
to the door of the refreShment room in
the gallery, you know) tumbled up
great piece of the pedestal. Afterward,
Wnen every one had gone and the place
was quiet, just leant over to one side
bat and slid down. Hurt myself? Oh.
dear no! | clipped. my Tyre rather.
There was a fuss next day when the
curator came round; that waiter got
| into no end of a row. and had to pay
for my new pedestal and Tyre; it was a
| pity l couldn't explain, but he was a
poor fool, and ! wasn't sorry to see him
sacked for his diSreSpectful clumsineSs.
There was little student who came
to draw here; little bit of a thing. with
a Sallow face and slight limp. She was
always shabby; her gloves (one-button
black KIDD were very much cracked, she
wore battered black straw hat, which
!
a wreath OF limp, Streaky roses round
| the crown, even in midwinter; her
dress, such as it was, was gray linSey.
and her poor little square toed boots
were patched and repatched. The only
! points about her were her clean collar
and her big hungry eyes. She worked
| for the gallery, and | heard her say she
gives lessons. | know the pay is very
small, because she doesn't have half
enough to eat, and she certainly cannot
afford to ride or drive, because Oh rainy
days her feet are SO muddy. She has
very little talent; it is only by dnt of
sheer obstinacy that she manages to
| draw decently.
Some time ago young man came here
| pretty frequently for several months
| He's fine, handsome fellow, very like
| that sturdy DISCOUNTS you see straight
in front of you. BY Jupiter that boy
can draw! could tell he had it in him
the first time / saw him handle crayon.
| The little lame student was passing him
one day, looking more tired than ever,
and she tripped over the edge of bar
rler that had been put to screen off the
LAGOON family, who were undergoing
repairs, when down went everything
with clatter, including the poor little
soul herself. The other student, whom
l will call 1.-The boy" for distinction,
was up in moment. had put her on her
feet again, and picked up all the dis
persed artit 90 with a reaSsuring "All
right" before you could calculate
"Mercury." she pulled herself together
enough to whisper "Thank YOU" and
| limped away.
asSiduously. The boy was there, too;
| 10 il
Presently he felt timid pull at his
sleeve and looked up. "Hullo," he said,
with that sunny smile of his, 81 beg
your pardon; can l do anything for
youm
"W- would you l-l-let me look at your
drawling?" she fatered,
"Certainly, but there is nothing to
see.''
Well, they chatted a bit after that
and compared notes till the ice was
fairly broken, so the time flew and the
little gray student found she had for
gotten all about that tiresome foot of
| the HermeS which wouldn't come right.
After that day they converSed pretty
| freely; meanwhile | noticed a great
change in her-though she still looked
pIncned and tired her eyes began to
have new light in them, the white
collar was discarded for black lace
ruft1e, the poor, tired roses disappeared,
too. and in their place | noticed large,
| black feather, which, it is true, soon
lost its curl. and had certainly seen
| better days, but still she thought it
| looked smart and that cheered her, poor
| little Snul-the gloves, too, were new,
or Use she had managed to ink over the
purple cracks.
Some days she was there alone, and
then she would look WiStfulIy from time
to time toward the door. Once when a
step came swinging down the corridor
| she gave little start, bat it was only an
attendant, WHO was conceited ass with
nothing to do. and lie came in and
buIlied her and made himself perfectly
OdiouS. | would have set my dog at
him, only fortunately the boy turned
up at the right moment and sent the
wretch flying. | couldn't resist whls-
| pering to my Venus what smart fell
| low he was, and she nodded approx
ingly.
When these two got tired OF work the
boy would sit and talk to her by the
hour together, sometimes it was art.
SHOP" sometimes poetry or scraps Of
science wonders, and often odds and
ends of mythology, over which last he
got considerably mixed at times, till one
day | was in such fits that Venus
thought they would hear, and snubDed
me fearfully.
This went on for couple of months
or So and then the boy left off drawing
here. The little gray figure plodded in
and out Dravely, but / could see her bite
her lips to keep back the tears OF disap-
poiHtment and longing for human inter-
course and sympathy. AT last one day
she dropped the pencil and sprang up,
walking to and fro and up and down,
then, with a sudden movement, flung
her arms around the feet of my beloved
Venus and walled: "On! dear, kind
Goa, make me good, and make me pa
tient and clever, and WiSe-clever and
wise" She lay there quite still, with
her head OH the marble, and | saw a
tear fall from the eyes Of the lovely god
desS and gliSten in the girls dull hair
like moonstone. The little gray stu
dent lifted up her head pitifully and
looked up into the sweet, grave, but
| (alas for her) sghtless eyes.
Il am not beautiful like you" she
moaned pathetically; but l will be pa
tient and good"
>One morning | heard soft laugh be-
hind me, and then the boys voice. He
passed ME with a tall, fair girl. They
passed in front of bust of Socrates.
$50 you don't think much of himT'
she said. reproac hfuly.
mo; why should ~" SAID the boy.
But he is philosopher and great
man." she urged.
The boy looked straight into her eyes.
But, he didn't know you, sweet
heart" he said, putting a strong arm
round her. Don't you know by this
time that for me all art, all knowledge.
all philosophy is bound up in single
Word-you-WhO are love and philosophy
and all art and beauty incarnate"
There was tremulous silence for
few minutes; only Venus and | heard
the deep, quick breaths coming from the
huddled little figure concealed behind
pillar. The boy and the fair girl passed
out, she leaning on hiss and looking
half roguishly. half tenderly up to
| him.
1t was then that L looked around for
the little gray student. She seemed
stunned; after minute she pushed
back her easel, rose to her feet, and