St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1893-07-20

the clouds lifted a little, and she
smiled back at him.
when do you think you will find
her ?"
II fancy see her coming in the
distance even now"
Whom is she like ?"
did you ever read Tom Moore,
Hester?"
Poor Hester! the only poets she
had ever studied were such cheerful
singers as Milton and Cowper and
DR.. Young-volumes lent her by the
minister, who would not have al
lowed the presence of lire written
by the merry Irish bard in his house.
She shook her head.
well, my Sunshine will be like
young Nourmahal, the light of the
harem. Dark-eyed, like an Eastern
beauty, with clouds of dusky chest
nut hair, she shall possess, not
"A beauty forever unchangingly bright
Like. the long, sunny lapse of summers
days light,
But that loneliness, ever in motion, which
plays
Like the light upon autumn's soft, shadowy
days
Shall | read you the poem, Hester?"
A CLEAN of pleasure shot up into
the dull eyes, and the girl answered
with a half-breathless accent that
showed the deep poetic nature un-
derneath the cold exterior II should
like it so much"
Then after that, every day when
supper was concluded and those
weary dishes back again in their
places, Hester would come out on
the porch, and Henry Spencer would
read her Moore's lovely melodies and
stories until twilight forced them to
close the book. Sometimes he
would coax her away from the old
farm house to wander over the hills
and watched the golden glory of the
sunset as it faded away into
shadowy night. Then he would
talk to her of other sunsets, other
lands, where these same sunbeams
glinted over icy peaks or shone on
the warm surface of a tropical sea.
Through its wonderful descriptions
he pushed aside the narrow band
that encompassed Hester's life, and
led her into a new world of beauty.
And the girls heart gradually grew
light with the brightness reflected
from the artists own sunny nature.
She began to talk-this quiet Hester,
heretofore so silent because there
were none to listen to what she had
TO say. She was no longer dull and
stupid. Bright and sweet were the
merry fancies that fell from the smil-
ing lips. The shadow went out OF
her eyes, and the lines of care
smoothed themselves away from her
forehead.
There was a wonderful change
coming slowly over Hester. Under
the artists moulding, the weary
girl, oppressed with the dull routine
of disagreeabe duties, was becom-
ing a brilliant, beautiful woman.
Life was no longer dreary thing
to be endured with patience, but a
rich heritage full of glorious posi-
bilities. And Hester was happy
She thought she had found friend
did not know, this inexperienced
Hester, that she was only wander
ing in the path familiar to all maid
ems since the time when Eve loved
Adam.
One dav she asked the artist if he
had found the model for Sunshine,
He smiled and answered yes"
"Who is she ?"
Tomorrow you shall see"
In the morning Hester knocked at
the studio door, anxious to see the
face whose portrait should be the
companion piece for her own.
"Where is she? asked the girl, as
she looked around the shabby room
that contained no other woman,
form but her own.
You shall see her presently,
and Henry Spencer smiled as hi:
glance met Hester's puzzled look.
Then he rose from the great old
fashioned armchair where he hac
been sitting, and, taking her gently
by the hand, seated her in his owr
place. Resting one on its ugly leath
err dack, he bent over her until the
sunny blue eyes looked full into the
depths of the dark ones beneath.
II did not find the model for "Sun
shine, Hester; created her. UI
here among the mountains, where
even the breath of the summer wine
is cold and chill, found lonely
woman who had lived life of I'm
suitable labor, amidst uncongenia
companions, until dreary shadow
of perpetual gloom lowered round he
brow and settled itself in the depths
of her dark eyes. But oflate it ha
lifted, chased away, dare to think
by the sunshine of love. Look, Hes
ter, at the reflection in that littl
cracked mirror yonder. Do you Sc
the fair, sweet forehead, so calm ant
quiet, and the lovely eyes, brigh
! with the glittering light of happi
. ness? Now, Hester, lift your lips t.
mine, and tell me that she is m,
own-mine to shine around my life
NV heart NV home. Tell me. dar