The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1893-05-10
THE ART STUDENT.

L ILL Al Il - Il = ~ - 4
I've had some interesting experiences
I can tell You. It's not a bad life. on the
whole. but at first 1t used 20 be very an
noying in some ways. To begin with
they planted me down IN such a draft
and IN the worst light possible. so that
could not see anything, nor could any
one see me, and then they would not
give me a new pedestal-they tried tc
palm of on me one that belonged to 8
discarded Nereid, which made me lool
top heavy, as it was much too small.
However. one day a waiter, who wa:
rushing past with a soup tureen at vas
when l stood close to the door Of the re
freshment room in the gallery, you
know, tumbled up against me and
smashed a great piece Of the PEDESTAL
Afterward, when every one had gone and
the place was quiet. Just leaned over tC
one side q bit and sind down. Hurt my
self: Oh, dear, no, ! Clipped my Tyre
rather. There was a fuss next morning
when the curator came round. That
waiter got into no end Of a row and had
TO pay for my new pedestal and Tyre. II
was pity couldn't explain, but he was
poor fool. and Iwasn't sorry to see him
sacked for ms disrespectful clulnsiness.
There was a little student who came
to draw here, little bit Of a thing, with
a sallow face aud slight limp. she wa:
always shabby. Her gloves lone button
black kid were very much cracked. She
wore battered black straw hat which
had outliyed the picturesque stage, with
a wreath of limp, streaky roses round
the crown, even in midwinter. Hel
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. l know the pay is very
small. because she doesn't have halt
enough TO eat. and she certainly cannot
afford to ride or drive, because on rainy
days her feet are 50 muddy. She has
very little talent. 1t Is only by dint Of
ClAt-AA VAEAAAAa2tf clAD ~ IA dN kAE
Gently.
Some time ago a young man came here
pretty frequently for several months
Hes a fine, handsome fellow, very like
that sturdy Discobulus yol see straight
in front Of you. By Jupiterl that boy
can drawl / could tell he had it in him
the first time / saw him handle a crayon.
The little lame student was passing him
one day, looking more tired than ever,
and she tripped over the edge Of a bar
rier 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
viii call The Boy" for distinction,
was up in a moment, had put her on he1
feet again, and picked up all the dis
persed articles with q reassuTing ".All
rightT before you could calculate ..8Iur-
curry" She pulled herself together enough
TO whisper Thank you" and limped
away.
Next day she came ea-ly and worked
assiduously. The Boy was there too. he
did not notice her, he was so busy. Pres
emily he felt a tiInid pull at his sleeve
and looked mp. 'Hullo," he said, with
that sunny smile OF his; i beg Your
pardon. can do anything for youg''
'W-would you l-l-let me lock at your
drawing she faltered.
Certainly, but there Is nothing to see. -
Wen, they chatted bit after that and
compared notes till the ice was fairly
broken, so the time few and the little
gray student found she had forgotten all
about that tiresome foot Of the Hermes
which wouldn't come right. After that
day they conversed pretty freely. Mean
while / noticed a great change in her
though she still looked pinched and tired
her eyes began 10 have new light in
them, the white collar was discarded for
a black lace ruffie, the poor tired roses
disappeared too. and in their place / no
ticed a large black feather, which. 1t 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 soul The gloves, too, We're new.
or else she had managed TO ink over the
purple cracks.
Some days she was there alone. and
then she would look wistfully from time
to time toward the door. Once. when a
step came swinging down the corridor.
she gave a little start, but 1t was only an
attendant, who was a conceited ass with
nothing TO do, and he came IN and bul-
lied her and made himself perfectly odi-
ous- l 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 whispering TO
my Venus what a smart fellow he was.
and she nodded approyingly.
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 Eonders 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 snubbed me fear
fully.
This went on for a couple Of months OF
50, and then the Boy left off drawing
here The little gray figure plodded IN
and out bravely, but / could see her bite
her lips to Keep back the tears Of disap-
pointmeut 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, ''Oh, dear, kind God. taakeme
good, and make me patient, and clever,
and wise-clever and wise" She lay
there quite stil, with her ncad on the
marble, and ! saw a tear fall from the
eyes Of the lovely goddess and glisten in
the girls dtl hair IKE a morustone.
The little gray student lifted up her head
Fitifully ana looked up into the sweet,
grave. but (alas. for her sshtiess ewes.
4 am not beautiful Ike you.n she
moaned pathetieaIly, but VIII be pa
iient and good.
One morning heard 2 soft lazga be {
hind me. and then the Boys voice. he
passed me with tall, fair girl. They
passed IN front Of . bust Of Socrates.
so you don't think much Of llinig'' she
said reproachfully.
no. Why should z sid the Boy.
But be Is a philosopher and great