Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1893-02-01
IN THE SHADOW OF THE VENUS
OF ARIES.
By A. FAUS.

/ refr, shment room In the gallery, you
know, tum mpled up against me some
how, and smashed great piece of the
pedestal. Afterwards, when everyone
had gone and the place was quiet. L
! just leant over to one side bit and
slid down. Hurt myself? Oh dear no!
J Clipped my Tyre rather. There was
fuss Lext morning when the curator
came round; that waiter got into no
end OF row, and had to pay for my
new pedestal and Tyre; it was pity l
couldn't expl in, but he was poor
! fool, and | wasn't sorry to see him
sacked for his oisrespectful clumsiness.
After that they moved me into this big
hall, and very much relieved l was to
find myself in aristocrstic society
again. Mind, L know what's what, and
! these ladies and gentlemen you see are
| all tip-top specimens of beauty and in
/ tellect. The last isn't much in my
| line, but j have q wholesome respect
for it, and shouldn't be half duffsr at
philosophy and those subjects myself
| if their opponents weren't such dried
up old fusties. Take old Socrates, for
! inst ince, he's such trump; then He
rodotus and Eschylus, they don't know
what it is t. see a joke-they will ar
que so. Aud, really, if L want to keep
out of the blues have to be very stiff
| 10 Euripi les, he's SO morbid. l played
frightful practical joke on him the
Dther day, but it got me into such hot
water with all the ladies, especially the
| huntress over there, that L daren't flash
! out again. Life would have been very
colorless indeed were 1t not for the
| dear Venus on my right. Look at her
Isn't sae lovelyf WHAT? You surely
! don't mean TO say. ......2 Nonsensel
The good lady at Milo cant hold
candle to her, and as to that simperin3
Medici woman, she's disgrace to the
name. l won't be hard on you, though,
because I'm sorry for your bal taste.
Come over here, and I'll tell you q
/ story that will bring a big lump into
your throat as it did into mine.
There was little student who came
to draw here; little bit of a thing,
! With a sallow face and a slight limp.
! She was always shabby; her gloves
| (one button black KID were
very much cracked, she wore
battered black straw hat which had
outIived the picturesque stage, with
wreath of limp streaky roses round the
| crown, even in midwinter; her dress,
such as it was, was grey linsey, a kind of
drabby nondescript grey. and her poor
little squsi e-toed boots we're patched
and repntcted. The only points sbout
her we're her clean collar and her big
hungry eyes. Wet or fine she came,
laden with her easel and materials.
She worked for the gallery, and L
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 on rainy days her feet
are so mndiy. She has very little
talent; it is only by dint of sheer OBJ
stinscy she manages to draw decently.
Several other students come, but only
casually.
| Some time ago a young man came
here pretty frequently for several
months. He's a fine handsome fellow,
very like that sturdy Discobulus, you
see straight in front of you. By Jupi-
! teri that boy can drawl ! could tell he
had it N him the first time L saw him
handle a crayon, though he never sat
near enough for me to be able to criti-
else his work. The little lame student
was passing him one day, heavily laden
as usual and looking more tired than
ever, and she trIpped over the edge of
| .
off the LAGOON family who were un-
dergoing repairs, wien down went
every thing with a clatter, including the
poor little soul herself. Tie other
student, whom l will call "the Boy "for
distinction, as I don't know his name,
was up in a moment, had put her on
her feet again, and picked up all the
dispersed articles with a reassurIug
Cali right" before you co.ld ejscalate
"Mercury." She pulled herself to-
| gether enough to whisper "Thank
| you. and limped away.
assiduousIy. The Boy was there too;
! Presently he felt a timid pull at his
said, with that sunny smile of his, 81
| beg your pardon. can ! do anything for
you?"
"W-would you l-let me look at your
drswing?" she faltered.
Certainly, but there is nothing 70
see."
Well, they chatted bit after that and
compared notes till the ice was fairly
broken, so the time few and the little
grey 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 q great change in her
though she still looked pInched and tired
| her eyes began to have a new light in
them, the white collar was discarded
! for black lace ruffe, the poor
/ tired roses disappeared too, and
! in their pace l noticed a 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 soul-the gloves too were
! new, or else she hsd managed to ink
over the purple cracks.
! Some DAYS she was there alone. and
/ then she would look wistfully from
time to time towards the door. OF
! course, we all knew quite well who she
wanted to seel Once when a step
! came swinging down the corridor she
gave a little start, but it was only an
attendant, who was concsited ass
! with nothing to do, and he came in and
/ bullied her and made himself perfectly
| odious. l would have set my dog at
! him, only fortunately the Boy turned
up at the right moment and sent the
wretch flying. The Boy has kind of
! imperious wav with his interiors which
is most effective. Icouldn't resist whis-
pering to my Venus what a smart
fellow he was, and she nodded approx
! ingly.
When these two got tired of work
che Boy would sit and talk to her by
the hour together, sometimes It was
Art SHOP" sometimes poetry or scraps