Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1893-04-08
THE ART STUDENT.

I've had some interesting experiences,
can tell you. It's not bad life, on tho
whole, but AT first il used to be very an
noying in some ways. To begin with,
they planted me down in such 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 10
palm off on me one that belonged TO
discarded Nereid, which made me look
top heavy, as il was much too small.
However, one day q waiter, who was
rushing past with a soup tureen Gt was
when / 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 TO
one side bit and slid down. Hurt my
self? Oh. dear, no! Clipped my Tyre
rather. There was 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. 1t
was pity | couldn't explain, but he was
poor fool, and wasn't sorry to see him
sacked for his disrespectful clumsiness.
There was n little student who came
TO draw here a little bit of thing, with
a sallow face and a slight limp. She was
always shabby. Her gloves Zone button
black kid) were very much cracked. She
wore battered black straw hat which
had outlived the picturesque stage, with
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 on rainy
days her feet are so muddy. She has
very little talent. 1t is only by dint of
sheer obstinacy she manages to draw de-
Gently.
Some time ago young man came here
pretty frequently for several months.
He's fine, handsome fellow, very like
that sturdy Discobulus you 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 crayon.
The little lame student was passing him
one day looking more tired than ever,
and she tripped over the edge of 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
Twill call THE Boy" for distinction,
was up in a moment, had put her on her
feet again, and picked up all the dis
persed articles with reassuring "All
right" before you could calculate "Mur-
curry" She pulled herself together enough
to whisper Thank you," and limped
away.
Next day she came early and worked
assiduously. The Boy was there too. He
did not notice her, he was 80 busy. Pres
emily he felt timid pull at his sleeve
and looked up "Hullo," he said, with
that sunny smile of his; II beg your
pardon, can | do anything for your
would you l-l-let me look at your
drawing2" she faltered.
Certainly, but there is nothing to see."
Well, they chatted bit after that and
compared notes till the ice was fairly
broken, so the time flew 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 to have new light in
them. the white collar was discarded for
a black lace ruifie, the poor tired roses
disappeared too, and in their place no
ticed large black feather which, il 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 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 little start, but it was only an
attendant, who was a conceited ass with
nothing to do, and he came in and bull
lied her and made himself perfectly odi-
GUS. 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 approvingly.
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 oct