The Canton times. (Canton, Miss.) 1893-1906, 1895-07-12
not know Of

1Me does" she said. Me does"
And the artist, thinking OF the
father, not the picture Of the father,
sighed.
Yes he remarked, absently, "per-
haps you do; though you were a mere
babe"
One other day, one warm uncomfort-
able day in August, Mrs. Brent, who
lived in the very uppermost HAT, and
who was the mother of three little
girls herself, came down to the door Of
the widows rooms and asked for the
company Of the widows little
daughter.
"My husband and l." Mrs. Brent said,
tive are going to spend the day at his
fathers farm. We thought 1t would do
the babes all so much good, you
know"
So the little neighbor spent day on
Long Island farm, and the next day
her friend the artist heard all about
the cows and ducks and other rural
wonders.
And" said the child, everyone has
favers in der tuntry; boofer favers
what plays wifi 'em, an isn't always in
velvet boxes. wis my faver was a
playin' faver. Oh, dear! wis my
faver was a faver like uvcr dirlses. l
wis you was my faver."
And to-day. as the little girl crept
slowly down to the studio, her heart
longed as never before for father
like the father OF other children. For
poor, wee sinner!-mamma was out
delivering work and Satan had found
work for the idle baby fingers. She
had dropped the father in the velvet
box, she had dropped him on the floor;
and he was broken into hundred
fragments.
She knew that mamma would weep.
She knew that mamma would grieve,
and she dreaded the effects of her dis
obedience. And, furthermore, the little
child felt she would deserve the misery
of seeing her mothers grief, for time
and again had mamma warned her to
leave the velvet box alone.
me don't like dear to cry" said the
little neighbor; tine wis me had .
faver what wouldn't break. Me wis
me wis"
The studio door was unlocked, but
the artist was absent when his little
neighbor entered. He had gone after
some color that he had suddenly need
ed, no doubt; the child often found the
studio empty, so il did not surprise her
in the least Leaving the door ajar
that she might hear mamma when she
passed through the hall, or her friend
when he returned, she began her usual
tour Of inspection.
There was new canvas on the easel,
a very large canvas with great many
people on it, some outlined, some dead
colored, and some nearly completed.
The picture represented, though the
little neighbor did not know, scene
from the verses Of very famous poet,
and was intended to express the folly
of strife, and the trouble that awaits
those who do not let the cloak OF love
hide one another's shortcomings And
there was one man who seemed to
stand very near the little neighbor.
He was tall man, with blue eyes and
fair curls, like the little neighbor's,
but oh! his eyes were so sad, SO full OF
vain regret!
The little neighbor looked at this
man long and fxedly. How familiar
that face seemed to be! Where had
she seen that face before? Her little
brain turned over all the events of her
four years of existence. Where?
Where? Where had the child seen that
face before? Suddenly the little one
remembered.
"Faver!'' she cried, loudly, gladly.
''Faver-me faver!"
Yes, her father, older, sadder than
the father in the velvet box, but still
the father of the artists little neigh
Dor. But how had he come on the
artists canvas when the child had left
him broken In the velvet box? The
little girl did not know, the little girl
did not care; her darling was whole
again and before her in all his fresh
ness and beauty-that was enough to
know. A hassock stood near, and,
dragging it to the canvas, the child
stood upon it, and her face was level
with the painted face. "FaverF' she
cooed, lovingly. mes faver!"
The rosy lips touched the painted
face in tender, loving kiss. and then
the door opened and the artist and
another stood upon the threshold.
"Marjory Somersl" the artist
gasped, rs the little neighbor turned
to greet him. The child's lips were
wet with paint, and the ''faver" on the
canvas had been utterly obliterated by
the child's kiss.
me faver!" cried the little neighbor.
Hes me faver."
Then the other brushed past the ar
tist into the room. His face was like