The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1895-07-05
WHEN He BROUGHT 1Hs BLACK SILK


The one Thing In Life For which Mrs
Young Longed Game Too Late.
1t was no very oxacting ambition that
Robert Young's mother had cherished
all her life. She lived very quietly on
the western prairie farm to which she
and her husband had gone together
when they were both young. She did
not expect to he rich or even think about
IT, She was content with the homely
round Of her daily life. Sometimes her
husband used to say that If they had
bnly happened TO 20 here or there, where
some Of the friends of his youth had
found copper or silver, or struck oil, they
lsomight have been worth millions, but
the wife always answered; ut want to
be, John:it want to be. And we've done
pretty well, as things go, but should a
like one good black silk dress"
This was the only wish that Robert
Young had ever heard his mother ex-
press. and he used to say to himself when
ne was boy:
/ Bless the dear mothcrl She shall have
/ it the very first money earn"
I Roberts father, too, planned in his
own mind the same thing, but one year
the harvest turned out badly, and an.
other the children had diphtheria, and so
it was that the good black silk had never
been bought.
1t was a strange thing that the son of
John and Rachel Young should have
been an artist But Robert began to
draw before he could write, and at last
L.. I,,Il - l., . A,
the kindness Of one of his Sunday school
teachers, and then he made pictures that
dazzled the eyes of his prairie neighbors
As he grew older he got orders for
portraits from proud parents who were
willing to give - for u daughters or a
sons likeness. and he saved these small
sums until by the time he was Is he had
enough money to take him to Boston,
where he hoped to find good teacher
and to do something really worth while.
His struggle in the city was hard
enough 10 begin with. Every snowstorm
was friend to him. for wherever he
shoveled off steps and sidewalk they
were sure 10 want him again. he did his
work so cheeriully and so well.
He paid for his lessons by taking care
of the studio Of the artist under whom
he studied He was ready to do any
honest thing to earn an honest penny,
ana at last. even in Boston, people found
ont that he had Il special talent of his
own and began to buy his pictures.
There We're so many things at first to
do with the money that he earned, lie
must have little studio of his own
| where people could come, and it would
not answer for the artist who had his
own studio to live like the youth who
used to shovel off sidewalks He did not
forget the good black silk dress or the
mother who was to wear it; he only
waited
| AT last came a spring when he had
been fairly prosperous, and lie planned
! 10 go home for his mothers birthday in
! August and to carry the dress with him,
bit just then he received an invitation
that hattered him His former teacher
was going.to Ipswich for a summer of
sketching and asked Robert to go with
! him
1t seemed an opportunity too good to
be lost So he went to Ipswich. and the
summer flew by rs if on wings, and Rob.
ert did not 20 home in August: he only
/ wrote a letter,
1t was October before he started for
the faroff prairie farm Once on his
way, he hurried forward by night and
day until he reached the little station
that was nearest to his home. He had
written when he should arrive but lac