The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1897-05-15


s~elf-consciogs prettiness-a sort of Sc
ductive innocence skillfuIly sustained
Ia subtle disingenuousness only too
well foreshadowed in the mothers form
and feature.
But in the elder the pure beauty Of
complexion and temperament was all
unsullied andalive, radiatingfrom every
glance of her full and honest eyes, every
motion of her strong, straight shoul-
dered figure, every culver sf her
happy smile. Her crisp, chest
~nut-brown hair was pushed back
wavily from her forehead; all the deli
cate and changeful lines of the temples
were like Teddy's. It was as if nature
herself had tried to make some tender
compensation and atonement to him for
what had died out of his own life; and
yet the very effort wore an aspect Of
retribution, for in this rudy girls face
he must see daily what he once was and
what ne might have been. She grew
ever more beautiful before him-a wit
ness, a r%eproach, a mockery.
This face, that once was his, now liv-
ing again in his W flesh and blood,
Teddy mad reproduced with all the ten
derness of line and color which he had
brought over from his happiest years.
But to the sightseers of to-day the work
was only one pretty picture among
many. They buzzed impartially round
the easels with their ignorant praise
and silly comparisons of this and that
pose or texture. Icould moi turn from
those girls faces to the large vulgarity
of Commissioned p%ortraiture. l had
known and loved the dead soul that
looked out sc CHASTITY cold from the
brilliant society pictures, and the mock
ing, shallow faces of the women; the
bold, stolid, brutal portraits of the
men.
Suddenly, in a lull of general CONVEX
%sation, 1 noticed an old gentleman talk
ing eagerly behind me to Sir Edwards
girls.
30, that's Te~mplecombe, mammals
old home" one of them had said, follow
ing the visitors glance to a small water
color landscape Oh the wall, a little gem
of pure color, lighting up all the end OF
the room.
"Dearme!" he exclaimed, why, that's
a lovely bit of country, and perfectly
familiar to me! I've spent many a sum-
mer close to that very spot!"
"Papa has a lot of sketches done at
T~emplecombe," said the elder girl
before he took to portrait painting"
added the younger, with a little laugh
would you like to see them?"
IT, ~ -,A-,oa4 Ill., In1 L,,-4,I - -
cid portfolio, dragging it from some OBJ,
scure corner, with apologies to this
seated guests: $50 sorry, Mrs. Fitz-
herbert, excuse me one moment. No,
pray, don't move, MI. Sinclair, it's only
that portfolio behind the curtain. o,
thanks, SO much!"
And as Sir Edwin turned from the
canvas whereon his latest duchess
cleaned in her satins and her Jewels,
sketches was suddenly rained down at
his feet amidst a chorus of little cries
of trepidation and delight. He uttered
n quick and almost pettish protes,
against their being shown. Ills daugh-
ter made some light excuse for her
clumsiness, and the guests bounced
upon the fluttering sheets as they fell
"a floating pageant of blue skies and
sweet blossoms, a v~alley-full of spring
beauty caught and painted with all
the vigor of untainted youth and honest
Joy.
Then 1 said a cruel thing. l was
angry to see him so altered-to see the
wreck she had made of his early genius
4 was angry with him for having
yielded, and with myself for not hav.
ing somehow saved him from that mar.
tyrdom. Pray, let us have them out
on the table," 1 pleaded; "they will
illustrate the development of your art
in these 20 years"
I could have kicked myself when l
saw the effect of my untimely sar-
casm on Teddy. With one swift glance
of reproach at me he drew back and
turned his changed face to the win
dow. Bitter shadows of pain and hope
less emorse passed over it: then a flood
of memories seemed to sweep him back
into other years, and as l looked more
pityingly at the features I had loved,
and saw them still responsive to the
mSn uTedmS anu Visions Oh the past,
suddenly in the soft spring light it
seemed as if the old Teddy-our bright,
glorious Teddy, with his blue eyes and
brown hair, and his delicate lips CULVER
ing with the old, tender smile-stood
again before us, with the sunshine Of
youth upon him and the promise OF q
nobler fame than this. But in another
moment he had resumed the mask
which 1 had so ruthlessly torn away.
/ tried to shield him with rush of light
chatter, as one tries to re-veil a dead
face that has been rudely uncovered.
Then the g%arrulous farewells began.
"Good-by, Sir Edwin said the old
gentleman of Templecombe, "and
thank you very heartily for the treat
you've given us. Those charming little
water-colors-you mustn't hide them
away like that, you know! I'm sure
they will bear comparison with your
very best work. And the young ladies,
too, what a perfect pair they make!
But really the portrait of the duchess
is your masterpiece. Don't you think
- TaIy Drou-,1oarO Al