The Winslow mail., 1897-01-23
The Clown and the Missionary.
Py VIOLA R0SEB0R0.


and naively how people wanted 'high
art" nowadays, and how consequently
his fathers old FIRM had gone out OF
business. His father had been with it
40 years, and she died pretty soon after
he lost his place.. -
The mother had been a ballet girl
before she married, and she had num-
bers of relatives in various branches of
the "show business. - The children,
four of them, were all put on the stage
in pantomimes and such things when
they were little. Of the family there
were now left only the one brother and
sister.
No, Emmy was not on the stage,
''not in no way" Though his accent
was so good, the little clowns gram
mar was not upon dull level of cor
rectness. Emmy never exactly liked
the stage, her mother never exactly
wanted her to go on it, and just when
they did not know what she should do
she solved the problem the old way and
married-married scene painter at
the Lyceum theater.
"You may know by that that he's
good one He was only in small posi-
ton when Emmy married him, but he's
one of the head ones now. Then, you
know, he knew some real artist paint
ers, and Emmy-she didn't have any
children, and she thought she'd like to
learn to paint pictures, and she did.
Her husbands S awful proud of her.
1t was the fifth day out when, after
much narrative that, as is the way of
talk, did not advance the story, we
reached this point.
We were again on deck, and Amy
and were lying in our chairs gazing
over a tossing dark sea at a red sunset,
while Teddy Catty sat facing u.s.
"You wouldn't think Emmy was my
sister," he said "She's like another
kind. She's beauty, and she's just
like swell, nice swell, in her ways,
and then she's good. My. she's good"
is she religious?" 1 ventured.
"Now, you know-yes-but then it's
hard to say exactly what different peo-
pie mean," and the boy gave himself
up'with grave pleasure to the serious
business of accurately informing us as
to Emmy's spiritual life. "She is as re-
ligious as she can be one way" he
went on, "and then the other she only
goes as far as she can without feeling
as if she was throwing over the rest of
US. Her husband he thinks religious
people amt his kind, and of course I'm
nowhere with 'em, and Emmy can't
make herself up to contract with them
that despises us. You wouldn't believe
what she thinks of me, you wouldn't
indeed. So she just goes without reli-
gion except what she can get reading
the Bible and"-half hesitating and
softening his tone-'and praying. She
says she believes we can be good that
way. She wants me to try. She is good,
good. 1 wish, though, she could be with
real religious people, some kind. Our
grandmother, one of 'em, was great
chapel goer. She was an independent.
I think Emmy would be happier that
way"
He turned his face toward the angry
gloom of the sea and the fading western
sky, and we were all silent. What a
comforting glimpse of human nature!
Presently Amy said, with an odd lit
tie accession of formal courtesy in her
tone: 81 hope, Mr.. Catty, you have a
picture of yoar sister that you can show
us. 1 should like to know how she
looks.
Yes, he had her picture in his state
ROOM He wanted us to see it.
The limitless night was darkening
around US in momentary pulsations.
We left the wild, soul searching scene
for the petty, pretty glare of the cabin.
While we were drinking our tea Teddy
Caddy brought US the photograph.
1t seems out of harmony now with
the f1eshly reaction from the infinite
things of the spirit that had just come
upon US. We had to give our poor flag
ging souls tug to make them respond
to the unconscious awe that looked,
Madonnalike, upon us. You never saw
little child's face more deeply, simply
serious.
The next day l took the picture to
show to the missionary He smiled be-
nevolently as told Of the quaint broth
er and sister, but being missionary
and not an artist and seeing nothing to
do for them his mind inclined to wan
der. Yet once or twice afterward as he
walked the deck with one of his small
children by the hand-he always had
one with him when he did not have
two-he tried to join in our converse
ton with Teddy Catty, but when he
saw the little fellow draw back over
awed he readily enough, with shade
of relief perhaps, abandoned the gentle
attack.
This trio was not often in session, so
to say, for Teddy Catty was very mod
est and was scrupulously careful not to
intrude upon us, but he was sure to be
within beckoning distance whenever
Amy was sketching. The sight exercis-
ed an absurd fascination upon him.
1t was easy to see that he regarded
me as of an altogether inferior race of
beings as compared to Amy. With me
he could talk ON occasion, but to her he
could scarcely more than speak when he
was spoken to- This dumb shyness, to-
gether with his professional position,
puzzled Amy.
''Do you suppose, said she, "that he
is anything of a clown, that honest lit
tie owi?''
In truth, there seemed nothing clown
like about Teddy Catty except the
clownishness of which I have spoken,
the touch of oddity that made his iden-
,;tx, Caom a little humorous Rut then