The Grit-advocate., 1905-10-13
My Art and Kitty

able and advantages fair. The bucne-
lor uncle who had provided for me
from babyhoOd, but never had me
with him, died a month before my
graduation. and nothing was left of
his estate except debts and legal tan
giles. So thought myself fortunate
when l secured the position of pri-
~lnary teacher in Glendale Institute.
y was only nineteen, and possessed
no enthusiasm for teaching in itself.
My brain and heart were too full
OF idle fances and selfish ambitions.
which had come to fill my heart in
the absence of all home ties. look
ed on teaching as mere drudgery. and
Intended to use it only as a stepping
stone to something l thought far
higher.
My art-oh, what dreams pursued
me! Let me hasten to save thou
sand dollars. hurry abroad. have les
sons, work with mad zeal. then leap
to the topmost pinnacle in my beauti.
ful art!
a thousand dollars isn't easy to
save when ones salary is only three
hundred year above board and the
vacations are to be provided for.
Young and sometimes called pretty,
l thought that two hundred dollars
year spent on dress represented
the closest possible economy. Hon
esty compels me to interro!ate here
that | cannot recollect anyones call
ing me pretty except John Archibald,
and of course Johns opinion on any
srhioct hat 1:rtI 70
me; for John was just a plain. every
day young fellow, honorable and
wholesome as the sunshine, but ter
r:bly practical. in fact mundane, in
all his views and projects. He re-
sented my art dreams, and detested
what called his lack of ideals
At the end of four years teaching
I had saved only two hundred dol
lars, and Europe and the masters
ONere still far teyond my reach.
don't know why they had retained
zne as primary teacher at Glendale.
Certainly there was no hint of future
promotion, and have realized since
how far from excellent my work was
while taught for money and dreamed
of art. But when l had counted my
savings thoughtfully remarked:
This is fair nest-egg. l shall put
oy the rest quickly. l must renounce
all folly, and especially so to econo-
mizing In dress" Jui,n. being my
prime folly. [ sent away forever, and
settled down to work in good earnest.
Then 1t was that Edwards letter
came. II am lying, Gail, and there
n ~
except you." he wrote. Nor have !
any money left for the child: but with
our uncle's estate you ought to find
it easy to provide for her. Take her,
be good to her. and so Heaven will
deal with you
l did not rem ember my halfbrother
Edward, who had lett home in the for
gotten days when we had q home.
And he never had remembered me, l
told myself now in bitterness, until
he needed me No. did not want the
child, could not take her She would
interfere with my ambitions; she
would tie me 70 drudgery, defeat my
aspirations, rob me of my art Why,
it would be as bad as taking John!
I wrote cold letter rejecting my
brothers. death-bed request, and hast
med to mail it, wondering, meantime,
- telegram would not be better.
When came back to my room, a
lonely little figure sat there by the
window. Trustingly the small crea-
ture came to me.
Aren't you Aunt Gail? I'm Kitty.
Papa's friend brought me to you, be-
cause papa had to go far away; but
ne said you would love me-"
did not want to love her: l did
not want her; she was an intruder
thrust into my life, and had the
right quietly to put her aside. The
wicked part OF nle said all this within
rapidly and 7ehemently. while the
child and | sazed at each other.
Thankful am that the wicked part
was not all OF NE; for when Kitty
asked me, still IN sweet confidence:
Haven't you forgotten to kiss me,
Aunt Gail?" stopped and took her in
my arms, aud have loved her dearly
ever since
For two months had Kitty to
board with me al the institute; but
the arrangement proved unsatisfac-
cory. 1t was expensive. and was not
good for the child. l began to com
prehend some things and one day
told myself suddenly that Kitty aud
| must have i home. 1t had been
borne in upon me that my life had
missed something sweet and uplif--
ing, and with the realization of the
loss came also the dear hope that I
might find it yet. A home-.yhar
sacred meanings it might Impart to
sxiItencei
!. BODY could have hecn Kinder