Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-02-10

Tommy was an artist, often maxi
SSSS ing sketches Of his friends, which.
according to his fond mother, were speak
ing likenesses." To be sure some of these
friends declared the portraits drawn by
Tommy were not true to life. pointing out
that oftentimes the eyes in a picture did
not exactly 1T, or that other features were
'cut on the bias" But these small errors
were due to a nervous hand or a badly
sharpened pencil, as Tommy would explain
after listening to a criticism OF his work
But the week before grand old st. valen-
tines day found Tommy up to HIS chin
in wordsworth that was TO mean some
thing, II one were TO be guided by the many
remarks made by Tommy TO himself They
sounded like this: "Ah. hal now I've got
old Jim's legs just right! He's bow
legged and has very large feet. I'll not
make his face, for his nose and mouth are
too ugly for an artist to draw and do HIM
self Justice. I'll Just have the back of his
head showing"
Then again he muttered, smiling to him
self as he worked I'm getting Annie
Bells portrait Just out of sight; her eyes
match beautifully and her white frock has
the correct number of tucls. for counted
them last Sunday at Sunday school,"
Tommy was doing the portraits of his
family, friends and the old family servants
Jim and Nancy. These portraits. done in
pencil. were to serve as valentines, little
appropriate verses, composed by Tommy,
to go with them. The list was a long one
consisting OF Tommy's parents, his aged
aunt his young uncle. his school teacher
his best girl (Annie BelD, their cook
Nancy ana their man of all work (old
Jim). 1t was the bow legs of the last named
that had caused Tommy so much trouble
in the drawing and so much pleasure when
at last the outlines were finished to his
own satisfaction.
The matter was TO be kept a secret, even
his own mother not having been taken into
his confidence Then on st. Valentines
day should be the surprised Tommy worked
and smiled. happy in anticipation.
The valentine Of his best girl" Annie
Bell. required the greatest pains. After It
was completed Tommy conceived the idea
OF making caricature sketch of a little
miss who had "snubbed" him on certain
OCCASION To this piece OF distorted outline
Tommy bent all his skill. giving the tip
tilted nose a terrible end. pointing heaven
wardl the eyes he twisted ; the mouth he
made quite hideous by showing crooked
teeth and protruding tongue Oh. 1t was
quite terrible to see, this caricature of the
little miss who had dared TO snub Tommy
Now he would get even, EVEN!
The verses proved to be a very dificult
piece OF work. far more difficult than had
been the portraits and one caricature. Til
10 o'clock at night did Tommy fume and
sweat over the rhymes which seemed bent
on not coming TO mind. He would find
one line elegant and expressive, but to Al
second or a third line with good sense
and rhyming end proved 10 be the problem
However, Tommy was not the boy TO give
up. The more difficult the task the closer
did Tommy stick and the harder did NJ
fight to master 1t. This splendid determine.
ton helped him over many stumbling
blocks. particularly the verse writing one
and when at last he laid his pen aside OF
the night of the verse writing agony y,
felt fully repaid for the labor OF mind am
= body. A few minutes later he was in bed
slumbering sweetly and dreaming not one
of the several hlotted and laboriously scrib
bled poems" that lay spread about on hi
writing desk
The next day 0he last one before 81
valentine's) Tommy went over his worl