The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1908-10-29
The Priceless Gift.
[Original.l
s..s-s-s-s-t.s-..s-As-s-.-A.+.s-


[Originall
This is true historical story, but as
| give it in story form think it best
to change the names. The main Incl
dents are given exactly as they oc-
CURED in the latter half of the eight
eenth century.
Alvin Marston, cabinetmaker, had
son, John, whom the father was
bringing up in his business. But the
young man was of very different tex
ture from that of a builder of furni-
ture. He was of an ideal, dreamy ma
ture and instead of attending to his
duties spent his time in making little
sketches Was there a clean, smooth
board or an unpublished desk in the
shop there was sure to be pencil
drawing on it which could at once be
recognized as likeness of some of the
workmen. Alvin Marston saw some Of
them and was pleased with them. He
was more pleased when he learned
that his son had made them and, re-
linquishing his design Of teaching the
boy a trade, put him in a way to take
drawing lessons. The student improv-
ed rapidly, showing sufficient talent to
warrant becoming professional artist.
Then he fell i'll.
There being no one in the family to
nurse him, country girl was called
in for the purpose. That was long
before trained nurses were thought of.
Mary Keyes was not made attractive
by the uniform that now decorates the
nurse. She had no beauty to win the
young artist, nor had she mental en-
dowments above her station She was
plain country girl. nothing more.
But John Marston was imaginative
He saw her moving about the room
ministering to his comfort, and of the
commonplace figure he made Venus.
while the ordinary face in his eyes be-
came paragon of sweetness.
The invalid recovered and married
Mary Keyes. He lived with her sew,
eral years and had children by her.
Had it not been for his talents doubt
less there would be no especial story in
his life. 1t was only too evident that
he was born for higher life than the
one he was leading. His pictures ex-
cited the admiration of critics, and the
young man grew ambitious. One day
he said goodby to his wife and chill
dren to go to London to study art.
He did not return to them for more
than thirty years.
The cabinetmaker's son became a
great artist. In portrait painting he
was the only rival to the celebrated
Sir Joshua Reynolds. His name his
fame, his praise, were on every lip. He
was invited into the houses Of the no.
bility and was paid enormous sums for
painting their portraits.
Why did he never return to his fam
lily? Who knows? Possibly before he
left home the beauties he had himself
created had fallen away and he saw
( the ordinary woman, neither endowed
with beauty of person nor of mind.
Perhaps the scales were removed from
/ his eyes by visions Of the women of
the capital. One Of these after he be-
came famous wove about him a spell
She had beautiful body and cor
rupt SOUL There was the same mag
NATIVE process in different form as
had moved him in the case of Mary
Reyes. Mary had pure spirit. but
an ordinary face and figure, on which
he had built a thing of beauty. On the
woman he met in London, beautiful
without and rotten within, he built a
superstructure that enthralled him.
She was the mistress Of the greatest
sailor Of nation Of sailors. She was
pleased to bewitch the famous painter,
| but she laughed at his bewitchment.
He stretched forth his hand to grasp
a rose and plucked thorn.
And now comes something more per-
| feet than any of the beautiful creations
of the artists.
An old man, he returns to the wife
and family he has neglected for the
greater part Of lifetime. His wife,
too, has grown old. She knows of his
triumphs and of his desertion Of her in
heart as well as in person. We may
expect that she will receive him as a
stranger, that she will reproach him
with his neglect and that she who had
the first right to share in his triumphs
has been denied them, that. if possible
they would have been given to others
others signally unworthy of them.
When the aged invalid rode up to
her door she went out with open arms
to receive him. He tottered into the
house supported by her. She spoke
no word Of reproach. The love he had
sighted for more than three decades
was still there for him. AS she had
nursed him in his youth she nursed
him in his old age.
Again he saw her ministering to him
not as youth. in youth herself with