The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1908-09-18
The Priceless Gift.


give Il In story form thInk It best
to change the names. The main Incl
dents are given exactly rs they oc-
Cured in the latter half of, the eight
eentli century.
Alvin Marston. a cabinetmakcr, had
son. jain. whom the father was
bringing IN in his business But the
Young man Vas &C very different tex
ture from that OF 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board or an unpublished desk In the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 he n pencil
drawing on It which could at once be
recognized MS likeness OF some Of the
workmen. Alvin Marston saw some Of
them and was pleased with them. lie
was more pleased when he learned
that his son had made them and. re
llnquishing his design OF teaching the
boy trade, put him in a way to take
drawing lessons The student improve
ed rapidly showing sufficient talent TO
warrant becoming professional artist
Then he fell ill.,
There being no one In. The family to
nurse him, 4 country girl was called
I'm for the purpose. That was long
before trained nurses were thought Of
Mary Keyes was not made attractive
by the uuffornl that now decorates the
no Sc She had no beauty TO win the
young artist. nor had she mental en-
dowments above her atatlon. She was
plain country girl. nothing more.
But john Marsion was imaginative.
He saw her moving about the room
ministeIing to his comfort. and OF the
commonplace figure he made a Venus.
while the ordinary face in his eyes be-.
came para gon Of sweetness.
The invalid recovered and married
Mary Heyes lie lived with her sev-
eral years and had children by her
Had 1t 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 a higher life than the
one he was leading His pictures ex.
cited the admiration OF critics, ard the
young man grew ambitious. One day
he said goodby 70 his wife and chill.
dren to go to London to study art
Ne did not return to them for more
than thirty years.
The cabinetmnker'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. lie
was invited into the houses Of the no
bllity aud wns paid enormous sums for
painting their portraits.
nj IL.
lily? Who knows? Possibly before he
left home tic beauties he had himself
created had fallen away and he saw
the ordinary woman. neither endowed
with beauty of person ncr of mind.
Perhaps the scales We're removed from
his eyes by visions OF the women OF
the capital One OF these after he be
came famous woye about him q spell
She had beautiful body aud cor
rupt soul There was the same imag-
NATIVE process in a different form as
had moved him in the case OF Mary
Keyes. Mary had n pure spirit, bui
an ordinary face and figure, on which
he had built thing OF beauty on the
woman he met In London, beautiful
without and rotten within, he built d
superstrueture that euthralled hlm
She was the mistress OF the greatest
sailor Of a nation Of sailors. She was
pleased TO bewltch the famous painter
but she laughed at his bewlichment
He stretched forth his hand TO GRASP
rose and Dlucked a 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 Tho
greater part OF lifetime. His wife
too, has grown old She knows OF his
triunphs aud of his dcsertion of her n
heart as well as IN person. We mal
expect that she viii receive him as ;
stranger, tlsat she Nfil reproach hin
with his neglect and that she who haS
The first right to share IN bis triumph
has been denied them. that. II possible
they would have been given 20 others
others signalIy unworthy OF them
When The aged invalid rode up {
her door she went out with open arm
to receive him. He tottered into tn
house supported by Der. She spok
no word Of reproach The love he ha'
sighted for more than three decade
was sun thtFt lpl ulhl ~ Hh' ''f
nursed him In his youth she nurse
him in his old age.
Again he saw her ministerng 10 hir
not as a youth in youth herself Wit
life before them but as a decrepit oil
man. The dreams they then dreame
had been far more than realized, bu
not FOR her. and ;hey could not no'
be recalled that she might enjoy then
He remembered his triumphs and hoy
unworthily they had been bestowed
And yet she was caring for him a
teaderly as II he had shared thei
With her
A poet hiss created fancy Of
peri asking for admtttauce to heave
and denied unless she will bring gil
most acceptable. She goes back
earth and brings valious gifts. all {