The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1909-09-11
The Priceless Gift.

tor1Sinail
This Is a true historical story. but as
I give 1t in story form I think 1t best
to change the names. The main Incl
dents are given exactly as they &C.
CURED in the latter half of the eight
eenth century.
Alvin Marston, a cabinetmaker. had
a 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. lie 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board or an unpublished desk In the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 q pencil
drawing on 1t which could at once be
recognized as q 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 a professional artist.
Then he fell Ill.
There being no n In the family to
nurse him. a 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
a plain country girl, nothing more
But John Marstop was imaginative
He saw her moving about the room
ministering to his comfort, and Of the
commonplace figure he made q Venus
while the ordinary face in his eyes be
came a paragon of sweetness.
The invalid recovered and married
Mary Keyes. He lived with her sew.
eral years and had children by her
Had 1t not been for his talents doubt
less there would be no especial story IL
his life. 1t was only o evident tina
he was born for a higher life than thu
one be was leading. His pictures ex
cited the admiration of critics, and tn
young nan grew ambitious. One da!
he said goodby to his wife and chill
dren to go to London to study art
He did not return to them for NOR,
than thirty years.
The cabinetmaker's son became I
great artist. In portrait painting h
vas the only rival to the celebrated
Sir Joshua Reynolds. His name, hi
fame, his praise, were on every lip. H.
was invited into the houses Of the no
bility and was paid enormous sums 70
painting their portraits.
Why did he never return to his fam
lily? Who knows? Possibly before b
left home the beauties he had himsel
created had fallen away and he saw
the ordinary woman, neither endowe'
Perhaps the scales were removed fror
his eyes by visions of the ONE o
tine capital. One of these after he BIZ
came famous wcve about him a spell
She had a beautiful body and a col
rupt soul. There was the same imae
NATIVE process In a different form q
had moved him in the case of Mar
Keyes. Mary had a pure spirit, bu
an ordinary face and figure, on whic
be had built a thing of beauty. On tn
woman he met in London, beautifr
without and rotten within, he built
superstructure that enthralled hin
She was the mistress Of the creates
sailor of a nation Of sailors. She wa
I pleased to bewitch the famous painte
! but she laughed at his bewitchmen
He stretched forth his hand to gras
a rose and plucked a thorn.
And now m something more pc
feet than any Of the beautiful creation
Of the artists.
An old man, he returns to the viii
and family he has neglected for I'll
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