Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1909-10-20
CHAPTER vi.

CHAPTER vi.
England, an island In the Allan
tic wrote french geographer; lit
has many colonies, large and ever
increasing coIumerce-but no eli
mate"
That French geographer wronged
us. We have every climate. If vari-
ETY. be charming, then English tenn
perature should be the most charming
temperature under the sun. 1t is not
unusual for US to have winter in
spring, and az ms in winter; one day
The roads r1S. DO lara with frost, and
the sky heavy with snow; the next we
walk through the slush and the sky Is
an Italian blue. Yes, the French his
torian is wrong. We have a dozen
cl mates rolled into one.
Thus it happens that a week after
the park skating party there is q most
resolute thaw-the roads are .lushy,
tire sky is blue and genial, and King
Frost S. ms so long dead as never to
have re gned.
most think it was spring. and under
Newton Cliff sits an artist painting at
his easel.
Beside him. on bowlder, is a lad
bending over a drawing-block, busily
plying lead pencil. Both are so abb
sorbed in their work that the sea
surges beside them UNDECIDED, and the
infatuated lark, that has evidently
mistaken this genial day for spring,
sings above their heads disregarded.
Al last the boy arises slowly and
stands beside the easel, looking now
at the cliff and now at the picture.
How beautifully you paint, Mr..
Vane!" he says at length, with an ar
dent sigh; that cliff looks as If 1T
had moved on to your canvas. You
must be a great artist!l
The painter stopped in his work
and looks up at the boys bright face.
'You deem me so because you are
not a severe critic, Hal. You will
think less Of this sketch when / tell
YOU that it will not fetch twenty
pounds when it is finished"
Twenty pounds!" says Hal, indig'
nantly; Nit is worth a hundred-it is
the cliff itself! That comes of being
poor"
Just So" responds Vernon, with
undisturbed equanimity, that comes
of being poor. Let me see what you
have done"
Hal picks up his pencil sketch re-
luctantly.
There it is. sir; an awful muddle
I'm ashamed to show it to you.
knew couldn't do it. It's all waste
OF time. I told Jeanne so when
told her YOU had offered to teach me. >
Eyes, says Vernon Vane, with his
eyes fixed on the picture; "and what
did Jeanne say?"
Jeanne? oh, she will say anything
to encourage me and coax me on
You don't know what brick Jesr ne
isl"
Perhaps not
she said that every one must have
beginning, and that as you were
kind enough to offer to help me,
ought to accept"
wise Jeanne!"
There's nobody like her." says the
roy squatting on tie bOwlder and
staring at the cliff. You don't know
Jeanne, Mr.. Vane."
mot very much" was the quiet re-
Spouse. Il think we have met some
half-dozen timee and exchanged half
a-dozen sentences"
All" says Hal, and you wouldn't
know Jeanne if you had exchanged
half-a-hundred."
Perhaps not was the quiet re
Spouse.
NO" continues Hal; that's because
Jeanne is diffe rent to other girls
she don't care about herself-no'
she! Shes all for others, is Jen!
You wouldn't believe it, but she is as
grateful to yoa for teaching me as II
you had taken the trouble for her
sake"
Indeed" says Mr.. vane, looking
- at the sky and leaning back in his
campstool
Yes says Hal. "Jeanne's briek
It isn't every girl who'd sit up al
night to help fellow with his Latin
exercisesl and that's what she'll do
Did you ever have a sister, NJ
49, 80