Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1910-12-21
HE PAID THE
RECKONING
B. MolIE K wETtEREu
copyrssnt. 1910. oy Amsrican Pres
Association.


4 long while ago. when the people
Of Europe lived In m artistic atmos-
phere. . stranger stopped one evening
at . peasant's cottage In the south OF
Spain and asked for supper and
nights lodging. He was made vel
come and comfortable 90 far a. thess
poor peasants were able to make MIN.
The family consisted Of . man per
haps thirty years Of age; his wife.
Z young woman Of twenty-five or TWEEN.
ty-three. and their child. boy about
eight months old While the stranger
was eating bis supper bis EYES were
constantly nxed upon the man. who
sat smoking bis pipe BY the chimney.
turning them from him to the woman
who sat on the opposite side. nursing
her baby. In the man's face was Z
certain rep0se. q contentment With the
world and with bis lot In II. The wo
mans. though that Of Z peasant. was
tinged With a certain INDISPENSABLE
spirituality. When the child sat up In
bis mothers Tap ana looked At the
guest bis eyes were opened very wide,
and there was an appearance Of intel.
ligence In them beyond babyhood. be.
yond childhood even. It seemed at
times. beyond manhood.
When the stranger had eaten his
supper be said: II shall be gone in the
morning before you are up. Please tell
me what Is the reckoning. that may
pay 1t now. for my supper and my
bed"
There ID nothing to be paid. senor."
said the man. What we have given
you to eat. while 1t IL good enough for
us. Il not good enough for a gentle
man like You. At any rate. 1t Is not OF
any real value. As for the bed you are
to sleep on. you will fare no better
senior. 1t would be for US to take money
for these things BY doing 90 we
would call down the dispieasure of our
patron saint"
The stranger made no reply to this.
but. taking up candle. mounted
ever. he was still in the cottage. COM
ing down from his room after the peas
ant and bis wife had breakfasted.
The woman gave him what remained
in the house for a meal. after which
be said:
"You will not permit me to pay for
your hospitality. but possibly you may
accept a GIFT at my hands. am an
artist and will draw your likenesses."
To this the husband demurred. say
ing that the gentleman's time was too
valuable to be spent sketching poor
peasants. but the wife took woman's
view Of the matter. She wished for
the portraits OF her husband. herself
and especially her child. So she per-
suaded the man to sit with her and
their boy for the stranger to copy.
The artist placed the woman In a
chair. holding her child in standing
position. while the man stood looking
over her shoulder at both her and the
boy. Then from portmanteau be
had with him be took out dra wing ma
teriais. ana. improvising an easel out
Of a chair. he set to work. He made
number OF outline sketches of the
three. also filling in separate drawings
Of them. When be had finished he
put them away and said:
Il shall take away what ! have done
with me, but this" selecting one of
them. Il will return to you II you
desire to improve your condition or
are In need Of money you may be able
to sell It for fair price"
With that the artist took up his port
manteau and departed.
Some time after this when the peas
ant had forgotten the incident and his
wife was lamenting because the artist
had neglected to send the sketch
man appeared. saying that he had been
sent with II by the artist. 1t was in
a frame. and In one corner a name
was written. But the name was not
familiar 10 the peasants They hung
the picture on the wall and were very
proud Of IT, When the neighbors came
in to look at 1t they would be asked.
Are not the figures like usy and the
reply would be: Yes. they are like
you. but they are holy people. Your
baby resembles our blessed Saviour"
The peasants kept the picture for
many years. Meanwhile they grew
to be old and their boy became a
young man. He loved the daughter of
a wine grower. but she was without
dowry. and he was without any
means to set up housekeeping Then
his mother remembered the artists
words that they might sell the pic
ture for price. Her husband had no
faith in this. but the boy. who was In
love, begged bis mother to try. Her
affection for her SOD triumphed over
her desire to keep the sketch. and
with him she went to Seville.
On reaching the city she went to q
church to pray for the success of
their undertaking When they came
to the altar both stood still In amaze
ment. There before them was their