The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1910-06-20
HE PAID THE
RECKONING
By Mol-tiE X. WETHERElL
Copyright, iao BY American Press
Association

Spain and asked for supper and 1
nights lodging ne was made wei
come and comfortable so far as thes,
poor peasants were able 10 make aim
The family consisted Of man per
haps thlrtyfiye years Of age; bis wife
young woman Of twenty-five Or TWEEN
ty.three, and their child. a bog about
eight months old While the stranger
was eating bis supper his eyes were
constantly liked 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 mans face was d
certain repose, a c0ntentmeut with the
world and with his lot 10 It. The wo.
mans, though that OF . peasant. was
tinged with a certain lndeserlbable
spirituality when the child SAT up ID
his mothers lap ana looked at the
guest his eyes we're opened very wide.
and there was an appearance Of intel.
ligence In them beyond babyhood. be-
yond childhood-even. II seemed at
times. beyond manhood.
When the stranger had eaten bis
supper be said n shah be gone in the
morning before you are up. Please tell
me what Is the reckoning, that 1 may
pay It now, for my supper and my
bed
There Is nothing 70 be paid. senior"
said the man. what we have given
you to eat, while II Is good enough for
us, is not good enough for gentle
man ike you. AT any rate. II Is not OF
any real value AS for the bed you are
TO sleep on. yen viii fare no better
than the mules What presumption
senior. Il would be for Us to take money
FOR these things. By doing so we
would call down the displeasure OF our
patron saint"
The stranger made no reply TO this
but, taking up candle. mounted
rude staircase In the morning, how
ever, be was stu 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 meal, after which
he said:
"You viii not permit me to pay FOR
your hospitality, but possibly you may
accept a gift at my hands am an
artist and win draw your likenesses."
TO this the husband demurred, say
ing that the gentleman's time was too
valuable to be spent sketchlng 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 50 she per.
suaded the man TO sit with her and
their boy for the stranger 70 copy.
The artist placed the woman In
chair, holding her child In a standing
position. while the man stood looking
over her shoulder at both her and the
boy. Then from portmanteau hs
had With him be took cut drawing ma.
terials, and, lmprovising an easel out
OF chair. be set to work. He made
number Of outline sketches OF the
three, also filling in separate drawings
OF them. When be bad finished he
put them away and said
4 shall take away what have done
With me, but this. selecting one OF
them. Il win return 70 you II you
desire 20 improve your condition or
are Ia need Of money you may be able
10 sell 1t for d fair price"
with that the artist took up bis port
mantean and departed
Some time after this when the pens.
ant had forgotten the incident and his
wife was lamenting because the artist
had neglected 70 send the sketch
man appeared, saying that be had been
sent with 1t by the artist. 1t was tn
a frame, and in one corner name
was written. But the name was not
familiar 10 the peasants. They lung
the picture on the wan and were very
proud Of It. When the neighbors came
In to look at It they would be asked
Are not the figures like us2" 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
young man. he loved the daughter Of
q wine grover. but she was without
dowry. and be was without any
mems to set up housekeeping tThen
his mother remembered The ARTISTS
words that they might sell the pic.
ture for a price, Her husband bad no
faith IN this. but the boy. who was 10
lore, begged Ills mother to try Hel
affection for her son triumphed over
Der desire 10 keep the sketch. and
with him SHE went to Seville.
90 reaching the city she went to
church 10 pray for the success ot
their undertaking When they came
TO The altar both stood stlIl ID amaze.
ment There before them was their
sketch in painted colors inciosed ID a
massive frame It represented Mary
and Joseph and the infant Jesus.
The next day people gathered ID
knots to discuss a bit Of news. A
peasant woman and her son had come
ii from the south with the original
sketch Of one Of the most famous Of
Murillos paintings Of the belly FAM
lly. They did not know les value, but
when dealer told them that there
were persons who would give a thou
sand sequins for It fhey were amazed
They agreed 70 take This amount. the
dealer taking the risk Of selling il At
q profit Then the two peasants went
home happy