El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-07-03
The HeraId's
Daily Short Stery

would once become famous artist, no
ma tier at what cost.
And. in spite of many hours Of hope
lessness and exhaustion, he reached his
goal When only 90 years old, his boy
was recognized as a genius by the ex-
perts of art-loving Dresden.
And now Antonio loves his work
Forgotten were the dark cherries
hours of his childhood. his homesick-
ness when abroad. Now the gloomy
chapel attracted him with irresistible
power. He felt he could work far bet
ter in Rome than on the banks of the
Elbe. The famous names and the air
of Italy inspired him far more than
did the country where he was born
In Rome he started his great paint
ing The Holy Family. One day
while he was walking near the city,
he saw peasant girl surrounded by
crowd OF children. who asked her to
sing while they danced. She did so,
and her face, her gentle loving eyes,
her graceful position as she stood look
ing at the happy children, her soft
southern voice-all this formed a pic
ture so charming that it made the
heart of the artist beat faster, and he
hurried home to fasten her beautiful
features on the canvas Time and
again he felt himself drawn to the
village where the young girl lived; he
saw her very often and her beauty
seemed colorless He was always
thinking of asking her to come TO his
studio and sit for his painting of the
virgin in the Holy Family but there
was something about her that made
| him lack courage to ask her. At last
he asked her father, who was greatly
f1attered. The young peasant girl came
to the artists studio and was treated
by him with a reverence as II she had
been a queen.
And now came many happy days for
him and Allegro, both equally inter
ested in his great work The picture
was almost finished. Once more she
was to sit to him and then it would
be over. The thought filled Antonio's
heart with sadness and suddenly he
understood that Allegro was much
more to him than he had ever suspect
ed. He would feel unspeakab1y happy
and proud If she would consent to be-
come his. and he, the famous young ar
fist would gladly show the poor peas
ant girl that her love made him rich.
His father, who was always ambitious.
would think that his son might have
made a better choice, but his mother
woud take Allegro into her arms and
call her daughter. All these thoughts
went through his brain. while she sat
there with her bea utifll, gentle and
soulful face. her big dark eyes turned
upwards as if praying, and her black
hair softly wrapping her neck and
shoulders in its dark mantle. There
were tears in her eyes now and Antonio
felt happy. If she cried because they
were to part. she must care for him.
Allegro, he said in his gentle
voice, which had always been like the
sweetest music to her ears, allegro,
would you be able TO leave your home
and your people to share the uncertain
lot of an artist%
She did not understand him right
away. so he had to repeat his ques-
ton, but then her eyes beamed with
happiness and she threw herself into
his arms.
That night there was joy and sor-
row at the same time in Allegra's
home. She was the sunlight there.
the home would be dark without her,
but still her parents were glad to see
her happiness and. on a beautiful
summer day Antonio left Rome for
Dresden with his charming bride.
His fame grew rapidly. and, with
fame came friends, many rich people
bought his pictures and in the gal
leries were seen masterpieces from
his hand. Very often his beautiful
wife'S features were painted on his
canvases, sometimes surrounded by his
fair haired children. He never grew
tired depicting this beauty that filled
his whole life and his host OF admir-
ers honored and respected the plain
peasant girl who so worthily filled
her position as the wife Of a great ar
tist
Another summer day in Rome.
The setting sun is shedding its last
rays upon an immense procession
slowly moving through the silent
streets. In the procession are the
great, the powerful. the rich by birth
or genius. all following behind the
coffin of the great artist who had been
found worthy to rest at the side OF the
immortal Raphael. And look. Here
comes the peasant girl from the plains
of the Tiber with her beautiful child
rem She wants to see once more the