The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1911-06-29
[Or4ginai.J


This is a true historical story, but as |
l give It in story form think It best |
to change the names. The main Incl |
dents are given exactly as they oc-
CURED In the latter half of the eight
eenth century.
Alvin Marston, a cabinetmaker, had
son, John, whom the father was
bringing up In his business. But the
young man was of a very different tex
ture from that of builder of furni-
ture. He 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board or an unpublished desk in the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 a pencil
drawing on 1t which could at once be
recognized as 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 trade, put him In a way to take
drawing lessons. The student improv-
ed rapidly, showing sufficient talent to
warrant becoming professional artist.
Then he fell Ill.
There being no one 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 Reyes was not made attractive
by the uniform that now decorates the
nurse. She had no beauty to win the
| No. r.
dowments above her station. She was
a plain country girl, nothing more.
But John Marston was imaginative.
He saw her moving about the room
ministering to his comfort, and Of the
commonplace figure he made 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 It not been for his talents doubt
less there would be no especial story In
his life. 1t was only too evident that
he was born for a higher life than the
one he was leading. His pictures ex-
cited the admiration Of critics, and the
young man grew ambitious. One day
he said goodby to his wife and chill
J dren to 60 to London to study art.
He did not return to them for more
than thirty years.
The cabinetmakers son became q
great artist. In portrait painting he
was the only rival to the celebrated
Sir Joshua Reynolds. His name, his
fame, his praise, were ON every lip. He
was invited into the houses of the mo-
bility and was paid enormous sums for
painting their portraits.
: Why did he never return to his fam
, ilyf Who knows2 Possibly before he
left home the beauties he had himself
created had fallen away and he saw
{: the ordinary woman, neither endowed
, with beauty of person nor Of mind
Perhaps the scales were removed from
D his eyes by visions Of the women OF
, the capital. One Of these after he be.
{ came famous wove about him q spell
] She had a beautiful body and a cor.
> rupt soul There was the same imag
NATIVE process In a different form az
had moved him In the case OF Mary
Keyes. Mary had a pure spirit, bui
an ordinary face and figure, on which
0 he had built thing of beauty. On thu
7 woman he met In London, beautiful
/ without and rotten within, he built Z
superstructure that enthralled him
0 She was the mistress Of the creates
8 sailor of nation of sailors. She wal
q pleased to bewitch the famous painter
L but she laughed at his bewitchment
9 He stretched forth his hand to grasI
, a rose and plucked thorn.
q And now comes something more per
I feet than any of the beautiful creations
y of the artists.
l. An old man, he returns to the wifi
K and family he has neglected for tn
u greater part of a lifetime. Ills wife
70 too, has grown old. She knows of hi
triumphs and of his desertion of her II
u heart as well as in person. We ma.
expect that she will receive him as
stranger, that she Will reproach hin
with his neglect and that she who ha
p the first right to share In his triumph
has been denied them, that, If possible
= they would have been given to others
- others signally unworthy of them.
:. When the aged invalid rode up
= her door she went out with open arm
= to receive him. He tottered into til
= house supported by her. She spok
= no word of reproach. The love he ha
= sighted for more than three decade
" was still there for him. AS she ha
y nursed him In his youth she nurse
him in his old age.
!. Again he saw her ministering to hiI
= not as a youth, in youth herself wit
life before them, but as decrepit oil
man. The dreams they then dreame
a had been far more than realized, bt
: not for her, and they could not no
:. be recalled that she might enjoy then
!. He remembered his triumphs and no
- unworthily they had been bestowe
= And yet she was caring for him
- tenderly as If he had shared the
with her