Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1915-04-16
CHAPTER V-ContInued.

The two men had lost an hour
buddled under canopy beneath the
cannonading of sudden storm. They
had silently watched titanic battalions
Of thunder clouds riding the skies in
gusty puffs of gale and raking the
earth with lightning and hail and
water.
my God" exclaimed the mountain
BOY abruptly. "I'd give anything eff
could paint that"
Lescott rose smilingly from his seat
Before the easel and surrendered his
GAZETTE and sheaf of brushes.
TRY it," he invited
For a moment Samson stood hest
cant and overcome with difidence;
chen, with set lips, he took his place
and eXperimentally fitted his fingers
about the brush, as he had seen Les
colt do. He asked no advice. He
merely gazed for a while, and then.
dipping a brush and experimenting for
his color, went to sweeping in his pri-
mary tones. Samson, even though he
was hopelessly daubing, and knew it,
was sincere, and the painter at his
elbow caught his breath and looked on
with the absorption of a prophet, who
listening to childish prattle, yet recog-
Rizes the gift of prophecy.
"Thets the way hit looks ter me-,
the boy said, simply.
That's the way it is" comro@sGed
his critic.
For a while more Samson worked
at the nearer hills, then he RAGE.
I'm DONE" he said. 'Aaia't a-goin
ter fool with them thnr trees an
things. l don't know EDthing erbout
tibet. l can't paint l&aves an twigs
an 5irdsnests Whab like is noun.
tings an skies an TEch-like things.
Lescott looked a. she daub before
him. A less traina,s sye would have
seen only the dala. just as a poor
Judge of horsef@A might see only
awkward joints pad long legs in q
weanling colt, ?1tflgh it be bred in the
purple.
Samson" 5q said, earnestly, that's
ell there il 20 art. It's the power tC
feel the EA3e'try of color. Tne rest can
be taUSHs, The genius must work, Of
couras~--Tork work, work, and still
work but the gift is the power oil
seei2g true-and, By God, boy, you
haze it, You've go+ what many men
have struggled a lifetime for, and
sailed. I'd like to have you study with
me. I'd like to ne your discoverer
Look here"
re painter sat down, and speedily
wep. TO work. He painted out moth
ms. He simply toned, and, with pre-
GtGely the right touch here and there
sctteGed the crudepses. laid stress or
the contrast, melted the harshness
and. when he rose, he had built, upon
the rough cornerstone of Samson's
laying, a picture.
THAT proves t." he said 81 haC
ugIly to finish. l didn't have much Il
Ghdo. Boy, you're wasting yourself
Come with me, ana let me make you
We all pretend there is no such thing
IN these days, as sheer genius; but
deep down, we know that, unless there
bat. There IS genius and you have
H." Enthusiasm was again sweeping
hin into an unintended outburst.
The boy stood silent. Across hlI
suunteEahce swept a conflict of emo
ions He looked away, as If takin,
:cunsel with the hills.
IT'S what I'm a-honin' fer" he ad
mitted at last. Hits what I'd Civ,
half my life fer. | mout sci
by land an raise the money.
I reckon hit would take passels O
money, wouldn't hit?" He paused, ant
bis eyes fell on the rife leaning agains
be tree. His lips frightened in sudden
remembrance. He went over an,
picked up the gun, and, as he did sc
be shook his head
NO." he stolidly declared; ever,
man to his own tools This hers
mine"
Yet, when they we're again on
sketching, the temptation to play witt
brushes once more seized him, and h
took his place before the easel
Neither he nor Iescott noticed a mai
who crept down through the timber
and for time watched them. Th
haan's face wore surly contemptuou
grin, and shortly Il withdrew.
But, an hour lattr, while the bo,
was still working sndustriously an,
the artist was lying on his back, will
b pipe between hls tseth, and his hal;
closed eyes gazing up contentedI.
through the green of overhead
Branches, their peace was broken b.
b guffaw of dorisive laughter. The.
yooked up, to Hnd at their backs semi