Gilpin observer., 1920-07-01
Genius and
the Child
By Mary Gertrude MeN.mara
(Copyright.)

famed sculptor whom ] shall call Re-
fugio Escandido. To one other am
Perhaps had best, as the children
say. "begin at the beginning"
From the moment my child's eye
rested on him, knew the man to be an
ogre; what special degree Of ogre was
left to my later understanding.
l don't know now just what 1t was
that brought him to our little crows.
nest of mining town, perched high
on the slope of the Sierras. At any
rate, he came. saw him on the
streets for week before I saw him In
our home. My first impression of him
obtains.
TO me then-I was just fifteen and
tall for my age-he seemed old, al
though l am sure now he wasn't more
than thirty-five or forty. He was of
medium height, with long, clawlke
hands-I particularly noticed his
hands-and splatter feet. He had lost
an eye, which had been replaced by
one Of glass, and when, in afterdays,
he commanded that look him ain the
eye," 1t was always in the glass eye l
looked.
My parents were Italian, Of the
simple type of Woodworking peasant.
My father was mucker In the mines,
a man of uncertain temper. Perhaps
it was the inequality of supply and de-
mand that made HIN so. There were
eight of us to feed besides my mother
My mother was still young; but an
early marriage, hard work. and con-
tinuous child-bearing had swept away
all except the lingering traces Of girl
ish sort Of beauty. What little was
left looked mOurnfully out from her
eyes.
Then. one afternoon, when had
raced home from school in the canyon
and stood In the kitchen door, the man
was there sitting beside the stove
talking to my father
After that the man was often there
Sometimes he came with a great piece
Of beef, and, on those days, he stayed
to dinner. His hand was always in
his pocket jingling coins. Once. he put
a silver dollar in my hand.
recoiled at his touch, as If cotton
rolled away under the table. My
father bade me get down and find it
and thank the giver. did neither. He
leaned over and cuffed me soundly on
the ear and repeated his command.
Still I did not novel couldn't. He
was about to rise when something
drew my tear-dimmed eyes to my
mothers face. got down at once and
found the coin, and, without looking
at the man, murmured faint, THANK
you. sir" and gave the dollar to my
mother.
That night our elders sat up and
talked long after we children had gone
to bed and to sleep. The next Sunday
my mother told me to keep on my
"best Clothes" instead of changing, as
was my custom ON coming in from
Sunday school. The man had come
with his beef and his smile and was
there at dinner When l sat down he
took his seat next to me and placed a
small gold watch and II pretty ring on
my plate. The glow of childish pleas
urc died almost Immediately away.
Remembering the episode of the dollar,
l glanced fearfully at my father.
He told me to put the ring on the
third finger Of my left hand. The
watch hung by the chain about my
neck. 1t was after this looked at my
mother. Two great tears splashed
down on the dinner she was fixing for
the smaller children. She did not
speak nor did she raise her eyes.
That night ! was married to this
man. who shall be nameless, and the
next day the little train that toiled up
from the valley below bore me away to
;he city home OF my husband and the
hideous problem OF life. There was
one less mouth to feed at home, and
my fathers buckskin sack was heavier
by five bright. new. shiny twenties.
l never saw my father again.
The first three months passed some
how. never knew what my husband
did for living. and l never asked.
] rarely went out. I was hnrdl. 4
child was not yet woman. | saw
none except my husband. md. though
he never said so. knew this was as
he wished. He never came home /;
rather he appeared
'Is my supper ready, little one?" he
would smile. and Jingle the coins In his
pocket. Then, he invariably fell to.
leaving nothing to me but the scraps.
There followed weeks when was
miserabiy III.
"Where are the pretty pink
rheeksT' my husband said one night
as he took my chin between his finger
and thumb. 81 believe. nfter all, l
bought an ugly duckling instead OF a
swan. How about it?"
struggled TO release myself. where
upon he plnched me viciously ind
hurled me from him. After that he
left me more and more to myself.
When he did come home he brought n
NANCY dog. which he stationed beside