Year: 1868

walking along the street OF his native city, per
picked and desponding in consequence Of some II
ritating circumstance or misfortune, when he be-
held little boy of such surprising and surprising
beauty that he forgot his own trouble and gloom
in looking upon the almost angel face before him.


''That face Imust have, " said the artist, for my
studio. Will you come to my room and sit for 9
picture, my little man?'


The little boy was glad to go and see hepictures
and pencils and curious things in the artist ROOM
and he was still more pleased when he saw what
seemed to be another boy looking just Like him.
self, smiling from the artists canvas.


The artist took great pleasure in looking at that
sweet face. When he was troubled, or irritated
or perplexed, he lifted his eyes to that lovely i'm
age on the wall, and its beautiful features and ex
preston calmed his heart and made him happy
again. Many visitor to his studio wished to pur
chase that lovely face; but, though poor, and oft
en- wanting money to buy food and clothes, he
would not sell his good angel, as he called this por
trait. s... ,g.. 4:


So the years went on. Oftentimes as he looked
up to the face on the glowing canvas, he wondered
what had become Of that boy.


"How should like to see how he looks now
I wonder if should know him? Is he gooc
man and true, or wicked and abandoned? Or ha:
he died and gone to better land2" .''


One day the artist was strolling down one of the
fine walks of the city when he beheld aman whose
face and mein were so vicious, so depraved, 80 al
most fiend-like, that he involuntariy stopped ane
gazed at him.


"What spectacle! should like tn paint tha
figure, and hang it in my studio opposite the ange
boy" said the artist to himself


The young man asked the painter for money, fol
he was beggar as well as thief ...


"Come to my room, and let me paint your por
trait, and will give you all you ask, said the ar
tist. .s ... .'


The young man followed the painter, and set fol
a sketch. When it vas finished, and he had re
ceived few coin, for his trouble, he turned to 60
but his eye rested upon the picture of the boy hi
looked at it, turned pale and then burst into tears


"What troubles you, man?" said the painter
1t was long before the young man could speak
He sobbed aloud and seemed pierced with agony


At last he pointed up to the picture on the wall
and in broken tones which seemed to come from
a broken heart, he said:


'Twenty years ago, you asked me to come VI
here and sit for a picture, and the angel-face ii
that portrait. Behold me now, a ruined man; *
bloated, so hideous that women and children turr
away their faces from me so fend-like that you
want my picture to show how ugly man coulc
look. All I see now what vice and crime have
done for me"


The artist was amazed. He could not believe
his own eyes and ears.


'How did this happen ?'' he asked. =


The young man told his sad and dreadful story
how, being an only son, and very beautiful his pa
rents petted and spoiled him; how he went witt
bad boys and learned all their bad habits and vice
and came to love them; how, having plenty O.
money, he was entced to wicked places till all wa
lost, and then unable to work and ashamed to beg
he began to steal, was caught, andimprisoned with
the worst kind of criminals; came out still more
depraved to commit still worse crimes than before
how every bad deed he performed seemed to drive
him to commit worse one, till it seemed to hin
he could not stop till brought to the gallows.


1t was fearful tale, and brought tears into the
artists eyes. He besought the young man to stop
offered to help him, and tried his best to save him
But, alas it was too late. Disease, contracted by
dissipation, soon prostrated the young man, and
he died before he couldreform. The painter hung
his portrait opposite that of the beautiful boy
and when visitors asked him why he allowed such
a hideous looking face to be there, he told them
the story, saying as he closed: Between the an
gel and the demon there is only twenty years o.
vice."


The lesson of his tale is in the tale ITSELF You
who read it can tell what it is Think of it often
and heed it always.