Year: 1861

but enough to keep a bachelors soul and body
together"


Dame Bernard was half petrified with
amazement at learning that people could gain
such an amount OF riches with "Only little bits
of brushes."s


Fritz now inquired what he was to have for
dinner.


"Why, am afraid you know already A
leg OF goose stewed with cabbage. Pve moth
ing else in the house"


''O yes, | remember. This morning you
gave me cabbage, stewed with a leg OF goose,
by way OF change; SO | cannot complain of
samenesS."


The inevitable dish was served up by Made
line but Fritz had no appetite and after
swallowing few mouthfus, he set up his easel,
produced bis canvas, and set 10 work on the
poi trait of the village belle.


The fair Madeline hencefOrth sat daily TO the
stranger artist and faithful to the tradition of
the painters brush the painter aud the model
were over head and ears in love by the time
the portrait was completed


Dame Bernard was not blind to what was
going on under her very nose /; but she had
from the first formed a high opinion of the
honesty and uprightness of her new customers
she was simple and upright herself, and had a
nay admiration of artists, whom she looked on
as a sort of superior beings, capable of trans
muting canvas into bank notes, and paint into
gold merely with the aid OF their "little bits
of brushes"


One morning, when the two young people
were wandering together under the trees in
Dame Bernard's garden, Fritz took the hand
of his companion in his own.


Madeline, he whispered, softly, after they
had walked on few yards in silence


"We Monsieur Staeckels z" reioined the
maiden thus interpellated.


81 want to speak to you of something very
serious"


A rosy flush spread over the charming face
of the village maiden.


"Will you allow me to do 500" demanded
Fritz


Madeline may have had her own suspicious
as to the nature of the communication thus
sOlpmnly announced but she said nothing,
aud he probably thought he might venture to
take her silence for consent AT any rate he
thus continued =


"When left my mother, a few months ago,
she said to me, My son, you are about to trav-
el. Keep careful watch over your heart for
you are frank and honest, and may therefore
be deceived. But if you do meet with the
one who can secure your happiness, beware
Last nigh | dreamed that my mother said to
me, The happiness OF your life is near you
do not pass ii BY We Germans are rather
given to put faith in dreams | have faith in
mine. Dear Madeline. have you faith in me
And may hope your happiness would be Sc
cured by making mine Will you let me
speak this evening to Madame Bernard 7"


"What about! asked Madeline, timdly.


"About our marriage"


The rosy flush deepened on Madeline S face
at these words but she made no repiy to the
demand, but Fritz felt her hand tremble in his,
and he again interpreted her silence as favor
able


Dame Bernard, of course, did not think of
refusing her niece's hand to a man who gained
twelve thousand francs year with "little bits
of brushes"


A month afterwards the young artist mar
ried the village beauty, with his mothers tull
consent aud blessing. Just before tile cerr.
mony took place, Madeline's Cousin arrived
for the fifth time.


"What did he say to you?" asked Fritz,
when the cousin had taken his departure.


''Ghat there is rise in the price OF Tosin
and that lie would have willingly married in
order to use my dot in a grand speculation,
that he thinks would have turned out well 2"
replied Madeline, who could not help laughing
as she recalled the blank disappointment Yisi.
Bile in her cousins face, ON learning that she
was to marry the stranger artist that very
morning.


Just us the little party was setting out for
the double visit, tlrSt to the mdATe and then TO
tine church, Fritz for the first time bethought
himself of the grandmother, in whose chair he
had slept SO loudly on the night OF his arrival
beneath Dame Bernard's root.


GLOW is it that the old lady is not here, to
be present at the wedding of her grandchild?"
demanded Fritz of the dame "Is she still
angry with me for having had the temerity to
share her room at your bidding, Madame Ber-
nard 2"


"She is not angry with you" replied Mad,
anne Bernard with significant smile ''and
she is not absent, either, for she is going to
church with you this morning!"


An idea suddenly darted through the young
artists mind.


at surely was not Madeline !" he cried ca.
gerly.


alt was no other !" returned the dame.
"When l stole into her room at daylreak, 10
bring her away before you should waken from
your heavy sleep, | found her already awake.
She had seen you asleep in the great arm
chair, with the first rays OF the light falling
on your head ani l should not wonder il she
confessed to you, even before you had seen
her"