The west shore., January 01, 1886, Page 27, Image 25

THE WEST SHORE.
27
Besides, strange to sny, he could always tnlk more freely
to Grace and her mother than to his lady-love, bitterly
though he lamented his deficiency iu that respect
Presently Amelia came in.
" Don't you want a lamp?" she asked laughing, hring
ing in with her an atmosphere of energy and gnyoty, and
yet an amount of fresh air that mndo Grace shiver. '
"Oh, mother, I can't see a bit!" continued Amelia
"do let ub have lights. Why, is that you, Mr. McHuish?"'
"Mr. McHuish haB been lolling us all about tlio
Aurora," said Grace. "It must be so beautiful in the
far north, Amy I Please toll Amy about it Mr. McHuish,
won't you?"
"Only how I rode home one night, one winter night,"
began the Scotchman confusodly. He had risen from
his chair at Amelia's entrance, and now stood twirling
his hat slowly round and round in his big, bony hands.
" It was across the lonely moors," said Grace.
"And the Aurora was shooting up into the heavens,"
said McHuisk
" More beautiful than daylight" addod Graco enthusi
astically. ''Only fnncy, Amy, what the groat rays must
bo, white and silver and roso-oolor, giving one an idea of
some wonderful weird world out far, far beyond the dis
tant hills. I;can fancy being lured away and away tow
ard that magical horizon!"
"Here comes the lamp," said Mrs. AVyvern. "Dear
mo, how they have spilt the oil again, all over tho han
dle! Doesn t your mother, Mr. McHuish, find that her
servants"
'"Light, light!' I feel like Goethe," interrupted
Amelia irrelevantly. "Mamma, I want to show you
something. Do look. The Professor says tlioro is an
exhibition going to open immediately, somewhere he
knows, and he thinks I might really, truly, send this
head" '
Out from "under Amy's oloak came a squuro brown
paper parcel, and then the young artist with a little air
of modest though conscious merit, held up to view a
small oil painting representing tho head of an Italian
bandit
"What really?" asked Mrs. Wyvorn, in admiration.
"Oh, Amy, not really?" echoed Graco.
"Yes," answered Amelia quiotlv.
He was a fierce bandit a very fierce bandit His
head was slightly turned away; still his oaglo glanco was
fixed threateningly on the beholder; his glance evidently
meant much. He was arrayed in a gorgeous costume,
worn, probnbly, by bandits of his province oidy, and his
background was the well-known blue and cloudless sky
of the south.
" Well, I must say," remarked Mrs. Wyvorn impres
sively, as she looked around her for the pake of argument
"I must say, Amelia, that you have made very groat
progress."
" It's a beautiful hoad," said Grace sympathetically;
oh, you doar, clever Amy, I must give you a kiss; J
never saw such a fiorce-lookinir bandit! "
" I should think not" returned Amy. "Tho Professor
WAnwa us particularly to catcu mat expression, us ip
model actually did commit a muruor once long ago in
Corsica."
" Of course, one must not praise one's own child,"
said Mrs. Wyvern, "but I cannot help thinking thero are
very lew young artists who could ucai inui noon, aiiu i
don't know about 'young' either."
"There is one little thing that troubles mn," said
Amelia in a hesitating voice, "that is, you soo, mamma,
the high light on the bandit's nose. hat do you think
of the high light Mr. McHuish!"
" I'm no much of a painter inyaol," replied tho jwrson
interrogated, who lapsed into a northern dialect whenever
ho became nervous. "The nose is no that bad, to my
thinking; it's the lad's comnlotioii tlmt'n torril.l
surely." '
" Why, tho Professor said it was nut 1.1 nn ..,,. I, I"
exclaimed Amelia.
"Oh, Mr. MoIInish. von .loii't renltu tlm.k if l.l,.M"
asked Grace reproachfully.
1-1 stammered the young man.
"Perhaps," said Mrs. Wvvein. with sninn um.riiu
"perhaps that Mr. McHuish has not Miilueientlv
tmul tho roilouiioim from tho wmthorn hky."
i ' . i ...... ....
Ainona sum m more, rossiidy she inwardly felt
that like the archbishop in "Gil Itlus," she desired for
her critic " toutos sortos do iiro.mi'irito. avoc un mm t.liw
ile gofit," whilst the iiiiluippy offender, stumbling over
Ilia mini titiimu aitiii.lil 1... tl... ... t'. ... ! - . .
n'MiKiiv vi 'inv HKIinci lllimimil prillSO
to reinstate biuiself in It in former position of trust
D.iys passed; the bandit carefully framed mid lab.
eled, was sent to the exhibition, and in dun timn, as
Amelia receiven no no 101) to tlm ctnfary, s in Immune
tremblingly, hopefully, delightedly aw.iro that her picture
was acccpiou ami iiung.
During tho to anxious d iys she was very ea(erly ox
loctniit and y.t afrai I, tt hear the potman's kn xk; she
know n it what iiowh In might bring. No n s is good
news, doubtless, us Grace oftontimo assorted, and vet
such silcnen was trying to bear.
Amelia worked souiowlut htfully at tho Professor's.
Slio found herself in higli favor with her fellow students;
11 i ...ii.. ..: .1 . i. !..... i
uioy uvuc'imy viuwini unr wini iiiniui increased respect.
On ono occasion tlm poor lady who was struggling with
tho largo chalk noso actually wont on all-fours to look
forapieco of india-rublsir which Amelia had dropped!
Mrs. Himpkins addressed her as "dear child"; tho Pro
fesssor talked lengthily to her of the possible regenera
tion of art, a subject lie reserved for a v.ry choice few
among his iiupils, do lining, doubtlois, that there worn
but few of thorn destined to tako a really active part in
such regeneration.
Hut Amelia could not work n of yore; .ho painted
out to-day what she ha I painted in yesterday; slio was
certainly demoralized. Her small capabilities of tho
present jarred iu her mind with tlm wid destinies hIio
contemplated for tlm future. Of ciursu, tho brigand was
tho doorway through which she wns to wnud her sti'jm
toward these destinies, ami yet, as she workel, she was
conscious of Homo uneasiness concerning the finite nature
of her own art Ceitainly, at Ii une, as she Mat beside
( I racie's couch, at rest from pahUo or cinvas, she held
forth garrulously as to her future aims and present suc
cess, without any disturbing emotion. Homehow it was
always so easy to talk to Gracie! Nothing seemed too
great, nothing too small, for her facile comprehension
and universal Hympathy.
"Why can't women Imhumiio Royal Academicians!"
Amelia would exclaim wrathfully, whilst her sister list,
cued sorrowfully. " What an unjust, inisorohlti nine,
tociith century we live in, to 1st sure," continued Amelin,
forgetful of her d s-lrines of progress "only think of
Mary Moser and Angelica Kaiih"iimiin!"
" Were they Academicians?" asked Grace, who was
still strangely ignorant on the subject
" Why, of course."
And thereupon Grsrio from liei full loving heart pro.
tested that Amelia was surely intended to Tstcomn tlm
female art pioneer of this present generation, ami that
tho most obtuse public cmld not Hibly remain blind
to her remarkable merit
It in it r Im hold that such IndiscrimiiiaU) iiralsn was
I uuwholosoimt for Amelia, but Grace did not roasoii