opportunity. t)t marriage, against the will of her
Gi?e me the hour for doing this or that - .i.:., ,u. tA
... . l nr i ihiiiiiiiih iiiiii iir i . iiiii i j iiu v eu.
Cue hour among all hours that late might I ' - 1 . , '
choose
And I will do it; we may gain or lose,
Eise nobly or beat blindly like the bat,
Bink in the mire or climb an Ararat.
Live with strong hearts, or le our courage
ooze
As coward soldiers do, and thus refuse
To grasp the goal which we are aiming at.
Man and bis opportunity are one
her example and been equally
-wretched.
And, as she expressed her belief
that such things "ran in families,
she had in Delphine's instance guard
ed against a similar recurrence by
making it a condition that her grand
daughter should marry with the full
consent and approval of her shrewd,
sharp and scrupulously correct Aunt
miss.
G. K Hontpomery, in New York Herald.
Failure or triumph lies deep sown in this Millicent, who had been always very
And he that stoops to crawl waen he might severe in condemnation pf her sister's
imprudent match.
Robs his own soul of a perennial bliss, Miss Stratton loved money, and
AaJ. faltering in some pathway to the sun, J though very unwilling that the five
Weep for the hope that ho has chanced to thousand dollars should go to the var
ious charities to which it had oeen
bequeathed in case of Delphine's for
feiture of it, she would, in her own
heart, rather have seen it cast into
the ocean than in any way benefiting
the son of John Irving and Mary Lane,
and the nephew of Dorothea Irving,
who had recently averred that, despite
Millicent's airs, none of the Strattons
could hold a candle to the Irvings.
Delphine's eyes were fail of tears as
Miss EtrattoiVs Portrait.
ET SUSAN AKCHES WEISS.
T'S of no use,
Delphine," said
Mi38 Stratton, turn
ing round from the
glass before which she reported to her lover the oonver-
she had been crimp- sation with her aunt, and that lady's
declared unalterable decision in re
gardto her marriage.
He tried to 6oothe her.
"Let the money go !" he said, impa-
. . . I x? il lTi r 1 j. it ' u
v o u r throwinor uenuv. ' xi is a comion xo minis.
yourself away upon that she cannot forbid our marriage,
though she may keep us apart for
awhile. But we are young and can af
ford to wait can t we, darling?
"I will wait for you all my life,
George, if it is necessary," said Del
ing her dyed frizzes.
"do nse what-
ever I 1 11 never
give my consent to
a man who can t
earn enouoh to support himself, much
les3 a family i"
"But, aunt, he ia clever,' and will
get a good practice in time."
"In time !" repeated Miss Stratton. 1 phine, trustingly.
contemptuously. "Yes, in about Yet, though they both tried to look
twenty years or so, perhaps. And, cheerful, their hearts sank at the
meanwhile, what do you and he pro- thought of the slow-rolling weeks and
pose to live on?" months, and years perhaps, in which
"The the money that grandma left .they must live apart, scarcely meeting
me would help us to begin with," said except by accident, since M153 Strat
Delphine, timidly. ton, objected to her niece's receiving
"Five thousand dollars! How far the doctor's visits at her own house.
would that go? And besides, you for- It was about this time that a sensa-
get that it wa3 left to you only con
ditionally. I should be false to the
trust reposed in me," said Miss Strat
ton, erecting her thin form with an
air of moral dignity, "if I gave my
consent to your wedding yourself to a
tion was created dv the arrival oi an
artist no third or fourth-rate profes
sor, but a genuine artist, with a name
and a fame who, having come hither
for his health, allowed it to be under
stood that he would condescend to the
undergone a
compIeU
'An excellent likeness, madam. n re- picture had
turned Mr. Blender, composedly. metamorphosis.
"But but" surveying it first from f The garden was changed to a sunnv
one side and then another "it looks glade in a wood; the fountain in the
ten years older than it should do. And background had given place to a gipsy
it's too thin and sallow. And the tent, and before the thin, smirking,
smile is not at all like me. I'm sure befrizzled figure in lace and velvet
the corners of my I mouth don't turn stood a beautiful, dark-eyed young
np like that. Why, it's a positive girl, in simple, graceful gipsy costume,
smirk! No one would ever imagine intently studying tne palm of the
that it was intended for me." 1 lady's hand, while two roguish facej
"I bear vonr pardon, madam, but I
have faithfully represented both the
feature and expression, and consider
the coloring unusually good and true
peeped at them from behind a tree.
Toe picture! was labeled, "Tellinqr i
Past Fortune.?
"Why, it's the image of Miss Milli-
to nature!" said Mr. Blender, polite- cent Stratton!" said one and another
ly, but firmly. I
"It's a perfect fright!'
Stratton.
of the beholders. "Did you ever 6ea
said Mis3 such a likeness? He, he, he!"
And in the midst of the exclama-
Mr. Blender shrugged his, shoulders tions and the j laughter, Miss Stratton :
beheld the new minister coming up
the street, evidently bent upon seeing
what had attracted the crowd.
Not for worlds would she have bad
him behold her painted in this char
acter; and she instantly rushed into
. 1 11
in a deprecating j manner, ana me
ladv s face became very red.
"You promised me a good likeness
sir," she said, "for which I agreed to
pay you one hundred dollars.
Mr. Blender bowed.
"I do not consider this a likeness the store and confronted the proprie-
at all. It must be altered."
"To alter i; would be to destroy the
tor.
likeness."
"You decline to
"Take it down at once instantly 1"
she exclaimed- "I I will buy it!"
make any change, The man obeyed.
The picture disappeared from tha
such as I might suggest?"-
Mr. Blender replied that he was not window just as the cieTgyman came
accustomed to paint portraits after up, and seeing him pass the door, Miss
t i i ii ' !n i i oi i i. a i: it--
tne suggestions oi me siiier, dui ac- i airaiton, reuecuug upou vub uarro?
cording to his own! judgment: that he escape, felt like fainting.
allowed none but perfect likenesses to Howsoever, j she . recovered herself,
go forth from his hand and under his and in a 6tate of tne utmost excite-
name, though he made a point of add- ment, made her way to Mr. Blender' j
ins whatever softening touches could studio.
be judiciously introduced. He had "Sir," 6he ; indignantly demanded,
done 0 in this instance. "how dared you exhibit my portrait
Miss Stratton glared at him indig- as you have done, and without asking
nantly. Here was insult added to in- my permission. It is an insult and
ury
"All that I havo to say is, that I do
not consider the picture a likeness,
and must decline to take it, she said,
resolutely.
life of povertr, and the wretchedness light recreation of painting a few por
which poverty always entails. You traits of the aristocracy ; and the aris-
can marry George Irving if vou choose tocracy, for the most part eager to se
mind, I don't say that I forbid it cure this proof of their being such.
but with mv consent, no hard-earned hastened at once to secure his ser-
money ot my deceased mother shall
ever go into the pockets of an Irving."
In the last sentence Miss Stratton
betrayed herself.
The high, moral tone vanished be
fore the self-interested motive, which
vices.
Among the first to call upon Mr.
Blender was Mis3 Stratton.
To-be-sure, hi3 charges were enor
mousquite ruinous, indeed but,
then, as Mrs. Goldeby, the former
was the real basis oi her persistent jeweler s wile, superciliously re
opposition to Delphine's marriage, marked, there was "the same differ-
She had not forgotten that young ence in high and low art as in real and
Doctor Irving's father had jilted her imitation diamonds. If one would
in her youth and married her bosom- have the genuine, ono must expect to
friend Mary Lane ; nor that this course pay accordingly ; and everybody knew
had been brought about by Doctor what incredible prices were paid for
Irving's Aunt Dorothea, who had been oil paintings nowadays."
her special rival from their very baby- And Mrs. Oldborougb, who had no
hood, and who had warned her favor- diamonds, but boasted of pedigree, ob-
ite brother that he would not be happy served that "of course it was neces-
with Millicent Stratton as his wife. sary for every old family to keep up
As to the doctor himself who had its family portrait gallery." So she
as yet barely become accustomed to meant to have her own likeness taken
his new professional title it was true and hung beside that of her grand-
that he was very poor, but Delphine father, the judge
had been right in saying that he was It required a Jong time for Miss
clever, and would probably win a good Stratton tc consider in what style she
practice, r would have her portrait taken.
And if the girl often thought wist- Finally she decided upon a fulJ-
fnly if only she could bring him length figure in the midst of a garden,
that five thousand dollars to-begin the face shaded and softened by a pink
with to eet up ahorse and buggy, parasol, and her hands full of roses.
for instance, and rent that desirablv- This woud serve to display her
located, brand-new office how much height and the dignity of her carriage,
it might do for him, aud how happy and also allow o! considerable pictur
they might be! esqueness in her dress, falling grace
Audit all rented upon a word from fully about. -
Aunt Millicent, which she refused to
apeak.
iuosi people sau inas mat was a
very unjr.st condition of old Madam
Stratton' will, by which the five
thousand dollars was to be hers only
upon the express etipulatiohf that she
did not marry agr.iast her aunt's con
seut. TLs yeung folks, cna an 1 I1, pro
nounced it "horrid" and "cruel,"
thongh there were some among tha el
der? wi.o remembered how the old
Jadv borself lid made a moit nnhap-
She crave the artist several sittings.
end being then assured that he could
complete the portrait with the assist
ance of a photograph left with him for
the purpose, 6he waited in pleased an
ticipation of the result
On the day appointed by Mr. Blen
der. Miss Stratton repaired to the
studio, and the completed portrait was
unveiled before her eye3.
She surveyed it for some moments
in silence.
'You don't call. th 13 a likeness ?" she
at len.th demanded, very abruptly.
an outrage, for which I will have legal
satisfaction!"!
And she sat -down, trembling and
breathlesss.
Lbeg your pardon, madam!" said
"Do you mean, madam, that you Mr. Blender, j with perfect composure.
"But did you not assure me that it
wa3 no likeness, and that your best
friends would not recognize it as
such?" !
Miss Strattpn wa3 silent. What ra-
decline to pay for it?"
"Certainly, sir I J I cannot be ex
pected to throw away a hundred dol
lars on a caricature such a3 this! she
replied, indignantly.
Mr. Blender then proposed to refer plv, indeed, could she make to this?
the question of the likeness to any "I shall insist upon the picture be
person whom she might select; and mg destroyed ! she said at length.
Miss Stratton immediately sent across "By no means! I have bestowed
the street for the grocer and his wife much labor and pains upon it, and
with whom she had dealt for a score of have succeeded in converting it into
years. quite an original and striking design
"iow, Mr. Green, said she, as one which will be sure to pleass the
soon as they entered, "just loot at public taste. '
thi3 picture and tell me if you could "I I will ! give the hundred dol
ever have imagined that it was intend- lars," said Miss Stratton, desperately.
ed tor me Air. mender smiled a superior
Mr. Green smiled with a reconiz- smile.
ing smile, but receiving an admoni
tory nudge from his wife, looked sol
emn and doubtful, and shook his head.
"Lor'!" said Mrs. Green. "Why,
you don't mean to say. Miss Stratton,
as it was ever intended for you?"
"Mr. Blender calls it a likeness,'
said Miss Stratton, ! with sarcastic bit
terness, "and expects me to pay one
hundred dollars for it as such. I call
As the picture now is, I shall
charge ten times that sum for it."
"A thousand dollars I" gasped Miss
Stratton.
"A thousand dollars," he replied
calmly.
' Her face flushed, and tears started
to her eyes, j i
"I could never afford to give that
sum ; and yet to have my likeness ex
it a caricature. Look at the smirk, posed in this way to the jeers and
and the head thrown back, and the
long nose and hard, black eyes, with
no shade about them. No, Mr.
Blender, I will not take this picture.
You have heard what these gooefpeo-
ridicule of the public. Oh, Mr. Blen
der, have you no consideration for
the feelings of a lady?"
The artist took a meditative turn up
and down the! floor, then seated him-
pie say, and I am certain, that my self opposite his distressed visitor.
most intimate friends would not rec
ognize it."
"Very good, madam!" said Mr.
Blender, with reat politeness. "You
are perfectly sure that no one would
recognize the portrait as your own?"
Terfectly."
I am satisfied," said the artist,
"Perhaps "ihe said, mildly "per
haps we can come to terms."
"What terms?" she inquired eag
erly. j
"I will destroy the picture, madam,
upon one condition that you will
have some consideration for the feel
ings of one tfho shonld be very dear
stepping back and bowing, as the lady, to you your niece, Miss Delphine,
louowea oy tne grocer and his wife, and by consenting to her marmgo
passed out. j with my esteemed vounqr friend and
And when the door was closed on relative, Doctor Irving, mak9 two de
em he smiled to himself ia a very l serving youno' teople very happy-"
"They they aie too poor," s"J
Mies Stratton, taken very much by
th
peculiar and significant manner.
Some days after this, Miss Stratton
w&s passing down the main street.
when her attention was attracted by a
group oi pagers-ay, who had stopped
in front of a fashionable book store.
Glancing at tha jwindow. her foot
steps were instantly arrested, and she
stood still, breathless- with surprise
and disiuav. I
There was her portrait ths identi
cal portrait which she had pronounced
a caricature only jthat while the fig
urd ramained intact, ths rest of the
X -
It
Yout mother'3 legacy will enable
them to make1 a fair begianm.7, anJ .
know of an opening for a youug phy
sician which will da the rest."
Miss Stratton hesitated nervouM.T
and wrung her hands. . u
"Give me a day or two to to thm
u over, sue. said.
At the end of tha day or two,
called Delphine to her, and toller,
that fdia uad been consideria.;