|
Main
- books.jibble.org
My Books
- IRC Hacks
Misc. Articles
- Meaning of Jibble
- M4 Su Doku
- Computer Scrapbooking
- Setting up Java
- Bootable Java
- Cookies in Java
- Dynamic Graphs
- Social Shakespeare
External Links
- Paul Mutton
- Jibble Photo Gallery
- Jibble Forums
- Google Landmarks
- Jibble Shop
- Free Books
- Intershot Ltd
|
books.jibble.org
Previous Page
| Next Page
Page 12
"I will give you a lot of it to take home," said Emma. "I thought I
would bring a good deal, because you might have to try several times
before you got a good picture. Now pick out a pencil, Fani."
It seemed to Fani a wonderful mine of wealth; all this fresh paper, and
such an assortment of pencils to choose from. He selected two pencils,
and then, spreading a sheet of white paper before him, he began his
sketch. Emma watched every stroke with silent intentness. But, as the
picture grew under the boy's fingers, she could not control her
excitement.
"Oh! oh! Now it looks exactly like the real oak! How nicely you make the
branches and all the dear little twigs! Oh! it is the very best thing
you ever did, Fani! How pleased the teacher will be! I'm sure none of
the others will do anything half so good! How can you do it, Fani? I
never could in the world."
"I only just copy what I see," said Fani, whose eyes constantly moved
back and forth between the tree and his paper, while his cheeks glowed
and his eyes sparkled with excitement. "How lovely those twigs are! and
then the leaves! I don't think any leaf is as handsome as an oak-leaf,
and just look up there! see how perfectly round the shape of the tree
stands out against the sky, as if it had been marked by a pair of
compasses. Oh, I wish I could sit all day long drawing this tree; there
isn't anything more beautiful in the whole world!"
"I know something!" cried Emma, suddenly; "you must be an artist, Fani.
That's the way a painter begins, I'm sure; no one else would ever think
of saying that he could sit all day long drawing one tree."
"It's all very well to say that I must be an artist," said Fani,
sighing; "but next spring, when I leave school, I shall have to go into
the factory and just work hard from morning till night; I couldn't
learn to paint then, if I wanted to ever so much, could I?"
"But you do want to ever so much; don't you, Fani? Think how glorious it
would be! Wouldn't you do anything in the world for the sake of being a
painter?"
"Of course I would, but what can I do? How could I possibly manage it?"
"You just wait; I'll think and think till I can invent some way. Only
imagine how fine it will be when you are a famous painter and have
nothing to do but to paint and draw all the time. Won't that be just the
very best thing you can think of, Fani?"
Emma's enthusiasm was infectious. The pencil dropped from the boy's
hand, and he gazed up into the sky as if already looking upon the future
canvases which he should cover with pictures when he was a great
painter.
"Do you really believe it, Emma? Do you really think that I can ever do
it? I should like to begin directly; I feel as if I couldn't wait. But
what can I do? How shall I begin?"
"I can't think exactly, but I'm sure I shall get hold of some plan;
don't be in too great a hurry," said the girl; "I dare say I shall have
something to propose when I go to school to-morrow. But now come; hurry
up and finish the oak, and then take the paper and pencils home with you
and do something else. You know your drawings will be shown at
examination, and will need nice paper and pencils; you have nothing but
brown paper; so take this."
Fani was delighted with the gift; it was for want of material that he
had not drawn at home, and now there was nothing to prevent him from
working to his heart's content. As he put the finishing touches to his
sketch, while Emma looked on and admired, the sun went down, the shadows
began to fall, and reminded the children that it was quite time to
return home.
Fred had meanwhile finished his researches for grubs, and stood outside
the hedge, looking up the road, in the hope of seeing his sister Emma,
with whom he wished to have a very plain talk on the subject of the
paper. On the inside of the hedge, in the garden, stood Oscar, with the
same intentions, but in a more seriously displeased state of mind, for
had not Emma robbed him of his friend? and just now, too, when he was so
important to Oscar; for the preparations for the Festival could not go
on without Fani.
Feklitus was of no real assistance, for he was so slow-witted that it
was impossible to get an idea into his head; while Fani took every
suggestion like a flash, and had things at his finger-ends in a moment.
As Oscar thought and fretted over his injuries, his anger with Emma grew
apace; he was sure that she had in hand some project, such as she was
famous for; it was a shame, and he was determined to ferret it out, and
spoil it for her; he would punish her for taking possession of his
useful friend; and so on and so on, while Oscar, in growing excitement,
paced to and fro with hasty steps.
Previous Page
| Next Page
|
|