JULY 127 



he maintains that from education come all the good 

 things of life. The arts especially impress him with 

 their importance. He never grudges the money to 

 buy a violin for Jessie or a cornet for Sidney ; but 

 it is Maria who has to scrape and to save and to go 

 shabby to pay the bill, for a wage of fifteen shillings 

 a week leaves little margin for luxuries. 



" Did Choice go out an' take a picter to-day as I 

 told en ? " he asks, after supper. 



" Yes, Dan el." 



" Danny-iil." 



"Yes, Danny-ul, he did." 



" What picter did he take ? " 



"Him an' Tom Dunch went up to the vicarage 

 an' set down afore the house an' took its picter quite 

 comferable. The Vicar come out an' looked at 'em." 



"Ah! the Vicar'll see as he ain't the on'y one 

 as can take sketches of other folks' houses," says 

 Daniel, with satisfaction. "Our eddication autho- 

 rities is gettin' the right way to work at last. In 

 twenty years' time there'll be as many artisses in 

 cottages as there is in mansions. Let me see the 

 picter." 



The picture has been carefully put away in the 

 drawer of the dresser, wrapped in a sheet of 

 Reynolds '. Daniel holds it between his finger and 

 thumb, and puts his head first on one side and then 

 on the other, to focus it rightly. 



" There's talent in it," he remarks admiringly, 

 when he has finished his scrutiny ; " there's talent 

 in it. I don't say 'tis like a house, an' I don't say 

 'tis the size of a house. What I says is, there's 

 talent in it. I see saw a sketch of Mr. Bunce's 



