He was egregiously mistaken. She found him, never the most interesting of
companions at times an intolerable bore; and was constantly contrasting
his conversation which ran upon trade and money making, stocks, bonds and
mortgages, to the exclusion of nearly everything else except fulsome
flatteries of herself--with that of Lester Leland, who spoke with
enthusiasm of his art; who was a lover of Nature and Nature's God; whose
thoughts dwelt among lofty themes, while at the same time he was entirely
free from vanity, his manner as simple and unaffected as that of a little
child.
He was a favorite with all the family; his society enjoyed especially by
the ladies.
He devoted himself more particularly to sculpture, but also sketched
finely from nature, as did both Elsie and Violet; the latter was beginning
to show herself a genius in both that and music, Elsie had recently under
Leland's instructions, done some very pretty wood carving and modeling in
clay, and this similarity of tastes made them very congenial.
Philip's stay was happily not lengthened, business calling him back to New
York.
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