[Six to Sixteen by Juliana Horatia Ewing]@TWC D-Link bookSix to Sixteen CHAPTER XV 2/7
It was my mother's drawings I was thinking of; and how she used to show us the different ways of doing the foliage of different trees, and the marking on the bark of the trunks." Mr.Henley drew a sheet of paper from his portfolio, and took a pencil from his case. "Let us see, my dear young lady, what you remember of these lessons.
The pencil is well cut.
There are flat sides for shading, and sharp ends for outlines." Madame's thin lips pursed with the ghost of a smile, as Eleanor, with hot cheeks and hands, came across "the room" to put her theories in practice. "I can't do it, I know," she said, as she sat down, and gave herself one of those nervous twitches common to girls of the hobble-de-hoy age. But Eleanor's nervous' spasms were always mitigated by getting something into her fingers.
Pencil and paper were her favourite implements; and after a moment's pause, and a good deal of frowning, she said: "We've a good many oaks about us;" and forthwith began upon a bit of oak foliage. "It's only a spray," she said. "It's very good," said the drawing-master, who was now looking over her shoulder. "Oak branches are all elbows," she murmured, warming to her work, and apparently talking to herself.
"So different from willows and beeches." "Ve-ry good," said Mr.Henley, as Eleanor fitted the branches dexterously into the clusters of leaves; "now for a little bit of the oak bark, if you please." "This is only one tree, though," said Madame, who was also looking on. "Let us see others, mademoiselle." "Willows are nice to do," said Eleanor, intent upon her paper; "and the bark is prettier than oak, I think, and easier with these long points. My mother says branches of trees should be done from the tips inwards; and they do fit in better, I think.
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