Hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1843-1845, 1844-02-01
POPULAR TALE,
The Countess Nyschriem,
And the Handsome Artist.
BY N. P. WILLIS.

! That favored portion Of the light o
one summers morning that was des
tined to be the transparent bath of the
masterpieces on the walls of the Pitt
was pouring in languishing fooo
through the massive windows of the
palace. The ghosts of the painters
(who, minis;erng to the eye only, walk
the world from cock Growing to sunset
were haunting invisibly the sump,uous
rooms made famous by their pictures
and the pictures themselves, conscious
of the presence of the fountain of soul
from which gushed the soul that is in
them, glowed with intoxicating mellow
mess and splendour, and amazed the
living students of the gallery with effects
Of light and color till that moment un-
discovered.
Greene Mcdonald was young high
lander from Rob Roy's country. Come
to Florence to study the old masters.
He was an athletic, wholesome, hand
some fellow, who had probably made
a narrow escape Of being simply fire
animal; and, as il was, you never
would have picked him from a crowd
as any thing but a hussar out of uni
form, or briganJ perverted TO honest
life. His peculiarly was, (and this !
foresee is TO be an ugly sentence, that
he had pecnliari,ies which did no, seem
peculiar. lie was full of genius for his
art. bnt the canvass which served him
as vent, gave him no more anxiety
than his pocket handkerchief. He
painted in the palace, or wiped his fore
head on warm day with equally small
care, to all appearance, and he had
brought his mother and two sisters to
Italy. and supported them by a most
heroic economy and industry-all the
while looking as if the "silver moon"
and all the small change of the stars
would scarce serve him for a days
pocket money. Indeed, the more
Knew of Mcdonald, the more became
that there was another man
ouil, over him. The painter was in
side. And if he had free thoroughfare
md use Of the outer mans windows
md ivory door, he was at any rate
barred from hanging out the smallest
ign or indication Of being at any time
Within Think as hard as he would
devise, combine. study or glow with
'nthuslasm-lhe proprietor of the from,
loor exhibited the same careless and
milling bravery OF men, behaving inva-
:ably as if he had the whole tenement
o himself, and was neither proud Of, or
Interested in the doings of his more
piritual Misunderstanding you to sup
'ose, almost, that the latter, though |
'ileited upon him, had not been proper
= introduced. The thatch of this
ommon tenemen, was of jetty black
lair, curled in most opulent prodigali.
y, and altogether, it was house that
4adad, the fallen spirit, nigh! have
hosen, when becoming incarnate to
emp. the sister of Absalom.
Per haps you have been in Florence,
ear reader, and know by what royal
liberty artists are permitted to bring
heir easels into the splendid apart
nents of the palace, and copy from
he priceless pictures on the wall. At
he time | have my eve upon, some
sw years ago. Mcdonald was making
beginning Of a copy Of Tltian's Bel
\, and near him stood the easel of
emale artist who was copying from the
lorious picture of "Judith aud Holo-
srnes," in the same apartment. Mad
moiselle Felie, $50 she was called by
he elderly lady who always accompa.
led her was small and very graceful
Y formed creature, with the plainest
ace in which attraction could possibly
eside. She was passionate SUDDEN,
f her art, pouring upon it apparently
he entire fullness Of her life, and as un.