The daily national Whig. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1847-1849, 1847-11-20
THE NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..

rang He hurried TO the door; lady entered, pre-
ceded by footman in fured livery cloak, ana nc
companied by young girl OF eighteen, her daughter
"Monsleur Tchartkoh, believe" said the lady
The painter bowed.
81 have seen your name in the papers, your por
traits they say are Incompatible" with these words
the lady put her glass to her eye and glanced round
the walls which were bare. But where are all YOU
portraitsri
"They are not arrived said the artist little con-
fused: ii have lust removed into these rooms, the
pictures are still on the road-they will soon be here
"You have been in Itayw said the lady, turning
her eye-glass on the painter in the absence OF the
paintings. -,.
"No, have not been there exactly-I intend to
go-I have been compelled 10 put it off: but pray do
me the honor to sit down. you must be tired
"You are very kind, but have been sitting-in
my carriage All, AT last see some OF your works y
said the lady, running up TO the opposite side OF the
room. and dwelling her glass some canvases placed
ON the floor studies sketches interiors and portraits
"Cest clarmaat! Lise Lise! renee lei: there's an
interior in the manner of Teners see all is in dis
order higgcdy-pggledy, a table with bust upon it,
a hand palette; and the dust, look how well the
. dust is painted e'est cidrmant And there is anoh
er canvass woman washing her face-queie joie
figure! Oh and there's mujh! Lise, Lse nru-
jk in a Russian shirt look, do ook-a mujik! So
you don't paint portraits only?
These are mere trfes--done for amusement, in
an idle moment--mere studies
But do tell me your opinion of the portrait paint
Of the present day2 Isn't it true that we have
at present like Titlan2 There's not that force
of cooring, not tha--really what pity il is that
| cannot express what mean in Russian" The
lady passionatey fond of painting and had run,
oye-gass in hand, over all the galleries in Italy,
"Only, | must say, that Monsieur Dauberelli--ah
how he paints What extraordinary touch l
find more expression in his faces than even in Tit
ans You know Monsieur Dauberel?"
Dauberelli who is he }" asked the artist
"Such talent He painted my daughter when she
was only twelve years old. You must come and see
ii, really you must. Lise you shall show him your
album. But want another portrait of my daughter
and that is the motive of my visit Can you begin
at oncew ,. .r.
Directly, madam, if you please And in mo-
ment he wheeled up his easel, with canvass on it,
ready stretched took his palette in his hand, and
fixed his eyes on the pale childish features Of the
daughter. Young as she was, they already bore
traces OF late hours and dissipation Expression
they had little or none. But the artist saw in the
complexion an almost chinake transparency, ex-
qusltely adapted TO his pencil; the neck was whit,
and slender, the form elegant and aristocratc. Ant
he prepared for triumph; he intended to show HI,
hghness and brillancy Of his touch for the display
of which he had hitherto lacked opportunities. HI
already began to fancy TO himself how the pale but
graceful little lady would come out upon the canvass
Do you know" said the mother, with senti-
mental expression of face, :" l should like-you
she has frock on now--wel, l confess should no.
like you to paint her in frock, it's SO common.
place; should like her TO be painted simply dressed
sitting in the shade of a thicket with fields in th,
distance and Sheep or forest in the back ground
simplicity, the greatest simplicity, is what should
like"
Tchartkofi ser work, arranged the sitter in the
attitude he required, endeavored TO fix the whole
subject in his mind waved his brush in the air be-
fore him. as If establishing the principal POINTS, half
closed his eyes several times retired back step OF
two, examined his sitter from distance and in about
an hour he finished drawing in the face Satisfied
with the effect, he commenced painting and
his labor rapidly grew lighter. BY this time he had
forgotten he WAS in the presence Of two ladies Of
high fashion, and began to fall into few tricks of
the paintingroom, uering half-aloud various mar
iiculate sounds, and at intervals hnmming tune be-
tween his teeth Without the slightest ceremony he
from time 10 time signed, by movement Of his
brush, to his sitter 10 raise her head. At last the
young lady grew weary and restless.
"Thatis quite enough for the first sitting" said
her mother ,..
=. "Another minute" cried the painter in an absent
tone. .
"Impossible. Lise, three o'clock u said the lady,
loaking at her dimnutive watch. "Oh, how late 4"
''Only half second" said Tchartkot in the visit
full and beseeching voice of child.
But the lady dsinclined to comply. She pro-
missed him longer sitting another time.
"Horridy panoyingl" said Tchartkof 10 himself;
''just as my hand was getting in" And he remem-
bered that one had ever interrupted him, when he
worked in his paintingroom in the Nasilievsku Os-
troy. Nikita would sit hour after hour without NOV
ing muscle: you might paint him as much as you
liked; he would 90 to sleep in the attitude he was
fixed in And the artist disconentedly laid his
pencil and palette on chair, and stood pensivey
before the canvass He was aroused from his reve-
RE by compliment addressed to him by the fash
ionable lady. He darted towards the door to show
out his visiters: on the stairs he received in
vitation to dine with therY the following week, and
with cheerful air, he re-entered the rooms. The
arstocratic style Of his visitors had quite fascinated
him. Up to this time he had held such beings UNI
approachable--born only TO glide about in splendid
carriage, with liyred footnen throwing a calm in
different glance on the humble foot-passenger as he
plodded by in shabby cloak. And yet, here was
one Of these exquisite beings calling upon him he
was painting her portrait and had received an inyi
tation to dine with her. Intoxicated with vanity and
delight, he treated himself TO a splendid dinner went
- the theatre nthe evening" and again, without the
'-"nn, drove about the town in car
slightest occu--.
rage .. ..'-.a.. sN ~
For some days he did nothing u.
rooms and listen for the sound of his bell. At loo
the lady arrived, with her pale daughter. He made
them sit down, wheeled up his easel with strong
affectation of fashionable manner and began paint.
He saw in his delicate sitter much that, being clever
ly caught would give high value 10 the portrait: he
perceived that he might produce something quite pc
culiar and characteristic, If he could render with
the same accuracy and completeness with which ma
ture herself had placed it before him. His heart
felt slight tremor, when he found himself expressing
what no one else perhaps had ever remarked. His
attention became riveted his canvas, and he again
forgot the aristocratic descent Of his sitter Holding
his breath from eagerness, he gradually the deli
cate features and transparent skin come upon his
canvas. He had caught every halftnt even the
slight ivory-like yeowness, the nearly impercepdble