New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1852-10-18
THE posTHuMoUs poRTRA1T.
AZ AZ rIsr's SKETCH.

m such region, ha may paint the faces OF one
generation, and then, haply finding casual job
once year 50, may sit down and count the
hours till another generation rises up and sup
plies him with kecond run of work In a
measure, the portrait painter must be rolling I
stone, or he will ghther no moss. So thought |
Mr.. Conrad Merlus, as he packed up his proper I
ty, and prepared 10 take himself off from the I
town Of c., in Wiltshire, to seek fresh fields |
and pastures new, when the sun might be dis |
posed to shine upon portrait painting, and where
he might manage to make hay the while Con- /
rad was q native df c.. In that congenial
spot he had first pnrsued the study Of his art
cheered by the praises Of the good folks around
him, and supported by their demands upon his
talents While, ih certain fashion, he had
kept the spirit of art alive in the place, the
spirit Of art in return, had kept him alive. But
now all the work was done for long time to
come; every family had its great portraits, and
would want him mo more yet awhile; and Con-
| rad saw, that if he could not turn his hand to
something else, and, in place Of pencils and
brushes, work with last, spade, needle. or quill
make shoes, coats, till the ground, or cnst up
accounts, he should shortly be hardly put to It
to keep himself going. He had made and saved
pretty tolerable little purse during his short
season Of patronage, and determinedto to turn that
to account in seeking, in other places, n contin-
uation Of commissions. His father and mother
were both dead, and so far as he knew, he had
no near relative alive. Therefore, there were
no ties, save those Of association, to bind him to
his native place. s.No ties sighed Conrad,
ss no ties at ALL
1 1t was Monday evening, and the next day,
Tuesday, was to behold his departure His rent
was paid. his traps were all packed up in readi-
ness, and he had nothing to think about, saving
whittier he should proceed He walked out for
the last time, into the little garden behind the
modest house in which he had dwelt, pensive and
lahmp1vhat fy;sfd # 4ona cannot without Eor-
rowful emotions pf some sort, leave, perhaps for
ever, spot in which the stream of life has
flowed peacefully and pleasantly for many years,
and where many little enjoyments, successes,
land triumphs have been experienced. Even a
! Crusoe cannot depart from his desolate island
without pang, although he goes, after years
of miserable solitude, to rejoin the human fami-
; ly. It vas the month of August, and the glory
of the summer was becoming mellowed and soft
ened. The nights were gradually growing
i longer and the days shorter. the reapers were
IN the harvest fields, the woods and groves were
beginning to show the autumn tint, the sun
sank behind tho hills earlier and earlier day by
day, and the broad harvest moon reigned
: throughout the sweet and fragrant nights Con
rad felt the influence of the season, and, though
, | he had for some time contemplated the depar
ture from his homo with all the cheerfulnes
which the spirit of adventure imparts to youn!
: men, he now, lis the time arrived, felt incline'
to weep over the separation He was indulgin
in reveries of ~ mournful complexion, when h
t, observed his landlady leave the house, and, en-
terng the garden, hustle towards him in grea
It hurry Assured by the manner of the worth
# old lady that be was wanted, and urgently, b
r some one or other, he rose from the rustic sea
J on which he hhd been sitting, and went to NEE
!. her. A gentleman had called to see him in
ID phaeton, and was waiting in the parior N N
state of impotence and excitement which Mr
Farrell had never seen the like Of. Wonderin
rs who the visitor could be, Conrad hastened int
t. the parlor. lie found there an elderly individ
ual of gentleinanly appearance, who was walk
of ing to and fro restessly. and whose countenanc
It, and demeanor bore affecting evidences of agita
a. tion and sorrow. He approached Conra
Or quickly. e i
:: You are portrait painter, Mr.. Merlus g =
- g The only one. I believe, in this neighbo
+ hood 2.
H. EYES,
ed .sI am anxious" continued the gentlema
asst speaking in b low tone and with a tremulo
,at earnestness that rendered his speech peculiar
MS emphatic-ssI am anxious to have painted t
portrait of one who is-who was-very dear
q- me-immedipteky, for a few hours may ma
ed such performance impossible. May beg tn
er- you will submit to some sacrifice of convenien
ch that you will be- good enough to set asl t!
,as your arrangements for a day or two to execu
is this work. Do so, and you shall find that y
sed have lost nothing"
ess .sWithout entertaining any consideration
of that sort, sin, answered Conrad, deeply touch
E it by the manner of his visitor, which betoken
recent and heavy affiiction, &c my best abiiltlt
such as they are, are Immediately at your sc
ich vice."
9Th ssMany thanks answered the gentlema
the pressing his hand warmly. Had you decline
asi- l know not what should have done; for the
,op is no other Of the profession in this neighbt
II. hood, and there is no time to seek furth
ad- Come: for heavens sake, let us hasten"
its Conrad immediately gave the necessary in
the nation to his landlady; his EASEL pallet, a
:ess ton; the gentleman and himself took tn
places inside and the coachman drove off at
nia great IL pace as pair of good horses could co
an mand.
.bbyy Twilight was deepening into the dusk wh'
ere after silent and rapid ride of some ten mil
om- the phaeton stopped before the gates OF pal
We like demesre. The coachman shouted; whe
ana nf lad, who appeared to have been waiting near
! to spot, ran and opened the gates, and they
sumed their way through beautiful driv
,nly the carefully kept sward, the venerable trt
the and the light and elegant ha-has on either 81
AS testifying that they were within the boundai
no of an estate of some pretensions. Half a II
the brought them to the portal of a sombre ana
nerable mansion, which rose up darkly and
jestically in front of an extensive plantatloI
from forest-like appearance Facing it was lal
low level lawn, having in the centre the pedes
that and the sun-dal so frequently found in $
loer- . situations
five A footn,an in livery came forth, and tax
hich Courad's easel and apparatus carried them
yicts the house The young artist, who had alw
S be- lived and moved among humble people, was
land prised and abashed to find himself sudd'
the brought into contact with wealth and its acc
J boy paniments, and began to fear that more IN
were De expected of him than he would be able te
complish The occasion must be urgent, ind
., thought he, nervously, which should int
'n' wealthy people to have recourse to him-a
meeh elf-taught, obscure artist-merely because
len happened to be the nearest at hand. Howe
ana to draw back was impossible and, althc
par grief is always repellent, there was still
lor'' amount of kindness and consideration IN
~ .nf demeanor of his new employer that re-ass
'i'"H him Besides, he knew that, let his paintlr
~ eA as crude and amateur-like as any one II
haa please I'd consider it, he had still the undou
aesei talent Of being able to catch likeness-lnt
on py his ability to do this had never once failed
TED tt This reflection gave him some consolation,
p" 'Aa' he resolved toundertake cOurageously wha
was REQUIRED of him and do his best.
Wheu they had entered the house, the
seheer was softly closed and the gentleman, v
eep'ea name, we may here mention, was Harren
ORR u conducted Conrad across the hall, and up
hhvel' TO an apartment on the second story, hav
ns,ess s southern aspect. The proportions OF the
three we're noble The wide entrance hall was