The organ of the temperance reform. (Cincinnati, O. [Ohio]) 1852-1853, 1852-06-11
TRR Artist AND THIS BEAUTYi
Or, Paradise Lost.
oMr knapsaek was On my ahoulder.'l p

So said Armand, a young artist, When lit
tleeOmPany Of us weresitting together the other
evening.
"My knapsack was on my shoulder, my
ashen stick in hand, three leagues Of dusty
road had whitened me like a miller. Whence
came, whittier vas going-What matters iti
was not twenty years Of age. Ny starting
point, therefore, was home; my goal was Par
sdise-any earthly paradise could find. The
country was not particularly pieturesque; and
the weather was very hot. Great undnlstions
Of harvest .ladea fields rolled irregularly on all
sides. Here was hamlet; there solitary
farm. house; yOnder wood; on each eminenes
a windmill. Some peasants that were 10 the
fields, sang; and the birds .ohriped at them as
il in mockery. One or two wagons, dragged
by oxen and horses, sloWly moved along the
tree -bordered road. l sat down on a heap of
stones. A wagner gruffly asked me If was
tired, and offered me q lift.' / accepted; and
soon was stretched, where dung had been;
jolted into an uneasy, half slumber, not without
charm, with the bells Of the lazy team softly
jingling in my ears, until thought fifty silver
voices were calling me away 10 homo that
must be bright, and land that must be beauti-
full.
aWoke in mood suffieienllg haiKn to re-
ceiVe an apologyi The man Bad forgotten me
when he turned off the high roa andhad tak-
en- me half league into the eoaplT. Where
was the harm, honest wagoAei PIE noi gQ-
ing anywhere; Il am only going & fafsdlae.'
There was no village Of that name N The
neighborhoOd, he said; but oi course, had
come on purpose for that. ! handed him his
pour 6oiye. Drink my health, good man, and
iniure your own. Let us see these grounds"
The man showed me through meadow near
the farm Ito which he belonged and left me,
tossing the silver piece had given him in his
hard hand soon observed that the place was
worth seeing.
A hasty glance showed it to be fragment Of
wild nature, occupied in its original state, and
barricaded against civilization. There were
woods and solitary trees, and lakes, and streams.
of sufficient dimensions for grandeur; and,
when once the wall disappeared amidst the
heavy foliage, could at first discern no traces
whatever Of the presence Of man. However,
on closer examination, discovered that nature
had been improved upon; that all objects which
might ungraciously intercept the view or de-
form a landscape, had been removed. There
were no sham ruins nor artificial cascades; but
! the strangers steps we're led, by some inlenious
process Of plantation, insensibly to the best
points Of view. felt, and was thankful, for
The presence Of the art which so industriously
endeavored to conceal itself; but being at that
time, as most young men are, inclined TO com
pare great things with small-thinking to be
epigrammatic and knowing exclaimed aloud:
The toilette Of this park has been admirably
performed"
"a vulgar idea, vulgarly expressed, aid a
clear firm voice above me. looked up, think
ing that somebody was hidden in tree; and,
TO my surprise, saw young woman upon line
large horse, holding ridiDg-whip playfully
1T3T mig mead. She had approached acrOs the
turf unheard; and had heard my exclamation,
which, assure you, was meant for no earn but
my own.
MADAM, replied |, when | had recovered
from my confusion, 81 think you misunderstand
me- There is no vulgarity in comparing a
prospect in which every superfluity is thus
tastefnlly pruned away, to woman, who, in.
stead Of loading herself with ornaments, uses
the arts of the toilette to display all her beau.
ties to the best advantage"
"The explanation will not do she reTlied.
ut wants frankness. Your phrase symply meant
that you were ashamed of the admiration this
view had at first excited and that you thought
it necessary to exert the manly privilege Of con.
tempt. III had not seen you yonder using your
sketch book, should take you for travelling
hair dresser"
The tone and manner Of my new acquain.
lance puzzled me exceedingly and | was al
first rather irritated by the hostile attitude sh
assumed on such slight grounds. IL was eyi
dent she wiihed to provoke an intellectual con
test; for, at the moment, | did not understand
that her real desire was to suppress the formal
tiles Of an introduction. ] returned to tn
charge, she replied, A broadside Of reparte
was fired off on either side; but insensibly
we met upon common ground; affectation wa
discarded, and as we streamed irregulaFly aloB
= the swardy avenues, or stopped at the entranC
. Of long vista-she gently walking her docil
. genet with my hand upon its main-we mad
b more advances towards familiarity and friend
= ship in an hour than would have been possible
. uLder any other circumstances, in a season.
= Let me describe my impressions as receive
, them. Otherwise, how will the narrative II
lustrate the theOry3 am endeavoring to shoV
by example, what an immense structure Of hap
piness may be built upon very flimsy ground
3 that the material sequence Of this life's event
need have no correspondence with the sequenc
of our sentiments tbat-But | must not an
, ticipate.
The lady, dressed in green riding habit, wa
remarkably handsome, as this miniature vii
show
And Armand drew small case from hi
breast.
at is made from memory; but will answer
for its exsctitude."
owe all know the face we'll enough, my
friend" quoth Prevost at re-appears in all
your pictures, like Raphael's Fornarina. Last
year you made it do for Medea; this year, modi.
fled to suit the occasion, it will appear in the
saloon as Charlotte Corday. Why have you Sc
carefully avoided that type in your Juliet ant
your Heloisei One would imagine that, instead
Of being associated with pleasant reeOllections
itsuggested nothing but strife violence and des
pair"
"Were that the case, you know" quoth Ar
mand, with feigned sprightliness, "my theOr!
falls to the ground; and, in telling you m!
story, am only impertinently taking advan
tage of your good nature to make a confession
and thus ease somewhat troubled mind. Lis
ten TO the end; it is not far off.
We reached grottO on the borders Of lit
tie lake, where, to my surprise, an elegan
breakfast was laid out. There were two seat
placed ready; and Fifine, the maid, was there
We partook Of the meal together, talking 0
everything, except Of ourselves; but thinkin
Of nothing else. Once or twice reflection o.
the oddity Of this reception fitted across m
mind; but ! thought that l had fallen in wit
some eccentric mistress Of the castle--such q
80 -aada ~ IN rniddIa-aUe rnuna neea.-Wh