Butte record., 1855-10-06

One day one Of the boys brought an
artist, who WAS boarding at his house, to
look at my fre.coes. lie laughed, and
told me if l would come to his room, he
would paint Jepbthah for me. With a
feeling approaching ave l watched him
Conjuring into life the vel known forms
Yet was not wholly satisfied with the
result. thought J-phthah's figure vas
not thrown lack enough 10 express his
emotion with sufficient force, and that
the daughter had lost much of her queen
haess with her tram. The damsel who
followed was no longer white, and cid
not look IN the least Ike Fsnny Ann.
Mr- Oclre went away the next day,
but left me 4 few paints and brushes,
and toIl me # I would come to New
York in the winter, he would teach me
something. This now became the height
Of my ambition and I tried to devise
schemes by whica I could earn 4 little
money to pay my board there. Il could
live out at some farmers, and earn good
wages by my labor, - I told my mother,
i VS. Just twelve years old.
She smiled, anl tod ma they woa'd
only give me M clothes.
i can draw, aad sell M drawings. -
She salil j again.
"Well, then, after have improved a
iitde, ! can take portraits, and be paid
f5r them"
She smiled ap7rovinely this time.
and felt that ny way lay open befor,
me.
l wished to run d'reetly 10 Fanny
AIMS house-into which I had never
yet entored, AMI ass hrr to sit t. me :;
but I 1t llttle tilnil about il. might
no; take q god Tx, nes~, and she would
Taught mc--gir.s ] iaush So had
better take piya.e sketches Of her at
cha ch in the hymn-5oohs, thought,
and practise ufon my mother fist, who
inmed ately proposed putting Oh her
black silk drect, which She had worn for
she last ten years on state occasions; but
her everyday shors~eown would b. more
picturesque, thought. Sac could not
he qli;e rcconc;lzd TO tlis. The villag-
c's were accustomed to the black silk,
and she thought 1t due to them aad to
me tina; Sic should be tax n iuii. How
ever, tie portrait was painted in the
.Aort soun bat the rillagers never saw
much Of il. twas no, considered very
good likeness. for somehow I cot dark
frown about the eyes,agd a very detected
expression about the m nth. Ny mother
never f-own d, and looked particularly
smiling while I VAS painting her.
/ had hard tinie Of it that winter ::
50 many brave designs launched forth
upon the tide Of hope, and run aground
upon unknown bars. In the summer
Mr. 0chre came again and taught re
hos to steer my way better. He told
me that foces should not appear to be
pasted fat TO TIE canvas, and that a dark
outline all round them was not perfectly
true 10 nature that lips were not ex-
actly vermilion, nor checks pure lake
and eyes were not made OF stone that
shadows were not a distinct feature Of
the face u; and lights did not consist en-
tirely Of white paint. | learned a won
dsrful deal from him in few weeks :;
and having painted many portraits IF the
worthy people about me, which sold for
two dollars piece, and scraped together
4 little money, went TO New Yoik in
tie winter with bounding heart-per-
fsctly conscious that l was the great
American geniu..
The first thing did in New York,
after settling myself in the little attic
rosm Mr. Ochre had engaged for me,
vas 10 find my way to picture gallery.
I neither shouted nor Jumped when l
entered but was certainly very much
daszl d It was partly the picture
frames, l ihought--they were so very
bright INN diately saw the impor-
tance Of gilt frames, and that without
one no paint ng could be Of any value
I wondered how much they cost, and
whether | could afford to buy one for
my portrait of Fanny Ann, which | had
brought to the city with me. knew
at once there was Nc painting in the gal
lery equsl 70 that; and walked along
win proud consciousness that was the
creator of that gem, which only nseded