The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1857-06-04
-
A Model Wife.

A pleasant little Florentine story reached
me the other day. One Of our famous Ameri-
can sculptors, residing in that delightful city,
whittier all the genious of England and Amer
lea seems to tend, was one day seated in his
studio at work on an Apollau-fo which, by
the way, he migh stand as model himself
when his attention was attracted by tremen-
dous trampling of horses in his court. ward.
He looked out OF the window, and beheld a
magnificent carriage with out-rders drawn up
before his door. Presently a gentleman
claimed admission to his studio. and announced
himself as the Prince di B.. He came 10
give the sculptor a large commission. His
daughter, who had been struck by some stat
utes of the American that she had seen.
wished to sit to him for her bust. She was
then below in the carriage. Was the sculptor
at leisure? ? Price was no object-all tina, was
necessary was to crafty his daughter, who
was an invalid.
lhe sculptor expressed his willingness to
begin the work instantly, ard the Prince max.
ing sign to his lackeys from the window,
they proceeded to lift lovely girl, who seemed
about eighteen, oat of the carriage, and bore
her in their arms carefully up the stairs to the
artists studio. The sculptor could not repress
look Of surprise at this curious mode of To-
comotion, particularly as the lady did not bear
the slightest trace of illness in her counten
ance. The Prince interpreted his glanc. and
replied to it.
"My daughter has been paralyzed in all her
limbs" he said, sfor the last two months. II
isa sad thing. She has had all the medical
aid in Florence, but without ayail.o
The sculptor looked again at the invalid
Nothing more beautiful in face or form could
have been dreamed by Phidlas. A face like
Cencps before it was cloaded with the memo
ry OF crime, masses of rich, lustrous auburn
hair, framing clear, pale face, with deep blue
eyes swimming beneath fringe of the silklest
black lashes. Through her delicate muslin
robe the contour of divinely moulded form
were indicated and when the young Signorina
cast upon The sculptor rapid glance. soft as
starlight, piercing as electric fire, he felt bis
heart leap with mysterious presage Of some
indefnable catastrophe.
She sat. The sculptor worked a, his model
like one inspired, and pang struck his heart
as the hour for her retiring came The Prince
and his lackeys bore her again down stairs in
their arms. The carriage door closed on her,
the horses swept through the gate. The sculp-
tor did no more work that day.
Tomorrow she was to come again. He Law
awake all night dreaming of her. Then he
wo I'D shudder, and say to himself, at is not
love, but pity that feel. She is a paralyt-
icp
The next day the same scene was repeated,
with this difference, that the prince, having
seen his daughter posed by the artist, excused
himself on the plea of business engagement,
saying that he would return in time TO con-
duct his daughter home. Poor girl, although
the sculptor was model of manly beauty.
her deplorable condition was, in her fathers
opinion, safeguard against any of the dan
gers which he might otherwise have anticipa-
ted. He left the room, and drove away in his
carriage. A silence ensued. The sculptor
dared not look at his model, bu. worked away
on his clay image without raising his eyes,
Sull silence. Then it seemed as if a slight
rustic had filled the room. A small white
hand stole across his mouth, and burning. kiss
was printed on his forehead. With almost a
shrek, he leapei to his feet, and there, with
bushes crimsoning her pale cheeks and ala
oaster neck, knelt the paralytic girl, with her
beautiful eyes implorlng pardon.
"Isaw you long time ago,' she said Can
Italian woman when she loves knows no half
measure,) sand Iloved you. NY father wss
very strict with me. could not move with
out being watched. 1t was impossible for me
to meet you or see you. feigned paralysis.
For two months Ihave scarcely moved. In his
pity for my condition my father relaxed his
surveillance of my motions. He gratified eve
ry wish, and, as an invalid, l excited no sus-
picions by desiring to become your sister.
have said that | love you. IL you do not re-
turn my love, can only die.o
What answer made the American? We need
not inquire; only, when the prince di B.
returned he found nothing in the studio but a
clay model Of his paralytic daughter. The
original was nowhere to be found. A few
days afterwards, in small town of France, the
Florentine princess sunk her nobility in the
name of an American sculptor.