Mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado Co., Cal.) 1854-1860, 1859-09-10


credit Of It himself; and it il . little in Isia
style, certainly" --- i------4 !! 4
-" And now will tell you what will dOfua
you" he continued. "a little cousin Of mine
wishes me to paint her before her fathers
birthday but have too much on my hands
just at present. You shall do it. You can
sometimes hit upon a like4esA-and If you
do not satisfy her, why, will paint her after
wards. She is rich, and can ahFord to pat for
two pictures, and ought to eUcovHakO yOanA
artiets,-hh has q fancy for these, things her
Self She has some beauty, and II you treat
the subject artistically you can make pfettt
picture Of it 4 will make the p4OPoaA 70 M
this evening, aud let you know hsr answsg,
il you will call on me tomorrow" And t..
king my haIfreluctant hand, he bade me good
morning. NV
"Very patronizing" thought. "He WlII
paint her himself if do not succeed! I viii
have nothing TO do with it But young apd
beautiful and fond Of these things-it .is .
temptation. ] will make mp my mind What
to do in the morning." Meantime consid.
cred the style in which should paint her.
I" succeed SO we'll in heads looking up"
thought, glancing at Iphigenia. " But
should not like to have two pictures alike even
If they were both very good. I might have
the face looking down, and blue mantle on
the head, and the hands folded. Ochre would
certainly call that treating the subject artist
cally, SO many old pictures are painted in that
style. Shc probably has pretty hands,-ii
not can make them sO."
The next day, whilo was yet hesitatinp
whether to go to Ocher's or not, heard To-
dies voices and a gentle knock at my door,
l few round TO arrange my studio threw 0
cloth over the priestess, to give her q mysteri
Gus eiIect-Only few folds of her robe and I
sandalled foot were VISIBLE placed sketch
on my easel, and opening the door made q
low bow to the ladies, with my palette An0
stick in my hand. tiattcred myself that eI.
feet was artistic. ,i,7..e
The elder lady introduced herself as Mrs
Bcljay, who had brought her daughter to sil
to me. Actually there-my first sitteri She
was soon seated in the chair with blue man
tic thrown over her. asked her to incline
her head slightly and to fold her hands--they
were very pretty ones. DO not look like
wounded dove?" she asked her mother, and
they began to laugh.
begged her to keep her face still, and 20
ing across the room for something, carelessly
brushed the cloth from Iphigenia, hoping thC
sight of the sorrowful countenancc would give
both laughed very much, although evidently
trying. not to do 50. They made little iOkel
aud pretended they were laughing at those
Miss Bijay said she thought she could main.
tain the expression wished If she had knit
ting with her, and other silly things; but I
wild fear shot through me that they wer,
laughing at lphigenia, and suddenly took il
away. Then they became very quiet and
made an excellent sketch. They wished /.
see it, but l could not permit them To, ),
soon. Mrs. Beljay said she did not thinip l
could be- like, for Fanny bad never been .,
still in her life before. started at the name
"Sho also is Fanny!" thought, "but no
my Fanny Ann" '''." =
When they were going away Mrs. Beljay
told me they were to have . party in :thi
evening, and she hoped would come viii
her nephew, Mr.. Ochre.
There was an opening into society i hal
a nice dress coat and; light vest! that had Be
lOngOd to my father, and had been. made 0vel
for me by mother two years before.
bought q new crAvat, and spent two hour
trying to brush the curls out Of my hail
and make it look a smooth rs that Of tn,
young gentleman had Oeen in broadway
went to call for Mr.. Ochre, very well pleaseC
with myself; l certainly looked much bette
Upon entering. the room l was at iirs
dazzled, as had been by the gilt frames q
the exhibition. There was q great crowd O
people, great deal Of noise, and light and be
wildcrmeht withdrew into corner to re
gain my composure; taking care, however, q
stand where could observe Miss Beljay, ifol
even in the confusion Of making my bow,
had seen at glance that she greatly rescm
bled Jeptha's daughter. I had thought SO Z
little in the morning, but now / was sure Of
she was SO tall and digniiled when she We,
standing, and had on n pink dress, too, vesy
long and fioying-nothing was wanting. but
the blue mantle. ~
White 4 wis thus gazing in sitencS'R4t
brought her father and intrOdueSd mG to Aim.
They conversed with me. sometime, and, we're
evidently much pleased with me, for they in,
vted me to dine with them the next day.
l was invited there very often during thr
three weeks Miss Beljay was sitting, much h
my own satisfaction. On my way hitheu
one evening with Ochre, he said TO me, ut il
q good thing to visit in the family Of sitter,
you have so many chances Of studying youi
subject 1t was on this account that advised
Mrs. Beljay to invite you to her house"
To him, then, | owed all my invitations and
not to my own attractions. had q great
mind not to accept any more, but such oppOr
tunitics of seeing Miss Bsljay were not to be
resisted.
At length 1 announced that the portrait
was finished, and Mr. Ochre came with the
ladies' to sec it He looked from the painting
to Miss Beljay and back again to the painting
smiling little because she smiled, ss young
ladies' often will when looked At "The man
tic is pretty good" said he, at length, land
the mouth is little like"
believe | should have made some very
fierce reply if the ladies' had not been there.
AS it was turned with great calmness to Mrs,
Bcljay, and asked her what she thought Of it
" 1t is little like her," she answered, oaly
much more pensive."
Fanny will you please to sit in the chair
and hold your head down, said OOhre. Now
let me see. You have made the nose, too
straight; Eanny's, although very good one,
is not GEecian." There she fairly lAughed--
" You must have been thinking Of soma ideal
Ofyours. Neither do her lids drOop 20 hOavily,
you should have opened the eyes With mare
sunny expression. The mouth is . Mtla dika
IS ! told you before. and 60 is the OuNipe a
the face. The mantle hides the fine. !tlrN ,tC|
the head and the beautiful hair. Thao hsndi
are well enough, only they have, not the, usu-
al allowance OF joints. A for the eolOTibg--
it is like plaster Of paris, but that e heespaC
you wish to paint her pale, ala MagdaleA
perhaps. XOu must have chosen this style
before you had seen her. think" q felt 4
guilty consciousness that had done so) Lei
mo ukouy V,du hnw1 eRr1Vk aRA ~nhns,EAkh h.