Mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado Co., Cal.) 1854-1860, 1859-09-10
Confe1sion q 3 Youn0 Artiat

not often used, for We always sat in the kitch.
en-, unless we had company but stole In
there every day to gaze upon that interesting
cOuntenance. What particularly gatified me
was the blueness Of the eyes, the very long
eye.laShes, each one separately painted-just
like life--snd the way In which the dimpIe
In the chin was shaded; so that it seemed as
If could Pot my finger into il. tried to do
30 several times, aud ran some risk Of making
. serious hole in the canvas.
In this portFait art 6rst dawned upon me I;
but to my bOyish eyes it seemed to shine in
Its full glory, when went one afternoon with
my 0sOther TO take Tea with her friend, Mrs.
BrovU, and.I could scarcely pay any attcn-
ton to the cakes and preserves placed before
me, SO bewildered with delight was by a
picture of Jephthah meeting his daughter,
which hung opposite. Jcphthah, in a very
plumy helmet starting back on very strong
legs, thought very expressive OF father's
feelings. Ills tall daughter, arrayed in lilnc
mantle and pink dress with long train, i'm
mediatcly became my ideal Of unattanable fe-
male beauty. The attendant damsel, with her
willowy figure and white dress, thought ex
trcmely pretty also. knew q slender little
girl who wore white dress and blue sash to
church, whom she looked very much like
The next day made fine drawing Of this
picture on our barn door. Jephthah was
drawn in black tunic, with red chalk legs.
| fhe daughters mantle Was stained ilae- with
iris petals, her train pink with rose ditto
The maiden was drawn in white chalk With
bewitching grace. ] could not make Jeph-
thah stand very firmly on his legs, and start
back at the same time; but Miss Jephthah's 3
train gave great steadnesS and cOmposurc to
hoR heC -, Al,
miratiOn Of oil the neighboring boys, and they
came every day for me to draw them in war
like positions, to represent Jephthah'S army
standing around him. One day / made has.
ty sketch Of my dog Skyblue, in his favorite
attitude, and stepping back to mark the effect,
found he was biting the heels of Jephthah.-
How the boys laughed! made new draw
ing of the anguishcd father, and greatly i'm
proved upon the hands, spreading them out
like Mr.. FlamdOwn's when he was giving a
parting blessing to his congregation--only
opened the fingers wider to express constcr-
nation.
Que day one Of the boys brought an artist,
who was boarding at his house, to look at my
frescoes. lie laughed, and told mc il would
come to his room, he would paint Jcphthah
for me. With feeling approaching awe,
watched him conjuring into life the well known
FORMS Yet was not wholly satisfied with
the result thought Jephthah's figure was
not thrown back enough to express his emo
ton with sufficient force, and that the daugh.
ter had lost much Of her queenliness with her
train. The damSel who followed was ne long
er white, and did not lOOk in the least like
Fanny Ann.
Mr.. Ochre went away the next day. but left
me few paints and brushes, and told me II
came to New York in the winter, he would
teach me something This now became the
height Of my ambition, and tried to devise
schemes by which could earn little money
to pay my board there. ~ could live out at
some farmers, and earn good wages BY my
labor" ! told my mother. i was just twelve
years old.
She smiled, and told mo they would only
give me my clothes.
II can draw and sell my drawings"
She smiled again.
"Wel, then, after have improved little,
| can take portraits, and be paid for them"
She smiled approvingly this time, and felt
that my way lay open before inc.
wished to run directly to Fanny AIMS
housrIinto which had never yet entered
ADD ask 1Ict VI sic to nie,, bht fclta little
timid about it, might not take good like.
ness, and she would laugh at une--sirls did
laugh sol had better take private sketch
of her at church in the hymn books, thought,
and practice on my mother first, who imme.
diAtely proposed putting on her black silk
dress, which shei had worn for the last ten
years on state occasions; but her every day
short gown. would be more picturesque, /
thought She could not be quite reconciled
tothps The villagers were accuStohcd 10 Uhc
black silk, and she thought it due to them
and to me that she should be taken in it.
However, ttFe' portrait vas painted in the
short gown; but the villagers never saw much
oft. 1t was not considered very good like
ness, for somehow got dark frown about
t9e eyesaVd . YeTy djGAed expression about
the mouth. Ny 4pOthey never frowncd, and
looked particularly smiling while was paint
had hard time of it that winter-sO ma.
ny brave designs launched forth upon the tide
Of hope, and run aground upon unknown bars.
In the summer Mr.. Ochre came again and
taught ME how to steer my way better. lie
told me that faces should not appear to be
pasted fiat to the canvas, aud that the dark
outline all round them Was not perfectly true
to nature; that lips were not exactly verml-
lion, nor cheeks pure lake, and eyes were not
made Of stone, that shadows weie not dis.
tinct feature Of the face, and lights did not
consist entirely of paint learned wonder
ful deal from him in few weeks, and having
painted many portraits Of the worthy people
about me, which sold for two dollars q piece,
and scraped together little money, went
tO New York in the, winter with bounding
heart-perfectly conscious that I was the
great American genius
The first thing that did in New York, af
ter settling myself in The little attic room Mr..
Ochre had engaged for me, was to find my
way to picture gallery. / neither shouted
nov jumped when entered, but was certainly
very much dazzlCd. It was partly the picture
frames, ] thought-they we're so very bright
/ Immediately saw the Importance Of giIt
frames, and that without one no painting
could be Of any value. wondered how much
thGyscgsh and whether I could afford II buy
one : ior IN my portrait Of Fanny Ann, which I
had brought to tho city with me. Iknew at
once there was no painting in the gallery
equal to that, and walked Aiongwith the proud
consciousness that was the creator Of that
gem, which only needed fine frame to be in.
stantly brought down from my attic, INTO the
public case, for the delight Of every ONE.
HDvevsr, did pause In0weqtheiren one
little head<~the head Of Elittle cRild with
smile ip her eyes, and life upon her lips.
~ e0 intO the catalogue to be sure that it
was good. It was by COpley. "An old fash
io.sd painter ! thought N shalldO better
Il; TseSi came % /. young ildy.ih III ! ( green
dresR and block YaIgt -fprni1g -hev ;l1esd to-
wards the sbkctStor. and stepping into brook.