Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1860-12-05
FUR the SPIRIT OF THE AGE.
Pictures in the Sick Room
A ' SOLICITED.

"Do you admire Paintings p inquired q
fair young friend on presenting me with an
elegant engraving for inspection. Alas! how
feebIy could ] express to her the intensity OF
nv adnira,ion- To say that | admire paint
ings Of excellence and taste, fails to express
my real emotion woTship would approach
nearer the proper word. / cannot recoilect
any period of my life when the sight OF a
painting did not inspire me with sensations
OF genuine delight When a wee boy, plod-
ding over the m, stories Of primer and horn
book, the nc pfas ultra Of my ambition was
to be the sole proprietor of a volume pro-
fuseiy illustrated with cuts, rude and gro
tesquc as they we're in those days. In after
years | have fingered whole ] ours in gale
ries Of p intings, gazing With rapt delight
upon the beauties there displayed. l never
could pass a window where one was ex-
hibited without stopping and a common
print ma book stall has often arrested my
footsteps by the way.
Since the orderings of Providence have
shut me in frora the outer world, my admira-
ton has become a very passion Denied the
privilege Of gazing upon the respondent face
Of nature, it is not strange that | should re-
alize so much entertainment from pictures
those truthful representations, types of ma
4 LuTE a0Q Hd&UtE y DtdktlcS- Nldll1 ~ 1ObClJ
hour have I beguiled over the engrayings o.
some illustrated book or periodical-even the
rude carricaturcs. of a comic newspaper otter
diyertfng me from gloomy and despondint
thoughts We're it in my power l would. il
lumine every sickrOom in the land Will
bright and chaorG,l
~ feiiete them OF their Cherries and sombr
aspect, or so inspire the dropping invali,
with cheerful hopeful thoughts Would tina
the proprietors and guardians of hospital
and ssylums would avail themselves NOR
freely Of their benign influences, in thei
efforts to provide their establishments wit
every appointment calculated to promote
spirit of cheerfulness among their inmates
A pleasant and sunshiny picture in a sick
room Is often worth more to the despondin
invalid than all the bitter tonics of the ms
terra medica combined.
Sometimes inmy lonely hours when hay
allowed myself TO rear castles d'Espagne (I
valids indulge in reverie as well as other!
and hopeless and gloomy as is my condition
| have not yet forgotten how to build castle
in the air. sometimes in such seasons | hay
fancied to myself that if / possessed but
1.-THE of the fortunes ola Rothchild or A
tor, | would cover the walls of my lit
chamber with pictures-not mere daubs-
but paintings and engravings of merit an
taste But unfortunately (perhaps Jorta
aGtely) fortune has not been thus layi;
Of her golden gifts to me and despair
;, ever having this cherished desire gratifie
unless my fair friends will agree to aid
forming for me a little gallery from the ere
tons of their own genius.
| feel a natural repugnance to be conside
! ed as occupying the position ola beggar b
do feel inclined to beg my fair friends lwhe
, have always found ready to cheer a
|, soothe the MISREPRESENTATION of the mol
l art diyine"-that they will remember
!. when distributing the contents of their pc
!, folios, assuring them that anything from I
: pencil or brush, of any style or design, will
cherished with affectionate gratitude amo
my treasured memorials. And then, ]
r kind friend, the Editress, | am quite su
! will cheerfully act as a medium in transl
ring to me the favor of any fair stran
who may desire thus to plant a flower by
lonely path of a sorrowing one.
10 INVALID