New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1860-05-21
Tho Last sketch.


Under this title Thackery, in his Cornhill Maya
zine, introduces fragment from the pen of Char
lotte Bronte
Not many days since went to visit honse,
where, in former years, I had received many
friendly welcome. We went into the oWner's-an
artist's-studo Prints, pictures and sketches hung
on the walls, as ] had last seen and remembered
them The implements Of the painters art were
there. The light which had shown upon SO many
many hours of patient and cheerful toll, poured
through the northern window, upon print and bust,
figure and sketch, and upon the easel before which
the good, the gentle, the beloved Leslie labored
In this room the busy brain had devised and the
skifu hand executed, i know not how many Of
those noble works which have delighted the world
with their beaniy and charming humor.
Here the poet called up into pictorial presence,
and informed with lfe grace, beauty, infinite
friendly mirth, and wondrous naturalness of eN-
preston, the people of whom his dear books told
him the stories-hs Shakespeare, his Ceryantes,
on the easel, beautiful, fresh, smiling shape of
Ttania, such as his sweet, guileess fancy imagined
the Midsummer Night queen to be. Gracious and
pure and bright, the sweet smiling image glimmers
on the canvas. Fairy elves, no doubt, were to
have been grouped around their mistress, in laugh
ing clusters. Honest Bottoms grotesque head and
figure are indicated as reposng by the side OF the
consuminate beauty. The darkling forest would
have grown around them, with the stars glittering
from the midnight sky; the flowers at the queens
feet, and the boughs and foliage about her, would
have been peopled with sprites and fays. They
were dwelling In the artists mind, no doubt and
would have been developed by that patient, faith.
full, admirable genius; but the busy brain stopped
working the skilfull hand fell 1feless, the loving
honest heart ceased to beat.
What was she to have heen--that fair Titana-
when perfected by the patient skill of the poet
who In Imagination saw the sweet innocent figure
and with tender courtesy and caresses, as it were
posed and shaped and traced the fair form2 Ii
there record kept anywhere of fancies conceived
beautiful, unborn2 Some day will they assume
form in some yet undeveloped light? If our bat
unspoken thoughts are registered against us, ana
are written in the awful account, will not the goot
thoughts unspoken, the love and tenderness, tn,
pity, beauty, charity which pass through tht
breast, and cause the heart to throb with silen
| good, find remembrance too2 A few week
more, and this leyely offspring of the poets con
ception would have been complete-to charm tn,
| world with its beautiful mirth. May there not b
| some sphere unknown to us, where 1t may have al
existence? They say our words, once out of GU
lips, go travelling in on,aae Reenna reyerberatng for
ever and ever. If our words why not our thoughts
Some day our spirits may be permitted to walk ii
| galleries of fancies more wondrous and beautiful
than any achieved works which at present we see
and our minds to behold and delight in master
| pieces which poets and artists minds have ia
/ thered and conceived only.
!