New Orleans daily crescent., 1860-06-25
A WHITE HAND
54Nn BLACK BRACELET.

- Niat nGS5 DGGUule u Liz young ht ssot
you introduced last year to Us, and who painted
the great picture?'' said the young and lovely
Duchess of Blossac to the Prince Littofsky; you
promised such great things Of him.he was very
handsome, and Raphaelesqde, am told; expect
ed to see him here tonight 49,.
80 Duchess, You were right, In saying my pain
ter was Raphaeeaqne, for, like Raphael, he is dy-
ing q a,l love- I. !, ,,,.r..;a. y,
80, the Fornarina was young girl, flower
girl. beggsr girl know not what: but aonle girll
endowed With extraordinary beauty, whom. in
some romantic way, he became acquainted with,
and whom he set about adoring with the exaggera-
ton of an artist. She was the model Of all his pic
lures; she inspired him; he could not be an hour
without her; all his friends knew her; she was al
ways 10 hia studio, modest and beautiful and so
devoted TO Leon Ferny that we all ensied him..
Well.r w
q well, ons day ring. the only one he had ever
given her. and very i'll. written note were all that
remained OF her -sae had deceived him all the |
tme while he thought her simple and SO pure,
she had listened to the voice Of the seducer, and
now abe had fed. leaving him alone, and with the
consolation that she had never loved him.
aPrince, you may call this very romantic his |
tory; call it very commonplace
6 But the sequeiis es:tranrdiIsry Ny hero vas
him. laughed at him, plunged him into dissipation;
nothing would dc: :@ali they. achieved was between
dissipation and sorrow, TO destroy his health Leon
abruptly left as all left Paris, abandoned his art
forsaken society. and ever thinking on the only
love Of his life she who has caused all TINS misery
and has retired to die alone and in peaceEo s
"Retired What! to convent Gone 70 La
Trappe?" ,,,.,= So .tas .. that. bs
has merely retired TO n cottage at Boulogne, and
his secluson is complete; he viii see no one; lie
| is literally dying OF love.'R
:. True Prince, but not as you understand 1t; he
s dying for love; dying not for the old love, but
for want Of new one.'a .ss ST.
"Duchess, you are a skeptic In love, though yoh
| of all others, inspire it.
| lyon latter me; don't-rm tired Of aattery.
Where dues your artstlive - s
| .sAt Bopiugne-he will not even speak to his
friends saw him the other day in one OF the re-
| tired alleys of the Blos, sitting alone lost in con
1 temptation. went up to him; but as he looked
| at me and recognized me, he rose and without
| speaking word, turned away
| THAT is q beautiful picture, Prince said the
Duchess, after pause; it Is apity the painter
| who could conceive it should die"
few days after this conversation, Leon Forny
was sitting in his accustomed PLACE IN one oil the
thick shady alleys of the Bois de Bouogne not far
from the fashionable promenade and perfectly uI-
frsquented. His cheek was pale, his form sttenu-
ated and bent the brilliancy OF his sunken eye,
his short and quick breathing showed at once that
the Prince had not exaggerated, and that the
talented young artist was indeed dying. he sat
with his arms crossed. leaning against tree, under
which the bench was placed, his eyes liked vacant
/ v on the objects before him. none of which, how
| ever, appeared to interest him. All at once the
/ noise of carriage wheels WAS heard Leon looked
in the direction whence the noise came, and heheld
an open carriage, drawn by two magnificent horses
slowly advancing toward him. lnstnctively he
gazed at its progress. Presently as it drew near
he eoud distinguish that it contained but one lady
The carriage advanced; 1t was close to MIN; II
stopped almost opposite to where he sat. Leon
then looked intently at its occupant, the LADY ne
had distinguished in the distance. She was reclin-
ing in the corner of the carriage. Her feet we're
on the opposite seat covered with q shawl. Though
dressed with extreme elegancs she had SO thick Q
| veil thrown over her bonnet it was Impossible for
Leon to see her face. All he coula SEQ was the
Whtest and most beautifully modelled hand he had
/. ever sbeheld. kThe hand was ungloved. On one
finger there was black enameled ring, having a
large diamond In it. Following with his eye an
enamel aud diamond chain which secured the ring,
he found the other, and attached TO BLACK enamel
bracelet eemme with diamonds encircling round
white slender wrist, fit match for the matchless
I hand. .s,,.yz
metry and whteness of this hand; then there was
something in the shrouded features, in the grace Of
the attitude, in the elegance OF the equipage thai
excited hs curiosity, that Interested MN. Ine
lady, however, appeared not TO Know OF nis pres
ence: probably she was merely inlialing ths
healthy breeze there in this secluded spot where
. she was secure from interruption. Leon remained
still gazing at her. Presently she raised her hant
, and the footman, who had stood at the carriage
! door signed to the coachman. who began TO NOV.
{ slowly forward. Scarcely had the carriage passed
: him before Leon, whose gaze was yet fixed upoI
lit, beheld the beautiful hand with the ring thrns
! dropped at his feet. Leon stopped to pick 1t UP
but when he looked after the Carriage, he found
was disappearing at q rapid pace along the road
: As Leun inhaled the perfume oil these flowers
his imagination for the first time since he had beer
forsaken dwelt on another image than that OF ths
. woman who had deceived him. His heart hea
e free-his very lungs seemed to expand, az HI
4 Thought that some being in the world sympathizet
h with him and ptied him. 1t was hard he had oitel
felt, to die aonc--to keep his bitter memories pen
. up in his heart: yet from thoses who had calle'
themselves his friends--these who had scoded a
his love, disbeiieyed in his sorrow-he turned Wit
proud and sullen contempt Who, amid the plea
sures Of the world he lad forever abandoned, ,eoul
she be who had thus remembered him! Woul
e she come again? The next morning answered thi
a. question In a way which left no doubt as to th
special interest he had excited in the bosom OF t
e' strange and enchanting vision. Before he ha
a risen from his sleepess and teVerishs bed laFgt
:" fragrant boqnet OF flowers was brought to him b
his old nurse, in whose cottage he had sougt
refuge. e5N ~
: Leon rose with. degree of alacrity he had nj
II experienced for many months. He wandere
forth, directing his steps eagerly toward the spt
e where he had seen the object OF his sthonghts-h
n guardian angel. But the sky was overcast raj
70 70 threatened-she would not come TO the Bois o
~ such day. Leon, suddenly deprived of the mo-
p bid feeling that had paralyzed his energies by I'll
Il new interest just awakened felt craving desire
8. return to his art. He knew he must soon die, bt
s. he looked forward to his death With feeling
nd melancholy and regret he had not hitherto espef
enced. The world and his friends had forgotte
him already; woad she remember hin after
was dead? He resolved to leave some memory
this circumstance that assumed Importance fro
z the monotony OF his life. that should show her 81
&c had been understood. that should in years TO con
1, remind her of one she had sought to comfort,
dc consoles There wasain the village bat poo
.s m humble church; the poverty Of tho parishione
ia and of the cure had prevented them from orn
menting it as the churches OF the Catholic rite
M ally are. Leon. though he had partaken Of d
III skepticsm Of the nineteenth century, shared d
de philosophical belief of the age, loved the cail
ds still atmosphere of the church. He sought it no
In the gelitle temper OF his mind, and stgnd
with his eyes raised to Heaven in deep mediate
II not in prayer, he ut once resolved, az the ba,
~ whitewashed walls OF the temple glared upon hi
IS to leave on it the last memorials ef his genius
~. earth.
Immediately no sought out the cure, obtain
or permission TO paint some holy subject ON the ws
and returned home almost joyfnlly, thinking of
s. return to his once loved occupation. the angel
" had mnistered to him, and forgetting for the q
ing time, his sorrow and his snifsrings.
The next morning brought another hoquet, d
on inspired by its perfume, he began his picture.
subject he had found-he called IL the Ministeri
Angel. Over tho bed of a dying child an am
/, a, was standing the angel was his minatering an
jim she who had come to brighten, as does the d
ire set darkening landscape. the last hours OF
ma life. But how shonld he paint her As he h
u the pencil to trace her image, this question oeo