Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1862-04-11
FRIDAY. APRIL IL. 1862.

UsSVou W wv eyN-t-"" "-~' ~
two little dsushters Of her own growing Cpl
-shich Vas the exceeding deferencs they
raid to their mother. Who wss no, By any
means % clever % themselves.
Perhaps I. who had no, married woman
Tor cle,erness, admired the mother most.
The Doctors widow. with her large, soft.
soro~ful eyes, where the tears seemed to
have dried M. or been iroren up in CLASSY
quieiness. VAS to me the best evidence OF
what an excellent man he must have been !.
how deeply beloved. low e,ernally mourned.
She never spoke Of her hu.band. nor the
daughters OF their father. This silence
which some families consider IL almo', re.
lis'ous duiy to preserve regarding their
dead. We. oi course. ~ complete s'rAnser,.
had no business ~ break and. therefore.
{, happened tha, ws were s,ill in the dark
as TO the original Of iba, remarkable por.
trait-which. minute by minute. took .
stronger hold upon my Imagination my
wils's ioo--or that quality OF universal ten.
der beartednsss. which in her does duty Tor
lima asinaiion. ! never looked nj her. but
she MAS watching ei,hsr our hostess. or ths,
Likeness. which sbe surpo.ed to be the lea.
turc- which to the poor widow bad been 80
deser'sdly dear.
\ most strange picture. IL seemed. In
i,s wonderfully true stimulation Of life. TO
cit. almost like an unob.rr,ed. silent gu.s,.
above our cheerful AMI conrcrsation table.
Many times during the evening ! started.
u. II ~lih = .ense Of seventh person being
In the rOom--,n the very social circle
hearing ,crythins. Observing everything,
but saying nothing. Nor Was ! alone IN
thi. feeling, fo- noticed that u'y wife. who
hapIsred To s't directly opposite to the por.
tnir. 6des'ed IN her char. and finally moved
her position 70 ono where .hs could escape
IRON those steady. tindly. e'er.pursuins.
painted eys..
Now. I ask nobody 10 believe what am
going to relate I mus, distinctly state that
| do no, t-lis,o :, mysclf but | tell 1t DO.
cause IL involves an idea and moral. which
the reader can apply IL he chOo.e.. All !
can cay IL. that 80 Tar .. it purpori. ~ so
and when you come to the end you will
End ,ha,-lhi. !. rally true story.
Ny wife. you must understand. eat sI.
actly before tho portrait. till che changed
pace. with me. and went . little way down
the ohlons table. On the same .ids. Thus,
one Of us bad Q front. and the other slight.
ly foreshortened visw. Between " and !,
xss the table. In the centre si which stood
= isnp--ono Of thoss reading lamps which
throw . bright circle Of light below them,
and leave tho upper half oi the room in
com mpara,ire shadow. thought It wa' this
shadow. - some fanc,iul flicker Of the Gre,
which caused = peeuliari,y IN the eye. of
the portrait. They seemed ae,uslly alive
moving from right to LETT in ,h'ir orbits.
opening and closing their lids. turning from
one TO the other OF the family circle with a
Va. i,ble expression. as II conscious OF all
that is done or sad.
Ard ye, the family took no notice. but
wen, on IN their talk with us: choosing the
common topics with which unfamiliar per
sons try to plumb one ano,h'r's minds and
characters yet never once re,ertins TO this
peculiar ph,nomenon-whch my wife.
saw, had also observed. and intsrchanged
with me more than one uneasy glance In the
pause. o, eOn'erstion.
The evening was wearing Ont was near
" ten O'Clock when. looking up TO the pic
ture, IRON which for the last hall hoor
had steadily arer,ed my gars. was startled
> by q still more marvellous tac, concerning 1t.
Formerly. the eyes alone had appeared
alive nov the whole face Was rounded.
II grew up, out Of the Cat can'ass. q. II N
ba..rel,.f. or like one Of those terrible pain
fol casts after desth-eIcep, there Was moth
ing painful or revolving here. As have
aid, the face was o beautiful iacc-a nohl'
face such . one as. under any circum'
stances. you would have been attracted by
And It had the coloring and form OF lie
no esry.ss like rig,dl,y or marble whi'sne@s
The gray haIr serinsd gradually to rise. loel
: by lock out Of the level suriace--and The
: figure. clothed IN ordinary modern evening
drsss. n become shapely ard na,unl-stas'
J ue-que. vet sull preserving the tin'' OF
. picture. Even the chair which II sat upon
which now perceived To bs the exact
cory Of one that stood emp'! on the osheI
f; side Of the Ere. gave . curious reality. te
the whole
BY and bye. my vile and both held Oul
Q brea,h.-ior. from 50 ordinary oil painting
: tho Likeness had undoubtedly become . lie
like figure, or statue. sitting In an slcove
the form Of which was made by the frame
Of the picture.
: And ye, the family took no notice; bu
appeared n Is. whether or not they wcr'
, conscious Of the remarkable thing that Wal
0 happening. IL did no, disturb them in th'
: least; VAS nothing at oil alarming or 70
I caiisr. or out Of the tenor u their daily
, lie.
No. not even when. on returning With 9
, book that had gone to fetch from The
shelves at the further eud OF the room. my
D poor little wife esush. my hand In speech
. lee swe-aws. rather than fssr-spd point
, Cd 10 the hitherto empty chair By 'hs nrs
: side.
{, was empty no longer. There. sitting
Ia. a.. ..,e.-. .t,,,ude of the portrAis