The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1864-07-12

Arno. As ! sble aong near the wall
shrinking from ihe crowd as II i
. mocked me. fel, my arm seize,
roughly. and, tuning angrily around
foapd myself lacs 10 face with m,
picture dealer forwl.on had 80 frui.
lessly searched dlriag tie day. II,
. dragged me into his shop, and. befor,
/ | had recovered from my surprise
presented nae tea stranger who wa.
! seated near the door. This gentleman
rose politely, ant, pointing to one o.
my fly-stained AMI dastyapiciures.said
that he understood that was the art,
! ist-that It's style pleased him; and
that, il we're willng, he could give
me commission, bowed my thanks
aod learned that lhes work Fedulred
was a picture Of ST. Catherine, for hi:
wife's oratory He spoke much long.
er--naming the size and the price
but heard nothing. and, when ! ro.
covered from my profound astonish.
ment, ! found that my patron had left
the shop, and that ! held a rouleau oi
seudi in my hand. | rushed home
but the close garret stifed me, and
went out again into the streets. ! was
delirious with JOY, and the masquera-
ders pushed me out Of their way as il
| had been man walking ina dream
! The throng swept me with it towards
the Piazza del Duomo, where ! found
tie steps Of the cathedral as deserted
as the square itself was crowded.
turned towards the silence and stood
looking at the stars, ard thinking that
too had iscoyered a new world. -
Dazzled as was, / thought that to
see misfortune / must henceforth look
backward but deceived myself
My first sorrow came into the world
with The birth OF my irstjoy. stood
upon the same spot for hours, looking
steadlastly before me, thinking Of my
work, and seeking to create 10 my
mind the image the canvas waited for
| searched for a length OF time in vain !;
but graduallma face seemed 10 form
itself before me. trembled with 10Y,
and studied every feature with an un-
certain happiness, halt fearful lest the
vision should desert me. In my de
light | woke from my abstraction, and
discovered a pair Of brilliant eyes
gazing earnestly into mine. The face
was before me. was then sensible
that } had been guilty Of an iadiscre-
tion-lhat, plunged in thought, my
visionary glance had been loog fixed
upon features that were not ideal, but
glowed with living breath. They
smiled and passed away. ! was filed
with eohlusion- eyes irrrsistibiy
wandered 10 the cathedral doors /
twice tried TO turn away, but could
not. Impelled by an inde6nabIe agi
talion, | entered the church, and
from that moment | remember little.
A few stammered words--a smile that
still lives in my heart-a promise. -
OF all this possess but an Incomplete
and distant recollectioa. One Thing
know: from that tine the saint cub
led me 10 more-I had found my
model"
"On the following day ! left the lit
tic room where | had she'd 80 many
tears, for this apartment. You see
was no longer an artist. j painted, IT
Is true; but IN a velvet chair. Sill
! was happy, for she came. She
brought ms strength the pencil be.
came winged under my fingers in
the light Of her eyes all colors har-
monized, Her beauty was a prize.
from which my art claimed the frst.I
tribute, and valued the treasure that
gave Ife aud yigor 10 my work. The
model brenhed upon the copy,and, al
most in spite Of Itself, new creation
rushed into being. The tso hours
daily passed in her presence gifted my
brush with power which ouly left
it with the last glimpse Of daylight"
"Snch was my life at first but in
time found that my hand tYembl@l
when she was near me, aud--worsc
than all-that, al the sound Of the
closing door which bid her from me,
a cloud sprang up before my eyes. ]
stood before the half-dried canvas, and
found ! could work no more. For
tie first time for years, the throbbing
Ut my brain no longer drowned the
beating Of my. heart. The spiritual
essence that lad SO long guided my |
arm deserted me, and ! telt that only |
the pow erless clay remained. How |
cane this changer The blood surging |
10 my throat told me the truth | |
DREADED: ] loved. With Ibis thought
the horizon darkeDed--the clear, pure
expanse in which my soul had tGiled
and dreamed, became a chaos a fire /
burned in my breast, and / trembled. /
Through all that night | sal With my
face buried in my hands, and the first
light which fell upon the untouched .
picture found me more resoluie. -
When she came, met her at the
door; perhaps my looks alarmed her
perhaps she guessed the truth.
do not know but she pressed my
hand with the leaderest sympathy,
and Looked kindly into my e,es.
never Thought her haad SO soft, or
her eyes 80 beautiful. Consider, my
father, shat was--a poor molherless
stnden, ttviug - niek on, br;,bt ,,n,s