Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1867-11-29
A MORNING WITH POWERS.

{
a writer in Hours al Home describes ,
morning. spent with Hiram Powers. VIZ
| make ieg extracts
We found ourselves standing in the i'm.
mediate presence Of his finished works,
| Dnsts, models and statues; and at once our
! conference took form from them. He con-
daeted US with him through the several
/ rooms, ID which large number of helpers
were b9slly engaged in forwarding the pro-
V'ssses through which the details Of sculpture
arc carried on. The rude laboriousness bv
which IN their earliest reductions the blocks
! from the quarry are shaped into forms for
| the galleries. ali falls into the hands Of arfi-
sans trained merely to stone cutting. Ny
impulse vas aniusDgly mythologic to keep
Fehcarsing particulars Of Prometheas for
the first man seemed starting out from
the clay IN score Of Uncouth forms.
Ihe models we're placed in the midst Of
the upright stones, 10 view Of all the work
men. At first it was a most energetic mall
lel i winch struck away huge chips Of marble
rom the shapeless mass, with a rollicking
sense o. haste 70 deliver some beautiful be-
I1g imagined 10 be Imprisoned within II.
iSut before long, the task was committed to
more skllfu care, aud the fresh iourneyman
treated it with gentler measures of violence,
and more temperate enthusiasm. Then
came the third in the line; and he dealt with
dainty compasses, aud delicate files. making
mysterious black spots at exact depths. and
precise widths, and measured distances.
These men, Mr. Powers assured US, we're
hls lifelong companions lie had chosen
them, and trained them, and trusted them
Tor many years, unit! he could not do with
out them. They we're no ordinary hands,
Tut belonged to his artistic and profession
ally related family.
With them, he remarked, rested his
man difficulty in returning to America;
which indeed, he declared most plaintiYely,
ne very much desired to de- But he could
not take them with him, They had fami
lies, they spoke no English, and they were
peculiarly attached to their own land. And
be could not leave them, for they were es-
sentlal to his execution Of orders for such
pieces as his own hand, uBaided, could new
er by any possibility meet; and moreover,
he was really interested In them; he smoke
teeingly, with an affectionate glance around
upon the faithful company, as he added, he
could not bear to have them scattered, they
mad followed his fortunes so long. Still, he
believed most resolutely that he should
some time behold his own home again.
lie Is truly American, and it IS well that
some OF his countrymen have generously
remmemberedit
The domestic character Of this interest
ing man came out most attractively in one
more incident Of our visit. An unfinished
image Of his wife was standag among the
other busts; he had been at work upon it
lately. / remarked upon the attractiveness
Of her truly fine face, and he told me who
II was and then he led me to a bust he
had made Of each of his two daughters,
and called my attention to the different dis
positions as expressed in his wonderful mar
bles. | could not withhold my admiration
to ind that even in busy years he had con-
secrated time, as well as the ministries Of his
great art BE had told me that it took
about five months to complete one such dg-
ure as these.
He appeared pleased with my congratu-
latious for having so exquisite a remem-
5Tance Of those thus dear 90 him Yes,
you know VIC have to stop these young peo-
PIE along here somewhere, he remarked
with kind Of pensive affection il his tones;
they grow so, they get away from youl"
Then he went to private desk, and took
out small hand of an infant, cut in whitest
marble, chubby, dimpled, lying among
flowers on leaf l never saw anything
more eXquisitely done. There, he said,
q | stopped that one pointing over his
shoulder at the bust Of the youngest daugh-
ter-''when she had only that to take hold
ofp'
Ny heart went ont for that affectionate
father as be softly handled this memento
OF his child, now woman grown, then on
" an uneasy babe Of two months existence.
" hat a study in after years. what a remi-
uisceuee Of iBfantile beauty Take any man
or woman-this rough, veined, wrinkled,
busy hand Of yours and mine; how much ef
good and i'll it has done since it was inno-
cent as that little one in white
What more can I now say of this morn
iGg with Hiram Powers, to convince my
readers that it was one Of the most delight
ful and most instructive eff all my life? He,
who Is now recognized in Florence as the
chief among living sculptors, is just this IN
affected, unspoiled man l have sketched.
The pure sentiment, the genial converse,
the thoughtful intelligence, and the sincere
heartiness Of that interview cannot be'for-
gotten If this honored sculptor ever does
return to his old home on this side Of the
ocean, he will assuredly find friends he
dreams not Of among all those who prize
true worth and admire real genius.