New-York tribune., 1868-05-14
FINE ARTS.


from human lips An inspiring sermon teaching les
sons of faith and hope and cOnstancy; of sweetness
ond humility ioined to an inyincibe courage and
.aIfrelance such as TO read ought to put strength
into the weakest heart that shrinks frightened and
disheartened from its appointed lot in life. Nor,
ouebt II less TO shame those to whom strength and
opportunity are given but who in the possession of
all their faculties of body and mind with sound
limbs and perfect senses, still find a lion in every
path, and are tripped by every straw.
Yet the work We speak of is so small and unpre-
tending that it may easily be passed by unnOtced.
TO the superficial eye it has few attractions compared
with the bright-colored pictures the snowy engrav-
ings and the hundred curious and pretty knick-
knacks that cover Sohaus's walls and crowd ms
tables. But the eye that stops and studies atten-
lively this drawing of O few square inches VIII Do
well rewarded For not only is 1t an exquisite speci
men Of manipulation merely piece OF drawing
worthy TO stand beside the work OF masterslt IS De-
side revelation of the power of the human mnd 10
rise above the Affections and wounds of the teshj to
turn calamity itself into blessing and with body
hanging Oh the very verge of the grave to conceive
an impossible task and pursue it unwearied uncom-
planning and undaunted through IA years OF death
in-life.
This drawing E" The Rat Catcher and his Dogs"
was executed in Indian ink by an Englishman
named John Carter with the point of hair pencil
which was held between his teeth, an injury
to his spine having entirely deprived him
of the use of his limbs The difficulties he
was obliged to overcome in executing such work,
and which shall presently describe, were so many
and so great that il will surprise one to be told
that he produced very few drawings. Five only are
known TO exist, of which "The Rat-catcher and his
Dogs is said TO be by far the finest Of the remain
ing four one is In the possession of the Queen OF
England another belonged TO the late Queen Dow
ager of England, and OsgoOd Hamburg esq., OF hold
field Grange and Richard Meredith White, esq, OF
HiEhhelds, near Coggeshall, Essex two gentlemen
who greatly befriended Carter each own one. THE
Rat-Catcher and his Dogs" is the property OF +. j.
Mills esq., to whom 1t was presented by Mr. White
on the occasion of marriage between the families
When we consider the extraordinary character OF this
little picture the excellence of its position, telling
the story at once truth to nature the combined
vigor and delicacy of the drawing such that while
it loses nothing by being seen at distance 1t will
vet bear and repay the closest inspection it Is not
surprising that many persons have been unwilling
perhaps we should rather say, unable. to believe
that 1t was made by poor unlettered peasant work
ing under the painful conditions have described.
Slr. Mills has, however fully satisfied US that the
story is true in every particular and has enabled US
TO state entire belief that tho whole matter is as
he represents it. He has put into our hands very
William James Damper, Vicar of Coggeshal, Essex,
the artists native place. in which the fullest details
given of the life of the man. his personal charac
ter and his methods of work The book contained
also number Of engrayings portrait Of Carter at
work, his desk and implements, together with fac
sipiies engraved with the greatest care by Hol Of
his earliest attempts at drawing These engravings
Mr.. Mills has judiciously removed from the book
and has had them mounted and placed alongside
Caters masterpiece, "The Rat Catcher and his
Dogs" so that, while the intrinsic excellence Of that
work aud the qualities that produced it must always
excite our admiration, the mere wonder Of it is great
ly diminished, it is longer vulgar miracle; we
see the steps by which the artist reached its hight
aud hail again In poor ignorant manned John Carter
the glorious energy, the will the devotion that have
often shned with divine fire in the history of man,
and whose manifestation in him allies this humble
peasant boy with the noble ones Of his race 1t is
the old story of faith that removes mountains the
sublime lesson wEitten the ages that there Is
difficulty 80 great that perseverlng energy
not conquer, no goal so distant high that the
unwearied foot and theuntrng heart cannot reaohit
John Carter was born in the year 1915, in the town
Of Coggeshall, Essex, England. He was the son of
poor parents in the lowest rank Of English society,
his father having been a common laborer. The only
teaching he ever had was got in the parish-schOOl
where he learned to read and write after the
of English peasants and also to cipher very little
He had no love of study nor any aptitude for it, He
spent his time boys of his class usually do sharing
in all their sports and mischief and, without being
notable either way as bad OF good, grew up after
poor enough fashion till the time for him TO
earn his own living. when he was bound apprentice
to a silk weaver at which trade he worked until he
was Of age In May, 1885, in company with some
low companion he went one night to HOldfeld
grange, the seat of OsgOOd HapbuTy, esq, to
steal young rocks from the rOOkery on that
gentleman's estate, and having climbed fir
tree slipped lost his hold. and fell to the ground,
distance of not less than 40 feet
His companion picked him up in a state Of COM
pete nseDsbility, and carried him home to his wife,
The medical man was sent for and he declared that
though Carter was not actually dead as had at first
been supposed, yet he could live but few hours at
the most But the event proved the doctor mistaken,
for, after some time he partially recovered, and
lived if living it could be called, for IA years not
dying till the year 1850. But the doctors sagacity
must not be called in question: for Carriers case was
one of the most extraordinary that has been
recorded and attracted the attention of the most
learned medical men and surgeons. After his death
on examination Of his body revealed the astounding
fact that several of the Yertebre of the upper part
of the spinal column had been violently displaced
bent into an arch-so that the spinal cord was
severely compressed at different points and pre-
vented from performing any of its functions below
that point. In fact, Carter, to use Mr.. Dampier's
language lived for fourteen years with a broken
neck The effect upon his body Of this injury to the
spinal cord was to utterly deprive him Of the of
his limbs and of all sensation in his body below his
neck. lie might be pinched until he was black
and blue, without suffering in the least indeed
without consciousness but it is said that he
go r.s-