Vermont daily transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1868-1870, 1868-07-17


He took immediate possession OF his
APARTMENTS, where he could, ut the same
time, paint his Madonna, ana copy me
frescoes for the chapel. with his inihu
full of the celestial face he had Just seen,
ne seized the pencil, and endcavorod TO
trace her lincamcnts. But the extreme
sensibility. 50 useful to ar, when tiine
has claimed it. was now his chlcl oN7ta-
Gle. He felt too deeply To succeed III en-
messing the idea winch HIlen ms SOUL
The day passed in truit'c,5 attempt, ana
the night surprised hih'' "iSSa''Hi'V" W."
Responding.
IN the meantime Lucy had suffered
severely for the preference shown her.
nv Van Dvck. The envy and Jealousy
of her companions found vent i'll lmper-
tinent sarcasms 50 that on Operating
for the night, her mind was Mica WAN
his idea. and after her nightly prayer,
his name was the last on her ups.
# was midnight. the heavens shonc
with n thousand sparkling stars, ana
soft light spread itself on thc ola aphcN,
which stood solitary ana alone among
its ruins.
\ window of the palace opened, ana
"A shadow passed slowly along me court
and reached the monastery
II would be difficult TO say how TINS
tipure had left the palace ana rcnctIat-
I'd SO far; but she must have been wen
acquainted with all the tufnings, lor III
"A short time, she crossed the long ave
nues and arriving at on" OF the long gai-
lcries of the chapel, she found helseli
i'm the painters Worilroon, ana passing
lightly on, seated herself, without look
inc around her immediately III 'front.' OF
the easel.
Oh. surprise, oh joy! this being. so
calm, so beautiful, Is Lucy ! me des-
nondinp artist. who had been unable to
rctrocc her features on his canvass, now
hebejd n living model before his eyes.
What could have induced herto come"
What idea could have given her the
courage and resolution? lie threw him
self on his knees before her, but Lucy
motioning him to rise, pointed 10 ms
pencil Her look penetrated him with
a flame so pure that he forgot the reality
of his vision his establishment seemed
to him a want of faith. transported by
his imagination to an ethereal sphere,
he seemed above the earth, and III the
midst of the sublime concerts OF angels,
he beheld Mary envirOned by divine
RAYS. He was no longer the powerless
artist. who had just thrown at his feat
his unsuccessful pencil the artist had
replaced the man. Mute and GREATNESS,
insured by mysterious strength, he
seized his paletfe. His colors gave the
form and his soul the lile-In few hours
he created the most beautiful and most
pure of virgins.
When the young girl saw that after
tracing her features, he was occupied III
imparting to his picture the soul which
animated him, she rose silently and
with a calm and assured step, left the
monastery by the same road she came.
Van Dyck, with wondering eyes and
oppressed breathing, made not the slight
est effort to detain her. In his eyes, she
was no longer mortal, and in her depart
ure he thought he saw the Madonna re-
turning to her native skies. Enchant-
ed by his execution and excitement,
he fell asleep in his arm chair. On
awakening his first thought was to eX-
anime his canvass. Transported with
Joy at his success, he thanked on his
knees the angel or women, who had so
favored him. In vain he endeavored
again to impart the ideality which eX-
listed in his imagination. He had so
combined the thoughts of the Madonna
and of Lucy, that he determined to dis
cover the truth, and wrote the following
billet to the young girl:
"Tell me if you are indeed an angel,
ifyou do mot wish to deprive ofhis senses
the poor artist to whom you have con-
descended to appear this night. Tell me
if you are the Virgin or mortal ?"
1t was part of the duty of the Dowag-
err Duchess to open the billets addressed
to the young ladies confided to her
charge. What was her establishment
on reading this epistle Horror"
cried she, "a child of high family thus
to violate her duty in seeking Il painter
at midnight" She rang and sent for
the guilty one but her rage redoublcd
when Lucy, with her customary gentle
ness, denied all knowledge of the cause
of her reproaches. The Duchess, who
expected to witness in her great confu-
sion or candid avowal, would listen
to nothing. The alarm was given in
disgraced, should be sent home to the
father.
Her prayers were of no avail Il single
night of respite alone was accorded to
her, and she was commanded to sleep
in the apartment of the Duchess to
avoid further scandal.
At midnight, Lucy rose AS befoie.-
The Duchess was reused from hel un-
quiet sleep, and called all the ladies to
witness the confirmation of her sllspi-
oions, With lighted flambeauX, the
Duchess attended by a numerous suite,
followed Lucy who traversed again the
sIeat iliIii, tHe loiiS i)asSaHeS, ana arrived
at the door of the monastery. Her cul-
pability could be no longer doubted, but
they followed her even TO the painting
room, where she was already seated be-
fore the easel. The noise around her.
and the brilliancy of the light awoke
her in alright. She was a somnambu-
list.
Thus, unconsciously, she had served
as model to an artist, who fully repaid
in love, what she had given in renown
He obtained the prize and was loaded
at the court with honors and riches.
a few days afterward, there was celc-
brated at st. Pau's the union of Van
Dyck and Lucy, the daughter of the
noble (tpunt Rut bNa, do Comm