New-York tribune., 1868-10-31
DEAR AT IVY PRICE.

A few weeks ago the people who passed up
and down a certain avenue in this town might
have seen, and. indeed, had to sec, whether
they would or not, an immense transparency,
which. fol at least a month, stood outside the
door Of a sign painters shop in that neighbor-
hood. and which bore the inscription on bit OF
paper tackled to the canvas, For Sale, When
"Finishcd" There was nothing on tins big
piece of cloth but the outlines half filed in, of
two heads, presumably those Of men. One of
these, at the left, was hardly more than an
outline, a pale muShy suggestion of an appar-
emily equally mushy personality. There was
p great deal more forehead than the owner
Judging from what we could make ont Of the
features, could know what to do with, and it
was very much wrinkled, as if with superhu-
man efforts on the part of the brain within to
do little thinking. The features of the face
beneath this useless eXpanse utterly talled
10 carIy out the absurily exaggerated promises
of the forehead, and lett a painful impression
of imbecllity and irresolntion on the Iniha %.
the unwilling spectator. The head on me IlSnC
was hardly more finished than tine 0ther, plio
the painter had evidently thrown the Wnolo @
force of his genius into the eyes lhoS0 VIZ W.
finished, with a vengeance paT oi S;,,hff
vacant, rolling eyes, trying Witn "il "d edO'L LIoodv
-Is
minded 1t was evidently weak Ilan, III wIJ
was impressed with the behet tnat ho 49, OI
play the part of Satan. In his Miilon i ~ aJ s'J
read Round he threw hls baieIul eye; %iu L;
he had at once began TO pTactlc6 tnio"lnnS @ n'S
sround regardless of expense ne result Was
nauseating i'm the extreme Delicate IauleS
either crossed the street at once OF puC 9p o'il ~
umbrellas. Little children Scfeecheu anu Idu "
their nurses TinId horses shyed. heIds OF
cattle turned down the first wrong street. feOpe
living ON the opposite side of the way tlltd
IN let their houses and not succeeding IN
getting any one to change places WIN InTll'
bOlted the landlords and went to Europe ne
thing was becoming a public nuisance no
body ever offered 10 buy 1t, or course, elInei
finished or unfinished, for his own use Dut
some boys in the neighbOrlng university VINO
had a Democratic teacher WhOm they Hiatcu'
tried to raise the money ana revenge th'!n
selves by buying il and presenting MN WIN
4be cdious thing. But the painter would not
sell it unfinished and tho boys could not pear
the thought of Its beng made more n3eous ny
additions They hated their teacher. but tney
did nit want to be the death OF HIM. lie
painter, IN his turn, was nearly IN CeslEhr' ,hS
had put good deal of paint aud good deai
of talent into those eyes, but his investment
seemed like 10 prove poor one. % mere
So his big venture hung lire. lhs was hi'
great gun, and it would Mt go on. Al lastO .
certain day there came terrible news IRON
PENNSYLVANIA, and ONO, and indiana anu Sdv'
the last blow to his hopes. The subjects OF M
pencil were indeed finished, but by other hand
than his. They were sold, butthe pr9hts Iiau Il
gone into his purse. Those 0alefm eye
wherever they looked beheld now huge atillc
.tion and dismay. The panter-man took IN
dreary fgure-head inside, and since that day
,the neighborhOOd has breathed freer. W neither
the unfinished heads OF the Democratic cahul
dates are still for sale we know not, but, un
less the cotton cloth has been cut, up int
shreuds, somebody who wants horrible scare
crow may yet drive a bargain with the uh1or
tunate painter.