Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1869-06-04
S ELECT Ed STORY!
FOUND AT LAST.
BY VIOLET FULLER.


"Crushed by Icebergs," said a gentleman
stopping to read a placard outside one Of the
fashionable art galleries in this city. "Ah a
new picture! and the subject is new to me
let us see how the artist treats it."
Thus soliloquizing, he entered the store and
was shown up-stairs, where, in space par
titioned off FROM the long gallery and with
the light falling on it from above, hung a
wonderful painting
William Douglas, for such was the gen
tleman's name, had travelled in Europe, and
was therefore acquainted with the best pro-
ductions of the great masters of the art, but
his attention was at once fixed by this uni
que and striking picture.
The room was tenanted By some fashion
able beauties, who, in all the glory of fine
dress and unlimited French jewelry, had
come to bestow few Of their precious mo-
ments on the picture because it was the fash
ion, and not because their pretty, golden
tressed heads contained any definite IDEAS on
the subject Their remarks were rather dis
tracing to quiet individual like William
Douglas.
"My p SAID one blonde beauty, ''ain't it
elegant and there" pointing to an excel
lent copy, choice lithograph, which stood
near, chats just like it, copied exactly,
even to the frame amt it funny how they
did il"
After these and similar profound remarks
on art, the ladies, thinking no doubt that
they had done their duty, and that the time
would be better spent in promenading, de-
parted casting glances Of establishment at
the dark, handsome, and to them rather
elderly map, who preferred looking at a
senseless piece of canvas to the contempla-
ton of their living, breathing charms.
Heaving a sigh Of relief as they patted
down stairs, Mr.. Douglas seated himself at
distance from the picture and gave himself
up to the examination of it in peace.
As he sat there, with his keen dark eyes
fixed on the painting, and his grave, almost
stern expression of face, one might have sup
posed him to be forty years of age at the
very least, although in reality he was only
thirty-fve, for the crisp, dark curls that Gov
cred his well-shaped head, were mixed with
grey, and there was care worn look about
the mouth very plainly to be seen, in spite
of the thick mustache. It was good face,
however, notwithstanding its gravity, and
you felt, in looking into the dark, sorrowful
eyes, that their owner had heart like that
of Douglas in the song, "tcnder and true. D
The picture pleased his artist eye.
| "Sunny pleasure-domes and caves of ice.'
thought he, apostrophizing the great ice
bergs that rose solemn and majestic, glitter,
ing with thousand prismatic hues, resem-
bling in shape the towers of ruined castle,
or that palace of ice which Russian EN-
press once caused to be made. In the midst
ofthis cold and glittering loneliness lay the
| Inflated vessel, her masts broken, her sails
hanging idle and useless, and SO faithfully
represented that every spar stood out clearly
defined againt the background of sky. But
this picture is so well known, and has been
| so well described by conpoisseurs, that it is
sheer presumption on our part TO say any
thing concerning it excepting as far as the
interests of the story are involved. ..s.}
Chow like an Inflated human life is that
vessel" thought Mr. Douglas IAN utter
wreck, deserted and lonely, all hopes and
aspirations leaving it one by one, like those
sailors fleeing from the unhappy ruin, lying
desolate for evermore Such will be my
life if 7 do not find that for which I haze
sought so long, and he sighed deeply as be
rose and prepared to leave the gallery.
At this moment lady entered leading
by the hand a little boy: Douglas did pot
notice her appearance, except to see that she
was dressed in deep mourning: but as he
stopped to take his hat from the bench on
which he had been sitting, she spoke to the
child, and he started as he heard her voice.
what was there in the low soft tones that
made his heart beat SO auickly4 = will
wait and hear it again, he thought; and he
turned to examine small picture which
| hung near
"You will be good boy and look at the
pretty picture, Harry will you not ?"
Few and simple as were the words, it was
the voice of the beloved one, which, though
upheard for years, had power to make the
! blood rush TO the handsome face Of Mr.
pouglas and to thrill through every fiber Of
his Being. He must see the face, but he
dared not turn suddenly lest he should alarm
her; and then it might not be the face he
sought after all He waited few moments
while his strong frame trembled like that Of
girl, and then he turned and looked at her,
It was she /! Yes, there could be 20 doubt o.
it, although the rounded outlines OF youth
were gone, and the fair check was paler than
when he had last seen it, That was Hope
Ainslie's face; the face for which he had
been seeking for years, and which he had
thought lost to him fog eyer. She was re:
garding the picture intently, entirely IN,
conscious of the fixed and earnest gage OIL
the stranger.
It was not a face to attract the casual OBJ
server, being almost devoid of color, save toi
the rcd of the sweet mournful mouth, anc