The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1869-09-29
gain?thepase, yop .ball goo me- eFagain,

his apart+fsntss where he could, at
the saho time, paint his Madonna,
and -opy the frescoes for the chapel.
With his mind full. Of the. celestial /
face he had Just seen, hesslssa his
pencil, and enaeavored to tsace her
lineaments. But the cxtferie sensi.
bility, so useful. TO art when time has
calned JIG, was now his chief obstacle.
[He felty too ] deeply to succeed in cx-
pressing thssidea which filed his
soul. The day. passed in fuitless
attempt, and the night surprised him,
dissatisfied and desponding, It. ! --
In the meantime Lucy had suffered
severely for tho preferences shown her
byVan Dyclk. Tho envy and jealousy
of; her companions found vehE il i'm
pertinent sarcasms; so that, Oh :scpa-
rating for tho night, her mind was
filled with his idea, and after her
nightly prayer, Ills namo was the last
on her lips. ..
1t was midnight, the heavens shone
with a thousand sparkling stars, and
soft light spread itself on tho old
abbey, which stood solitary and alone
among its ruins. -.
A window of the palace oponcd,
and shadow passed slowly along
the balcony and grand staircase, eros
scd along the court, and reached the
monastery. .s:SS'%%E
1t would be difficult to say how this
figure had left the palace and pcnc-
tratcd so far; but she must have been
we'll acquainted with all the turnings,
for, in a short time, she crossed tho
long and, arriving at one Of
the galleries of tho chapel. she found
herself in the painters work-room,
and, passing lightly. on, seated her
self, without looking around her, i'm
lnediately in front Of his easel.
oh,.surprisel oh, joy! this being,
so calm, SO beautiful, is Lucy! The
desponding artist who had been una
bic to rctrace hor features on his can
vas, now beheld a living model before
his eyes. i 50
What could have induced her to
come J.? What idea could have given
her the courage and resolution?, He
throw Himself on his knees before her,
but Lucy, motioning him to rise,
pointed to his pencil. Her look pcnc-
trated him with a flame SO pure, that
he forgot tho reality Of his vision
his astonishment seemed to- him a
! want, Of faith: Transported by; his
Imagination to an ethereal sphere, he
seemed above the earth, and IN the
midst of the sublime concerts'& an
gel he beheld' Mary, envvironed by
divine rays. He was no longer the
powerless artist, who had just thrown
at his feet his unsuccessful pencil the
artist had replaced the man. Mute
and breathless, inspired by mysterious
strength, he seized hts palette Ills
colors gave the form, and;his soul the
ife-in 3 few minutes he created tho
most beautiful and most pure Of vir
gins.
- When the young girlsawsthat afte,
tracing her features he = was 8 Occupied
il imparting to his picture sthessou
} which animated him, sIefosgsilenaly
aid with aycalm and asslroHstsp lef'
1.-the :monastsry, by the& same IoM She
" had come. Ss'' ~
f + :, Van Dyck, with wondering eyes
= and d'oppressed breathing, made snot
,1 tho slgh ghtest effort to detains sher. III
Fhis eyes, she. was no longer mortal
and in.hsr departure he thought he
saw the Madonna returning ito. he,
: native skies. Enchanted ~by.-his exc
cution apd excitement s;he fcH EasleeI
Z Fin his armchair. On aWaking his
first thopghfJwas to cxasains Els can
vas. Transported with joy at hif
success, he thanked, on his knees, the
!, angel or woman who had, so favored
Thin. In vain he endeavored "again
to impart the ideality which existed
3 in his imagination: he <had 50 com
T bined the thoughts Of tho Madonna
and Of Lacy, that he doterInined to
Edisceyer the truth, and. wrote the
following billet to- the young girl. i
";;TeI me if you are indeed an angel
ifyou>do not wish to denriysof. his
:: sehses the poor artist 20 whom you
: have condescondsd. tn annaar thse