The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1869-04-07

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er pleasure being now within his reach
his friends and neighbors kept hir
pretty well supplied with books, an,
he passed much of his time with
book held conveniently before him b
e a machine made for the purpose. Hi
e wife brought home to him one day
t tract which gave an account of
young woman in an asylum at Liver
4 pool, who, after losing the use of he
, limbs, had learned to draw tolerably
5 with her mouth. a.a.t .. ~
'The thought at once came into M
mind" he once wrote, (and he wrote
. these very words with his. mouth, an6
| in a very good hand too,) ''that
; might certainly do the same. and ]
, could not rest satisfied till made the
attempt" " r.
He began Immediately, glad of 6
new means of breaking the monotony
of his life. He drew first upon slate
} and then upon pieces of paper pinned
to the pillow using at first only q
pencil, but afterwards coloring his pic
lures with water colors. l have be-
fore me copy of the first picture he
ever painted in this manner. A re-
narkably brilliant butterfly was one
day caught in his room. Thinking he
could paint it, he sent for sixpenny-
| box of paints, and soon produced a
portrait of the insect so perfect that it
was pronounced a fac -simile, both in
form and color. He now produced
many pictures of birds and flowers,
which readily sold in the village, and
the price of which was welcome ad-
diton to the allowance made HIM by
the parish. -"
The manner in which he worked is
described by the clergyman of his par
ish,, the author of a memoir of Carter,
published recently in this city. On a
desk, supported at the right slant be
fore him, his drawing paper was fast
ened with those large at-headed pins
which artists and architects use for the
purpose. He held his pencil as firm
ly between his teeth as if It had been
in voice. 4 saucer of color of India
ink was prepared, into which his wife
or sister dipped his brush and placed
it in his mouth when, says the clergy
man:
by q curious musclar action of
his lips and tongue, he would twirl
the brush round with great velocity,
until he had thrown of'all superfiuons
ink and brought it to a very fine point.
| FIe then held it fast between his jaw
teeth, and, by the motion of the head,
produced the most accurate and de-
licate strokes, Considering
how great the evaporation would be in
summertime, and how impossible it
was, from his recumhent position, for
the colors to the point of the brush,
when actually touching his work, it
will easily be imagined how trouble
some an operation it must have been
to him, and what incessant assistance
lie required for the brush was taken
from his mouth, replenish, and replac-
ed by his attendant"
He attainded TO fineness of stroke
which probably the hand has never
equalled. In the memoir just quoted
photographs are given of ten of his
works, and think never saw any
thing so fine in drawing before. One
of these is the picture of sick horse,
standing in his stable, with dropping
head, his body covered with a large
thick blanket. The expression of the
horse is perfect, and the picture is
wrought out with so much distinct
ness that YOU can almost count the
very straws of the horses bed. His
most celebrated work is called "The
Village Rat catcher and His Dogs"
which is most admirable, both in the
arrangement of the figures and in the
amazing delicacy and clearness of the
execution.
This exquisite artist lived, as have
said, fourteen year after his accident,
and lost his life at last by another nc
cider t. He had kind of couch made
upon wheels, upon which his wife or
sister used to draw him abou the coun-
try on fine days, and to chs.rch on Sun
days. He was confirmed as he lay up
on this couch in church by the Bishop
of London the bishop leaving the al
tar, and going to where the poor fel-
low lay, and there placing his hands
upon his head a spectacle which
brought tears to the eyes of the whole
congregation. In the summer of 1850
his sister had drawn him out, when,
wishing to give her pleasure ofa favor
ite walk on a beautiful summer day,
he insited that she should go home
across the fields, while he was drawn
home on the road by boy. His sis
ter at length yielded to his solicita-
tions. He watched her as long as he
could see her, fearful that she might
be frightened at some cattle grazing
near rhere she had to pass. He was
of an exceedingly loving nature, and
his countenace wore singularly an
gelic aspect, which vas often remark
ed, A few minutes after, the boy,
who was drawing him down a slight
descent, tripped and overthrew the
carriage, and poor Cartor was thrown
violently to the ground. The shock
proved to be too severe for him, and
a week after he died.
1t was discovered, after his death,
that three bones of the spinal column
were displaced, one of which, by pres
sing upon the spinal cord, had depriv-
ed of sense and motion all of the body
below the point of compression. One
OF his pictures is now the property of
Queen Victoria, and another, ,''The
Rat-catcher," has been engraved and
published. a4< a,rel -sa.lI
| A Sensation.