Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 186?-1872, 1871-02-25
THE STORY OF BERTRAM THE
ARTIST.

ruined walls, which lowered above
the blue shining waters of the river,
and when the tide was high dropped
down the long trailing ivy vine to
kiss the laughing waves-there sat
two women! One, with her arm
resting upon n broken column, her
dark eyes with the memory of the
long ago stirring their brilliancy into
life, gazcd aIar out ut the floating
cloud, her face sad reflection of the
past, while the other, many years
younger, half kmclt at her feet and
with smile on her red lips and the
light of hope in her glorious eyes,
played with the light moss upon the
bank beside her.
1t was II perfect picture, for the twi-
light crept in and swept across the
fore ground just enough to bring the
wondrou> beauty into relief.
TO the artist eyes OF Ralph Bcr-
tram, who, wandering down the riv-
er bank came upon them, it was II
perfect harmony of light and shade,
AN exact subject for masterpiece,
and then he sat down aud sketchetl
until the dark ness shrourleh the whole
and shut it from his view.
He took his sketch home, and fol
hours sat and gazed upon 1t enrnp
turcd with the glorious beauty of the
faces. who were they, or rather VIII,
was she? Who was the girl with heI
dreamy, happy face and dark melting
eyes with their hopefulrness ant
truth?
When morning dawned,. he Wen
down again to the rivers bank ant
watched and waited for hours, bu
they never came. He inquired q
every passer, hut no one knew them
One would say:
"Ah, yes, have seen them--twC
women, one old and sad, the Othel
young and happy. | do not know
their names" And another wOult
declare he never was aware of theiI
existence, aud thus Ralph found his
search IA vain one. He went on work
ing day and night upon his picture
at last it was completed, and when
he went up to his studio In the city
and placed it there, his friends held
up their hands in admiration ant
worshipped 1t, and before many days
it found "A place in the most renown.
cd Art Gallery, and all the world
went crazy over it.
Thus Ralph Bertram became ccle
hratcd, and orders came upon him
faster than he could I'LL them, and al
the wealth and beauty in the city
smiled upon and pcttcd him. III,
WINS 'hl'ae'l .'l,,S II, e,e'S p"i.,, 'a''s
s"''ec ".u 'oo's'',o" uV 'u'"' I ,, W.,
non Oh tle season uIi ~, an' i',a
ms PralSeS we're su,S. n", " '',,
IL was us hot'i'ns "nrii ''ouS',,'' "
ms iw'"Nc,l plc.ule o'ih' "n'' ,'nu. ,
H'tcr i,out I've snt u'''' Suheu ulo,i '''"'
heau,ilui Iace IKE one eHlr"'.re'.'
",'eNe, Mr' l'eI'rnln, .i'a' yo'
are losit!NeiS III 'oNe WIN .,,a' Suu't
iHce, s"i'' "e,,c, "S S,,r '"",. np''
,ilm III the SailerE' us " ,Ip'i .
ilIe, or your OWN ihi"S'''"''o'i ''ia'
you Paih'ru H.;
TI"hi 'ie'
posSloiS! ~ mus. nave pce,'
u,eaih; ~ IlNi'G Mul"',' WAS eNe
'"'SS'" WIN n"'h o'""'s'
~ eS one
Inc '''y Weht away anu "'o'
hlSil nhc-hail ol ''le Wpr'i, was Ir"l
Gus o' ms picture, anu lc'iare" ,,',
crazy 1T must 'e 81, l"r 'o Wo'i'u'
ever p"sA'SNeu st'ol, rare "a"'y'
was cream, nailucl''h',on'
btiliam h''ru II anu lhuSlcu' .
fefchaii'e tile uaS hl'S',' CONT WY.
ne ro'in nrlhE ms W,'nur'"us ,,,,'' ue"u,N
otl1rc ','e,i u''' COZ, Why 'nr'', "'n
WIN TINS nope ne iaporeo, anu so"Sh
her mr ana WiIe; ,,. ,,. ~
III was colu ht,er hignt, any
roln'i lhe corners tile "iilh swept