The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1871-05-12
rHEoDosIA BURR.


ImEUUOSlA nj HBs
During the senatorial fIn of Aardx
Burr-179l and 1797-fwas one dS1
driving along lonly 1untry road n
Ulster county, New FORK, when his
horse cast shoe, andhe stepped at B
blacksmith shop to have it replaced.
While waiting the completion ofthe
operation, he happened to glance at
the door of the rude building, and
saw there q truthful and vigorous
drawing Of bis team done in charcoal,
and must have been executed in
very few minutes. He inquired for
the artist, and half grown boy, dress
ed in coarse garments stepped for
ward and said: 81 did 1t sir" Burr
entered into conversation with the
lad, and soon ascertained though
wholly uneducated he was yet UNI
usually bright and intelligent that
he was born and reared in the neigh
b0rhoOd, and had hired himself, to the
blacksmith for six months.
Writing few lines on a slip ofpa-
per, Burr handed it to him, and re-
marked: my boy, you are too
smart a fellow to stay here all your
life. If you ever want to change
your employment and see something
of the world, put a clean shirt in your
pocket, go to New York and come
straight to that address. His innum-
cradle schemes, and the cares and
duties of political life soon drove the
incident from the Senator's mind, and
he was surprised one morning some
months later, while sitting at break
fast at his residence at Richmond Hill,
when a servant entered and delivered
him small bundle which had been
brought by a boy who was waiting
outside. Opening the package he
found within q clumsily made clean
shirt. i
Thinking there must be mistake,
he ordered the boy to be shown up,
and in a moment there entered the
blacksmith's apprentice, with the
slip of paper given to him as a guide
and introduction. Burr give him
hearty welcome, took him into his
family, directed his education, pro-
cured him instruction in the primary
principles of drawing and coloring
and finally assisted him to 60 to Eu-4
rope where he spent five years.
When misfortune and misdeed had
driven the patron friendless, penniless
exile across the sea, the protege was
exhibiting his picture at the Louvre
gaining compliments and gold med
al from Napoleon.
He did all he could to aid his BEN
efactOr when they met in Paris, but
though Vanderlyn had won fame,
money was almost as scarce with him
as with Burr. He came back to Amer
lea, painted the Landing of Column
bus" now in the rotunda Of the Cap
itOl at Washington; the portrait of
Jackson in the City Hall, New York
and several other well-knowh works,
and died not long since near the spot
where he received his first encourage
ment to study the art his achieve
ments have adorned.
Previous to his tour. abroad, Van
derlyn painted the portraits of Burr
and his daughter, which have been
familiar to all through the engrav-
ings attached to the lives of the for
mer written by Matthew L. Davis
and James Parton. This portrait of
TheOdOsia, next to the idolized
original, Burr priced more than all
else the world contained. 1t hung in
his drawing room at Richmond Hill,
and whenever TheOdosia's birthday
came round, after her marriage to
Governor Aston and removal to South
Carolina, it was always brought out
for admiration and toasts Of the assem-
bled guests. -
When he went to Europe he carri-
ed it with him, and whether visiting
the houses of distinguished people in
England, or hiding away in Partisan
garnet, the sweet face looking out
from the dumb canvass, was ever
near to brighten and to bless. He
brought it back to New York, and it
was at his bedside when he died.
From the death chamber the portrait
was transferred to the keeping Of
Miss TheOdosia Provost, daughter of
John b. Provost, Burr's stepsOn.
There it remained for some time, and
was then carried to South America
by another member of the family.
Returning from thence it found
temporary Judgment in the house,
hold of Rev. DIR. Breckenridge, of
Pleasant Hill, Missouri, whose wife
was also a daughter of John Provost,
a Mrs. Lucy Breckenridge, of Alton,
Illinois, and is now i'm the studio of
Mr.. j. II. Stuart, corner of Fifth and
Olive streets, st. Leuis. The historic
picture is on canvas, rather under the
ordinary size for half lengths, and
still has the same wooden frame,
painted black and vanished, which
it probably wore seventy years
ago.
1t shows evidence ofage and travel,
but the accurate drawing and care
full coloring for which Vanderlyn was
noted, are yet plainly perceptible, and
the soft brown hair, hazel eyes, clear
cut nose and lips, cheeks blushing
with the palest tint of the rose, and
exquisitely moulded neck and bust
recall in lifelike reality, the face of
her over whose unknown grave the
ocean rolls, whose story is one of the
sa ldest and mobiles recorded in
annals.