The Cairo daily bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1870-1872, 1872-07-21
THE BULLETIN.
Published every nsr.ins, Mosday en-.
cepted.
JULIE.

ton Of friend residing in st. Landry
parish TO pay him o visit. j found the
trip up the Mississippi, on Red River, and
then into the winding bsyous pleasant
enough; but, being neither Dickens MOI
Thackeray, l was unable TO appreciate
the ride IN n stage coach from the steam
boat landing many miles into the .nteriol
to my friends home.
Arrived there, / felt somewhat ia
tigued, and wishing TO join my friend in
o hunting expedition at sunrise the mex
morning, retired early, kissing as ros,
bis little fair-haired girl good night
Why did sigh? Not at my friends hap
pipess in possessing so intelligent wifi,
and 50 sweet child No, only at an Old
bachelors thoughts Of "what might hav,
been" To dispel unpleasant fsncies,
drew out cigar and threw myself into Q
chair at the open window, while ] looked
modify out on the quiet prairie with IL
starry vault overhead, and the dark woods
enclosingit.
Turning from the window after time
visions of the past were soon forgotten
in the contemplation Of beautiful por.
trait suspended over the mantel. 1t wa:
the head and shoulders Of lovely lady
"on whose fair face, the untired smile
of youth, did light outward its own signs
The artist had succeeded in depicting, in
the half shy, earnest violet eyes, glance
OF the tenderest love. The perfect lip:
seemed about TO express the thought tina,
looked from those wondrous eyes. Dark
hair fell in curls over fair brow,
and white dimpled shoulders. Sometime
longer l gszed al the bewitching face, 90
lifelike in its loveliness, then turning to
my pillow, was haunted by 1t in dreams
The next day I asked my friend the
name Of the original Of the portrait, and
also the name Of the artist who could
paint 30 divinely.
"The artist is the same" replied he
"who painted the portrait Of my little
girl Minnie, which you thought SO good
His name is James Harvey. What little
l know of him, and Of the portrait tina,
has attracted your attention, / will tel
you"
About a year ago, in the month o.
May, Mr.. Harvey came into the neigh
borhood in feeble health. He boarded
at the hotel in the village :or the first
five weeks, until /, hearing he was an ar.
tist, engaged him ~ take Minnie's por-
trait after which he took up his abode
with US. He was not more than twenty
five or six years Of age, tall and slender,
with wavy golden hair and Il long silky
moustache dropping over mouth like a
girls. Although 30 young, he was nj
ready in decline, plainly indicated by q
cough and peculiar brightness Of the
blue-gray eye.
He was sad and even morose in dispo-
sition, and seldom smiled, except ut the
prattle of little Minnie. The child be.
came very much attached to him, and
still cherishes fondly q number Of little
drawings he made for her.
After Minnie's portrait was finished
Mr.. Harvey asked us TO board him q
month longer, as he liked the quiet Of the
wood and prairie.
We sympathized much with the hand.
some young artist, and invited him Ia
spend the rest of the summer with Us IL
he liked. He accepted gladly, saying
with faint smile, II have not long to
live, and if Death SEXES me while here
he will be robbed Of halt his horrors"
lis your mother living" my wife
"No,' he answered, II have no rela.
tives in the world, no one TO regret my
DEATH
Mr.. Harvey seldom conversed, bu,
lived within himself, spending the great.
er portion Of his time IN wandering aim.
lessIy over the wood and prairie; gazing
at sunsets, or now and then making .
sketch Of a spot that pleased his fancy
When indoors, he sat in a small hal
fixed up as studio, where he painted
for hours on the picture Of r lady. We
thought it creation Of his fancy
a- law w hal 10 -,
perfect beauty beneath the touches o.
bis pencil. Even when the picture seemed
complete, Mr.. Harvey continued to spend
hours gazing upon IL, now and then
touching up al eyebrow, or adding g
deeper shadow TO the dark wavy hair
Sometimes, with q muttersd imprecation
he would rise from the contem plstion OF
it, and turning the face to the wall
would not look 1T it for several days
happened to enter his study one day
modern Pygmalion, utterly oblivious to
oil else except the eyes Of bis pictured
idol.
l asked him if it were q portrait of q
lady-love.
Il loved her." be answered, "and she
told me that she returned my passion
Could woman look like that and lie
Yet because was poor she broke the en-.
gagement aud married o richer sutton
You doubtless think me a fool, but love
her still'
He was now very weak, aud the last agi.
tation brought or violent fit Of coughing
l changed the subject to relieve him, and
he never referred to the subject again.
Late one afternoon he returned from a