, 1874-02-15

eler il weary OF the presence Of his kind, and
would be alone with the Great Mother, he can
stroll down to the banks OF the Elbe, and con-
template the quiet place Of the noisy stream, as
it's waters flow By him in broad, strong cur
rent. The timber-rafts-with little log-huts
built upon them, which it bears down
to their' destination, guided aud in
habitcd by men who have cut the
timber from its native forest, and who thus
finds in tho logs house-room, means OF travel
ing, and merchandise combined-have such
ample room on the bosom OF the wide river
that they give an added motion to ita beauty
without marring the sense Of solitude. Or,
does the wanderer prefer
NATURE 111nRoREp AND InEAI1zEp BY ART
Nature reflected for him in the magic glass
which shows itR beauties and conceala its de-
fects,-to Nature seen by the unaided light OF his
own eyes, then he. can pass from the heat and
brilliaucy Of the outside world to the
cool atmosphere and subdued light Of that gal
lcry, which is an ine1Aaustible source OF wealth
to the art-student.
This WAS the course chosen. On one morning
such a. we have described, by Rupert Graham.
q young painter resident IN Dresden who, stroll
ing first through the other galleries to accustom
bis eye to form and color, rested at length in the
shrine Of the
MADONNA D1 BAN 61bTO,
to the world TINT wondIous picture Of .
beauty more than humanly perfect,
Of a strength aud purity which
cannot be less than Divine, Tie young artist
gazed at this with sort OF alteration; his whole
being concentrated itself in the act Of looking,
until his eyes seemed fixed upon their object ~
arc the birds on the 1attlesnaka's or the
patients on the mesmerist's; his senses we're
unable to comprehend anything else in the
world the universe for him Was that picture
and nothing else, the curtains and walls which
surrounded tha painting seened to fade mystcrl-
ousiy away, and leave it and him suspended IN
some remote mld-alr.
In tlis state ct mind, one probably resembling
the so-called trance Of the clairyoyant Cor as
lo never lost sight OF tue picture, but only raw
transforma.ior take pIaoa around it, it could
hardly be an ordinary alulnber).
A STRANGE 1IsIof
came to him. Accessories and surroundings OF
furniture grew again round tho picture, lut 1hey
were not those which naturally belonged to it.
He seemed to zee it reposing upon an easel
raised On eort Of throne in o painters studio.
The chairs and sofas, the canvases on
the walls, the litter On the floor,
ecomed all strangely familiar to him, and he
was about to look round for the owner Of the
etudio.-when-O wonder Of wonders lit came
to him, as if by allow degrees Of Light, that the
studio 1yas Ills own, nnd that this man, who W4s
worn out With toll, but exalted With Joy, at lts
result who looked now with creators love at
tho work OF Ills heart and hands, and now re-
gartled it with mysterious awe. as though be
ialt that in executing it he had been but the
means for some Divine inHpiration-thls man
was
NONE OTTER THAN H1s1sELF;
and, as he recognized the fact, tears OF happi-
ncsa wcled. into his eyes: he remembered
how long, how patiently, be had worked At
this ono painting, INTO which he in
tended @ to throw all his soul, all his
strength; he remembered how, on one dark day.
when his eve and hand we're weary, and his heart
began to sink with tho deep despair Of reaction
that artists must pass through, q sudden 1ooa
Of ioyous sunlight had streamed III at the
window, breaking through the pail of clouds.
spreading around him and his Gamma, wrapping
this piercing with its war1n beams to his chilled
hcart, bringing, as it seemed to his very soul,
new birth Of perception and power,
IL DIVINE nREATn OF 0ESICs.
He had turned cold and pale all over for
moment, and stood dumb as one who has seen 3
vision of more than mortal power then, with a
burst Of happiness, his strength and his hopo
had returned to hin. and from that moment he
had never tagged in his work it had been
dea1er to him than his life it had been to hun
it had absorbed I'll his thought, all his energy:
Did doubt or fear Of any kind opp1cas him did
the weight OF caro- for moment hang on his
arm and retard it's desire to work.-hc had but
to look up at the picture, ana II aeemo0 10 tuH
Is if
HEAVEN ITSELF
shone down in content, and garc him courage to
work on
And he had worked on increasingly evon
hayo worked too long perhaps, and injured tho
pict1re by too much elaboration, but that the
same sort OF feeling which he had always re-
enrded as q mysterious inspiration had come to
him beain md struck him motionless for b
minute; and then looking At tho picture, he
said, ut is enough and laid down his brush.
And now his work was complete: it stood in
perfect glory On his eaael at times he could
with difficulty beloye that 1t really there, or
that, il it was, hehad had any share in its pro-
duction: at others he felt as if it we're
:u1s OWN 11Mosr LIFE AND SOUL,
strangely changed and gloriied, that stood there
before him There it WAS, however. and there
was he. expecting Visits from some Of the great
masters of painting and criticism, Of pencil aud
pcp. who ruled the taste OF the day for he had
been anxious that 80 great work should bo seen
AZ soon az possible, not for tho sake Of his own
fame. for he had quite forgotten himself as an
iudiyiaua1 and lived only in the picture but fox
the sake Of at and artists; and under this con-
yicion he h, sent outcards Of invitation as soon
as he could. hs ho stood pondering, thinking
| With deli nt Of the wonder and the admiration