Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1874-06-10
From Chambers Journal.
Happy Accidents.

FROM ChdInDGl'S JOufnal.
Happy Accidents.
When little Miss Hewet fell into the
Thames from the window of her fathers
house On London Bridge, the accident was
a happy one for the plucky apprentice who
took header, and saved the baby heiress
from drowning; for, in grateful guerdon
of the lads ready courage, when, in due
time, baby developed into pretty maiden,
Sir William would listen to no wealtheir
suitor, vowing that he who had saved the
lass from death, should possess her for life
and the damsel being of the same mind,
Edward Osborne married the daughter OF
the merchant prince, and lived happy ever
afterwards.
That we'll rewarded dive was a common
place act of devotion beside that by which
a page once proved his love for his master,
thanks to the peculiar method of cure
adopted by the physician of William OF
Orange, when the smallpox threatened to
bring the Princes life to an end. Nothing,
the doctor said. could save the patient, un-
less some healthy young man became his
bed fellow, and by Unfolding him closely
in his arms, should impart sufficient heat
to his body to force the obstinate disease
to break out Williams page, Bentinck,
volunteered for the dangerous office. The
experiment succeeded, and the faithful
youth escaped unharmed, to share his mas
ter's rising fortunes, became prime minister
of England, found a ducal house in the
land of his adoption.
Strollng across the fields near Sayes
Court, Evelyn came upon Il dsmal-lookng
house. and. peeping in at a window, saw a
Young man busy wood-carving. Slipping
inside, he beheld such a work as, for
curiosity of handling, drawing, and stu
dious exactness,' surpassed anything OF
the kind he had vet seen. Evelyn told
the king of his find; and obtaining en-
pIoyment for the genius he had So unex-
/ pectedly unearthcd, started Grinling Glib
| bons on the road to fame and fortune.
Sherwin the engraver might have ended
his day as chopper of wood, if he had not
been called into Mr.. Mitford's drawing
room to receive some orders while the
Young ladies We're amusing themselves
drawing Seeing his wood-cutter taking
earnest note of what the fair artists were
about, Mr. Milford asked if he could dc
ANYTHING that way. Sherwin said he did
not know that he could, but he should like
to try. Paper and pencil We're placed in
Ills IidHNlS, anu. DilC VI HIS sun anu Ill
lous fingers, he produced drawing that
astonished all present, and which, being
presented to the Society of Arts. gained
the untaught draughtsman the Society'>
silver medal Thus encouraged, Sherwin
betouk himself to town, exchanged the
axe for the burin. and won for himself q
name in the world of art.
Sharp. the painter. owed the favor he
,+ TO Dll ,,,iSaA +111.a
1t was tho custom for the royal attendants
when the king passed along the lobbies OF
the palace, to clear the way by crying ont
Sharp, sharp, look SHARPE This cry
reaching Straps ears as he was preparing
colors in n room in the palace, he, think
ing he was called, rushed out to meet the
impatient caller, and coming into collision
with II Majesty, the painter measured
his length upon the floor. From that time
George Ill lost no opportunity of pushing
the fortunes of the artist so strangely in
troduced to his notice. Sharp rose through
his own fall.
Walenstein the magnificent, the self
absorbed captain, who never lost but one
battle might have remained 4 fool all his
life. had not his brain been started into
activity by his head trying conclusions
with the pavement MabillOn was little
better than an idiot until he fractured his
skull in descending a stone staircase with
out US NO his feet.
Foote, if his powers were not developed
by an accident, was enabled to turn his
wit and mimic talent to more profitable
through losing a leg by falling from his
horse when riding in the Duke of York
company; that obtained him his Haymar-
ket patent, bringing him years ofprosper-
ity, prosperity that might have been
lifelong could he have steered clear OF
offending a revengeful women.
We have reason to be thankful that Il
cold in the head prevented Charles Dickens
keeping his appointment with the Covert
Garden manager, and compelled him tc
postpone giving them taste of his his.
trionic quality till another season. Then
says he, d" | made Il great splash in the
Gallery; the Chronicle opened to me;
had distinction in the little world of the
newspaper, which made me like it; began
to write; didn't want money; had never
thought of the stage but as II means O
getting it; gradually left off turning my
thoughts that way and never resumed the
idea. See how near | may have been tC
another sort of lifen' See how near We
all may have been, but for that cold, tt
never knowing Pickwick, Old Weller, ant
the irrepressible Sam, Captain Cutie
Dick Swiveller, Micawber, and the host o
!. friends whose names are familiar in oul
mouths as household words.
T TO such trivial accident do they owe
their being; just as the red-skinned heroe:
of Fenimore Cooper would never hav,
been heard of, but for their creators being
wearied out of all patience by dull novel
until throwing it down in disgust. he ex
claimed: / could do better than this my
self" and setting to work, did it.
Thorwaldsen would have gone back t.
} Denmark a disappointed man-perhap
!, forsworn the sculptor's art-ifa flaw in hi
passport had not obliged him, much agains
his will, to stay twenty-four hours Longer
in Rome. Before the twenty -four hour
had passed away, Mr.. Hope had walked
into the studio, admired the Jason, ant
commissioned the desparing Dane to exc
cute it in marble. Thorwaldsens boxe:
were unpacked again; and from that time
he never knew what it was to be idle fo
want of work to be done.
f The cracking ola picture placed in th'
sunshine set Van Dyck experimenting t.
produce varnish that would dry in ths
shade; he found what he sought, ant
found beside that by mixing it with hi
colors, they acquired greater force ant
brilliancy, and required no subseguen
vanishing; and so came about the dis
: covery, or rediscovery, of the art of paint
: ing in oil.
! Mezzotinto owed its invention hv Prime