Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1875-01-08
How Larkin &. Meade, the sculptor,
Won His Bride.

Mr.. Meade was left in charge ofthe L. $.
| consulate at Venice by his brother-in-law
| w. D. Howels, at present editor of the At
| lantic Monthly, during Mr.. Howell's bril-
dial trip homo to America. Everybody
who has been in the quaint old city of the
| AdriaIic, will remember the crowds that of
an evening promenade on the beautiful
| plaza of San Marco. While residing in
Venice the youthful artist met a lady,
| whose perfection of form, flashing eve,
classic face and elegant bearing towards
her associates, made a case of desperate
love at first sight. But of the lady the ar
list knew nothing whatever; he could not
| speak a word of her language he was
stranger in strange land; aad how TO
make himself known to the object of his
ardent affections was The problem not only
of the hour, but of week after week, per-
haps month after month. OF course his
| own promenades on the plaza were long
and frequent, and, taking care not to be OBJ
served, every meeting with his inamorala
| only increased the ardor of his affections.
While at home Mr.. Howells was offered
and accepted the editorial chair of the At
as'i4haN -hpNAhlN III huG lllht l1lutOln
| appointed the Hon. Francis Cotton of C ales-
burg, Illinois, TO the Venetian consulate,
and on his arrival in Venice, Mr.. Meade
| returned 10 his studio in Florence, where
he had already acquired some celebrity as
a sculptor. But absence from Tie homo of
the unknown divinity was intolerable to
the young artist. He went back to Venice
and there told his story to his friend ana
| countryman, Mr.. Cotton, whose sympathy
| and kind offices were at once enlisted in
behalf of The disconsolate lover. The in
terprele: and assistant Of Mr.. Colton was a
member Of one of the oldest noble families
OF Venice, and without at first knowledge
Of the object of the request, he was COM
missioned TO find out who the lady was
that had so unconsciously caplivated the
| heart Of the American artist. She was
| found 10 be both in her connections and
culture all that could be desired, and now
the problem was how to make the lady &C.
| quanted with the character, social stand
ing and prospects Of her lover. In time
this was sufficiently accomplished TO war
rant meeting of the parties most in inter.
est, but all talking lad to be done through
an interpreter, for neither could speak a
word of the others language. \ very ro-
mantle kind Of courtship, surely but Gu
| pid has thousand little arts by which he
wins susceptible hearts beside those which
mcr and maidens vainly strive TO conceal
under the forms of speech. To cut short
our story, Mr.. Meade WAS accepted and
then new obstacle was thrown in their
way. Tho lady was a Roman Catholic /;
her intended was not. BY the laws of The
church ruling in Venice no priest was per-
mitted to unite them in marriage.
The Pope was appealed to in vain 10 rant
q dlspensaton in their favor; but love
breaks all barriers. A civil marriage, per-
mitted under Victor Emanuel, was per-
formed for them in Florence, and soon at
ter Catholic bishop in England, In accord
ance with the principles of the lady, made
their marriage and their happiness COM
plete.-Chicdgo Tribune.