The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1875-10-29

he imagined he was holding converse
with his wife. lie thought she was
leaving him Of her own will, and he
pleaded with her to stay with him.
When She was buried he could not
follow her TO the grave, hc was too
much of maniac And |, sitting IN
the room watching him, could not but
recall the few years past since first he
came 20 Mason.
Arthur MallOw was IN artist; not a
great artist. nor one whose life j. wrap
ped in his work, but an ordinary, every
day artist, such rs we all know, and
very unlike the artist of stories. He
painted pictures because he had the
knack, and because he found II an easy
way of gaining livelihood lie knew
what would sell, and he always painted
that kind of a picture.
There were some very pretty views
about Mason. and ii was Il time when
rural scenes were in demand, SO Mallow
came to our village to turn some of our
views into money. He was young,
pleasant witty. sociable and
| thoroughly content with himself; con-
sequently he was good company for
others. He was equally pleasant with
young or old, rich or poor, and he had
not been long among Us when his praises
were in every body's mouth.
Like most New England villages,
Mason had goodly list of pretty girls,
and a very short list of eligible young
men. Malow was looked upon as a
prize and his society constantly in de-
maad. One did not need very sharp
eyes 70 see that he was struck with An
ME Peabody's face, and when he had been
a month in the village we all knew what
the end would be-
They were married. Arthur made
Mason his home, and the browning grace
Of love gave Annie Mallow beauty
worthy a saints face; for indeed she
was as holy and good rs any saint that
was ever canonized. She had year of
married life, she felt a child's face on
her breast. and then both she and her
child passed out Of the reach of earth.
and we mourned that our lives had lost
her sweet presence.
When Arthur Mallow was once more
possessed Of his reason and went
amongst Us, he had become so haCgard.
so Respondent. that he was scarcely
recognizable. lie devoted himself to
his art n he had never dine before His
pictures were generally sad or symbolic
CAL They represented Love and Death.
and were gloomy in their hopeless
ness. He would not attend gatherings
of any Kind, but buried himself in his
grief.
At last it began to be whispered
about that lac was really insane do
not recall how il started, but il was on
every ones tongue, and was generally
believed in. Such dependency rs his
could have but one ending. We tried
TO rouse him, for his insanity consisted
in monomania upon the subject of
death. The attempt was a failure He
shut himself up and began an immense
picture OF Christ calling Lazarus from
the dead. Those who saw it said it was
wonderful in its conception, and that
Mallow was handling it as if he was in
spired.
Thinking 20 draw his mind out Of his
picture, some one limited to him that
Annie's grave ought to have a slab over
il. He caught an inspiration as he talk
ed of her grave, and declared that he
would design a monument cut with his
own hands. His large picture was rolled
up and laid away. and he began 10
model in clay. When his ideas were
realized he announced that he was 90
ing 20 Italy, and with the same breath
gave Us goodbye.
For two years we heard nothing more
Of him. though we had not forgotten
him. Women told of his GREAT lore, of
his passionate sorrow, ard loved him
for it. Women not only love Love, but
they love those who are constant to the
little god. Men spoke Of him half-pity-
/ ingly, as Of one who could not bear up
under trouble, but respected him for
l his devotion TO his dead wife,
Then we began TO see his name in the
papers for having done some wonderful
work in marble. OF course the Mason
I Chronicle notified the world that Mr..
Mallow belonged 10 our village, and re-
! published every item about him that it
I found among its exchanges. We saw
\ that he was either famous or in fair
way Of becoming SO, and those Of Us
I who did not easily for ct. wished Annie
could have lived to enjoy il with him.
J We saw, too. that his travel had drawn
him out Of himself, and that he was
mingling in society. His name was in
1 the lists Of those who attended the
grand receptions, and we were glad that
he was becoming, once more, fond of
society.
Before another year went by he wrote
me that he would soon be with US, and
that he was bringing with him stone
for Annic's grave. The papers caught
the announcement, and then it was
told, as being something strange, that
he had never allowed any one to see
this stone. lie had kept il in a room,
il was said, where no one but himself
| was allowed 70 enter, and no enlrcaties