The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1877-08-07

no easy task; You must be prepared for
many disappointments," said Harryis
whom, having given him long descrip-
ton of the form and features OF bis long.
lost daughter, the old man, rose TO de-
part; and for weeks he worked inces.
sanity upon the, portrait Of the dead girl.
making sketch after sketch, each OF
which was rejected by the remorsc.
stricken father, until the work began 10
exercise a strange kind of fascination
over him, and he sketched face after-
face, rs IL under the inf lience of spell.
At last, one evening", he was sitting
over the fire watching his wife. who sat
opposite, busy upon some needle work;
when an. idea suddenly flashed upon
him Hf'j''ii Z ,s'la3F q soifr =
"Tall, fair, with golden hair, and dark
blue eyes! Why. Helen, it is the very
picture Of yourself r he exclaimed, start
ing from his seat, taking his wife's fair
face between his hands and gszing in
tently into her eyes ~ sss-f.f. r-q
Without losing moment be sat down
and commenced to sketch Helen's face;
and when bis strange patron called the
next morning Harry was so busily en-.
gaged putting the finishing touches to
his portrait that be did not hear him en-.
ter the room, ,and worked on unconscious
of his presence, until, with the cry of
"Heler! my daughter !" the old man
hurried him aside and stood entranced
before the portrait 9-,4.,,.
After gazing for some minutesin ST.
lence, broken only by his own half-sup.
pressed sobs of remorse, the old man
turned slowly round to Harry and asked
him, in an eager voice, where he had oh
tanned the original of the picture.
"It is the portrait of my wife, replied
he. .,;,e4 !. ~
"Your wife, sir! Who was she2 Par
don me for asking the question" he add
ed; "but have heard lately that my
poor Helen left an orphan daughter, and
for the last six months have been vain.
ly trying to find the child Of my lost
daughter, 80 that by kindness and devo-
tion to my grandchild 1 might, In part
at least, atone for my harshness toward
her mother
Harry was beginning to tell him the
story of his meeting With Helen at Rome
and their subsequent marriage, when the
door opened and bis wife entered the
room.
| Perceiving that her husband was en-
gagged she was about to retreat, when the
old gentleman stopped her, and after
looking earnestly in her face for few
moments, exclaimed: 'Nt's
"Pardon me, madam--can you tell me
your mothers maiden name?"
"Helen Trehern," replied Helen won
deringly. @
II knew i'll knewJi !" exclaimed the
old man in an excited voice "At last I
have found the child Of my poor, lost
daughter. I"
| In a few words Mr.. Trehern explain.
ed how he had cast of his only child on
account of her marriage with q poor Of
6cer, and, refused even to open her let
ters when she wrote asking forgiveness
"But, thank Heaven!" said he when
he had finished his sad story, 81 Car
atone in some measure for my harshness
toward my Helen, by taking her daugh-
ter to my heart and making her my
daughter"
i 1t is needless to add that when Sii
Philip Marston heard that his son had
married the heiress OF one of the finest
and oldest estates in the country. he al
once wrote q letter of reconciliation to
Harry; and, after all, Helen eventually
became mistress of Marston Hall, in The
picture gallery Of which no painting Is
more valued and treasured than "The
Mysterious Portrait"