Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1877-01-30
HISTORY OF A PICTURE.

Two of the most Celebrated artists the
world has known dwelt in the same
city. One delighted in delineating
beauty in all its graces of tint, form,
and motion. His portraits were instinct
with the charm OF physical vigor. The
graceful, half-voluptuous outline OF
form and feature harmonized with deli
cately blended tints. On his canvas,
the homeliest faces had an almost ire
sistible charm. The other found pleas
ure only in depicting weird and gloomy
subjects. Above all, did he excel in
painting the portraits of the dying
The agonizing deaththroe, the CHASTITY
face and form, were all depicted with
marvellous fidelity. There existed be-
tween these artists the most intense dis
like. AT LEM tn this dislike eliminated.
The beauty-loving artist had been en-
gagged in painting the portrait of a beau
tiful woman. Connoisseurs pronounced
it the most wonderful piece of art that
had ever been produced. His brother
artist was jealous of his fame and sought
revenge. By bribing the keeper of the
studio he gained access to the picture
each night. At first he was content to
only deaden the brilliancy of the COM
plexion and eyes, eftace the bloom from
cheek and lip and paint q shadow on
either cheek. Later, his strokes grew
holder and freer, and one morning the
artist awoke to find the entire outline of
the portrait changed. He could scarce
ly recognize in the emaciated form and
haggard cOuntenance the glowing con-
cepLlon he had embodied. The pallid
face and expressionless eye he had at
tributed to a lack of genulnenesss in his
materials; but wnen the outlines Were
changed he suspected the cause and in
dignantly dismissed the keeper. What
the revengeful artist marred by few
rapid strokes of his skillful brush was
only restored by years of patient indus
try. Reader, need we name the artists,
Health, who paints the flowers and
GRASSY carpet" no less than the human
form divine,-Disease, the dreadful ar
tist who revels among the ruins both of
nature and humanity,-and Careless
ness, the keeper to whom Health often
intrusts his portraits. And is it not the
beauty of woman, the most admired OF
all the works which adorn the studio of
Health, that Disease Oftenest seeks to
mar? The slightest stroke of his brush
upon the delicate organization leaves an
imprint that requires much skill and
patience to efface. Restoration must be
prompt. Carelessness must be dismissed.
Let suffering women heed the warning
ere Disease has marred their chief beau
y-Health-beyOnd reparatiOn. DR..
| Pierce's FavOrite Prescription has been
| used by thousands of these sufferers,
and they are unanimous in their praise of
| its excellence. If you would be trans
formed from the pallid, nervous invalid
into happy, vigorous woman, try it.
A SINGULAR CAsE.-Miss Mary Hous-
man (sister Of Mr.. Lewis Housman, ST.,
and aunt of Mr.. Lewis Housman, Jr, of
this place. an aged lady living on Mill
Creek, in this county, wears ring with
which there is connected singular cir
cumstance, that cannot be accounted for
upon any reasonable hypothesis known
to medical or pathological science. The
ring has been in her possession for many
years, is worn on the second joint of one
of her fingers, and the curious part of it
is that she can not give it up without
endangering her life By bleeding at the
nose. The moment the ring is taken
from her finger her nose will at once
commence bleeding. and the opinion is
entertained by those who know the lady
we'll that if the ring were lost, her death
would at once follow. This story is
vouched for by gentlemen whose verac-
ity is unquestioned.-F1n costle Herald.
GREAT EXCITEMENT ON MoNTICEL.
10 MOUNTAIN.-Mr.J J. Nicholas Wheel
er, we learn, in company with several
other gentlemen, killed near Monticello
Thomas Jefersons old residence, on
Monday morning, large black eagle
measuring feet inches from tip t.
tip, and weighing forty flour pounds. II
is said that he was shot several times
both wings broken, and pursued severa
miles by pack of hounds and mum
Der of gentlemen on horseback before
he would surrender. Mr.. w. says he
fought like tiger to the last He hac
on his neck when captured small brass
collar with the following letters en-
:. graved upon it,: "U. s." This is an unu
sual visitor for this section.-ChGr. JET
feasonidn.