Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1878-09-18
NO. 80.
The Story OF a Wierd-Looking Picture.

The Story of a Wierd-Looking Picture.
y stranger came recommended to
merchants house at Lubbock. He was
Hospitality received; but. the house
being full, he was lodged at night it an
apartment handsomely furnished, but
not often nsed. There was nothing
that struck him particularly in the room
when left alone, till he happened to cast
his eyes on picture which Immediate
ly arrested his attention. Ii was a sim
gle head; but there was something so
uncommon, 50 frightful and unearthly,
IN its expression, though by no means
ugly, that he found himself irresiStably
attracted TO look att. In fact, he could
not tear himself from the fascination of
this portrait, till his Imagination was
filled by it, and his rest broken. He
retired to bed. dreamed, and awoke
from time to time with the head glaring
on him.
In the morning his host saw by his
looks that he had slept ill, aud inquired
the cause, which was told. The master
of the house was much vexed, and said
that the picture ought 10 have been re-
moved, that it was an oversight, and
that it always was removed when the
chamber was used. The picture, he
said, was, indeed terrible to every one;
but it was so fine, and had come into
the family in so curious a way, that he
could not make up his mind to part
with it, or to destroy it. The story of
it was this:
My father" said he, ''was at Ham
burg on business, and. while dining at
coffee house, he observed a young
man of a remarkable appearance enter,
seat himself alone in a corner, and com
menee solitary meal. His countenance
bespoke the extreme of mental distress,
and every now and then he turned his
head quickly round as if he heard some
thing, then shudder, grow pale, and go
on with his meal after an effors as be-
fore. My father saw this same man at
the same place for two or three success
sive days, and at length became so much
interested about him that he spoke to
him. The address was not repulsed,
and the stranger seemed to find some
comfort from the tone of sympathy and
kindness which my father used. He
was an Italian, well-informed, poor. but
not destitute, and living economically
upon the profits of his art as painter.
''Their intimacy increased; and at
length lhe Italian, seeing my fathers
involuntary emotion at his cOnvulsive
turnings and shudderings, which con-
tinued as formerly, interrupting their
from time TO time, told
him his story. He was native of Rome
and mad lived in some familiarity with.
and been much patronized by, young
;but upon some slight occasion
they had fallen out, and his patron, be-
side using manyreproachful expressions
had struck him. The painter brooded
over the disgrace fthe blow. He could
not challenge the nobleman, on account
of his rank; therefore watched for an
and assassinated him. OF
course he fled from his country, and
finally reached Hamburg.
''He had not, however, passed many
weeks from the night of the murder, be-
fore, one day, in the crowded street, he
heard his name called bya voice familiar
to him: he turned short round, and saw
the face of his victim looking at him,
with fixed eve. From that moment he
had no peace; at all hours, in ali places,
and amid all companies, however en-
gagged he might be, he heard the voice,
and could never help looking round;
and, whenever he so looked round. he
always encountered the same face star
ing close upon him. At last in a mood
of desperation, he had fixed himself
face to face, and eye to eye, and deliber-
ately drawn the phantom visage as it
glared upon him; and this was the
picture so drawn. The Italian said he
had struggled long, but life was bur-
den which he could no longer bear; and
he was resolved, when he had made
money enough to return ito Rome, TO
surrender himself to justice, and expiate
his crime on the scaffold. He gave the
finished picture to my father, in return
for the kindness which he had shown
him.