The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-07-25
r,,x uYsrsRuoUs SKETCH.
ny ERcKxAxS.oBArRIAS.


wshIe.end Is surmounted by the virgin in
Master. II was there that / passed the
most joyless days Of my life.
had gone to Nuremberg to stusy the
German masters: bat, being poorly sup
plicd with money. was compelled 10 pam,
nortra,is--and what portraits! Fat ola
women with their cats on their laps, pig
wIgged aldermen, portly burgo'masters IN
,hoir ,hree-cornertd hats, the whole illu-
minated with ochre and yermilion by the
From portraits descended TO sketches,
and from sketches TO ssIhouettes.
Nothing makes life greater burden than
70 have your landlord, with his wcazen
face. his shrll voice, and impudent ar,
come 10 YOU every day and assam your SEN
sibiiiiy with:
swell. cir, WELL Am ever to see The
color OF your money again! DO you Know
how much your little till amounts 10 now
No ides, probably don't want 10 nave!
Nv fine gentleman eats, drinks, ana sleeps
calmly as II all the world were MS own;
..Your bill amounts 10 two hundred
forms. sir. A mere bagatelle, know, sir (;
but could make good use OF II Just ho"'
IL / had it," 49,. 90
lie who has not been forced to listen 10
The chanting of a gamut Of this construction
can have no idea OF its effect on the human
mind. Love OF art, imagination, en'hu'
sI,m for the beautiful, everything poetic
and eunobling IN the realms or tDought,
is scattered 10 The winds by harangue OF
the sort. You become awkward, umid,
linn: you lose all your feeling OF personal
dignity, and seek TO escape the gaze OF your
fellows.
one night. being, US was often the case,
without a kreutZer and MANAGED with I'M
prisonment by the worthy Rap, reserved
10 bankrupt him by cutting my throat.
While sat opposite The WINDOW occupied
with this agreeable thought my NINA wan
dered off into innumciable philosopbic re-
Elections, more or less edifying.
"What is man!" | asked myself. " An
omniyorous animal; his jaws, provided
with CANNES, incis0rs, and molars, sufficient
IL move il. The CANNES are made TO tear
the incjsors 10 cut, and the molars TO crush
sucb animal and vegetable substances as
constitute his food. But when he has moth
inc 10 masticatc, the creature man IL a
yeritable superplentude in nature, fifth
wheel 10 the coach"
Such were my reflections. did not dare
to touch my razor for fear that the force OF
nv logic would inspire me with tie courage
10 make an end OF il. After having argued
for some time in this manner, blew out
my candle and postponed the continuation
till the next day.
This abominable Rap had completely
brutalized me. In my art nothing but sill
houeites; and yet my uppermo>t desire
was 10 have the money necessary 10 rld
myself OF bis odlOus opportunities. But
that night singular change came over my
mental condition. | awoke about one
O'Clock, lighted my lamp, and enyelOplng
myself in my well-wOrn dressiDg-gown,
rapidly threw upon paper sketch Ia
famande strange and weird,
that was totally unlike my ordinary cOncep-
tions.
Imagine sombre courtyard, inclosed by
high, dlapidated walls, which are provided
with hooks seven or eight feet from the
ground. One readily sees that IL repre>ents
"a butchers yard.
At the left there is a sort OF lattice par
ttion, through which you see the carcass
OF an OK suspended by pulleys on heavy
framework. sluggish streams OF blood
flow over the fisgsloDes toward gutter
already well filed with all sorts Of Debris
At the farther side OF the Enclosure there
is a shed: under the shed Il pile OF wood;
on the WOOD ladder. few bundles OF
straw, some coils OF rope, a chicken-cOop.
and an old, unused rabbIt-cage.
How came these details TO present them
selves to nv imagination! L know not.
had no analogous Renaissance, and never
theless every stroke Of the pencil had the
appearance of' contributing its share to-
ward the representing Of reality. Moth
ing was wanting TO give the sketch the
semblance OF truth.
But at the right there was "a corner that
remained untitled. j was at a loss to know
what to put there. AT that point 1t seemed
TO me that something moved. All at once |
saw foot, or rather the sole OF foot.
Despite this improbable position, followed
the Inspiration without pausiDg 10 consider.
This foot was attached 10 leg, and on the
leg, the muscles OF which seemed TO be
vigorously contracted, there soon iioated the
tattered skirt OF dress. In short, an old
woman, wan aud disheveIled, appeared,
stretched out beside an old well, struggling
to free herself from the grasp OF a hand
that held fast TO her throat.
1t was murder scene that was sketch
ing! Horror-stricken, l let the pencil fall
from my hand.
The woman, in this perilous situation,
her features distorted with terror, her
hands erasplng the arm OF the murderer.
made me Iremble with fear. / could not
look at her. But the man-he TO whom the
arm belOnged-I could not see him. 1t was
impossible for me 10 finish the sketch.
IL am tired" said to myself, my fore
head dripping with perspiration; ~ have
only this figure TO taisb-I will do it to-
morrow. Then it will be easy enough"
With this l returned 10 bed. In little
while was sound asleep.
The next morning | xrose at an unusual
ly early hour. / had barely got ready TO
resume work on my nocturnal sketch when
there came gentle rap at my door.
"Come ill.,"
The door opened. An elderly man, taxi
and lean, and neatly dressed in black, ap-
peared on my threshold. His mien, with
his small, deep-set eyes, and his big, hook
head, WAS dignitied aud stern. lie salutcd
me with cerem0ni0us gravity.
an. Christian VENUS, the painter I"
said he.
" AZ your service, sir.''
He bowed again, saying:
"The Baron Frederick Won SpreckGal.'
The appearance OF the rich dilettante Won
Spreckda, judge Of the criminal court, in
my garnet. very nearly robbed me Of my
elf.possession.
master Venius,7 said be, ~ come"
But at this moment his eyes fell upon the
unfinished sketch; hs stopped in the mid
die OF the sentence. j was seated on TIE
side OF my bed. The sudden attention this
august parsonage gave 10 one OF My pro-
auctions made my heart beat with an in
defnable apprehension.
lie looked at II intently for q minute or
two; then turning toward me, he asked. in
very earnest tone: