Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1881-03-27
CARRINGTON,S PICTURE.

The picture hung over the fireplace
and had a fascination for me for whicE
| could never account. 1t wasn't by
any means a work Of art. BERTHE Car
rin"ton had pointed it with his own
h9nh, and BERTHE, at best, was only
S"rond-rate amateur. 1t wasn't, then.
It's artistic merits. Won perceive, and
~ct | never entered CnrrinntOn's rooms
without drawing my chair in front of
that rude production n oil, and, stnr-
iny at it through the smoke of my
mccrschaum by tho hour together.
The picture was this:
\ spacious, sInlit sea, lying like
gildcd glass beneath a sky of cloudlcss
ultramarine. A huge black ship
grounded on reef, SO filled and sunk
rn that the oily slippery waves were
lust softly gliding over the decks.
Around the doomed vessel dozens of
dark objects moved, stealthilv waiting.
Sharks! On the deck n long file of
men, drawn up as if on parade, in the
shadow. And out where the brilliant
light of the sun fell fullest, man and
woman together. 1t was the face of
the woman, I think, that had the fts-
cination for me. The face of girl in
her first youth, and beautiful beyond
the ordinary beauty Of girlhood, or
else idcaliZcd by the artist. Her loose
hair blew back in the gale. Her face
lay on the mans shoulder upliftcd to
the sky, and OH that face lay an I'M
earthly expression of joy and peace,
such as no words of mine can describe.
Death was at her side, but love had
robbed death of its sting. That was
what that radiant transfgured gaze
said to you. One arm. of the man held
her close, the other. lay on the ships
side, his head bowed thereon.
That was the picture. ~.
Il like pictures that tell story" I
said, the first time | saw it, to Car
rington. This one does. It's the
best thing you've done yet, old man."
And Darlington, usually the freest
and most genial Of good follows, had
turned away, his face changing and
darkcning 50 suddenly that I saw at
once l was OH forbidden ground.
The picture had a story, them
painful one to him; and though took
my station before it every time I Wis
tied him, I never tried praise or criti-
cism more.
But one Christmas Eve, as we sal
alone together, the tragic story Mt my
earnest cntreaty was told.
1t was wild and snowy December
evening, | remember, q high gale
abroad. and black London lying al
white and frozen under the Christmas
stars, as | made my way to Caring
| toms house.
| found him alone, as | expected t.
: find him, his Livonian wolfhoun(
curlcd at his feet, lying back in al
easv-chair before huge fire, smoking
and gazing, as [ was wont to do, at hi
picture over the mantel-shelf. In TIN
strong red light of the fire, the beauti
1ul face of the girl shone out weirdl.
iAielike from the canvas.
I Admirin9 your own handiwork
! nGt'ie, my boy?" said, as | flung my
4 SUI INTO the opposite chair, and L tel
: to Gazing too.
Not exactly" Darlington answered
gr"iii!' we never done anything i
tile palllt-brush line worth admirin
that L know OF. Whatever that ma
.iavc-and L suppose it has some. O
You wouldn't stare at 1t as YOU do
| owing to its truth. Hamilton. | teI
You often wake at night and see tha
girls face before ne, with just tina
expression, as saw ii last, poor chilt
be- orc it went down forever"
) Il should like to hear the story Car
rington, if you don't mind" said
while the red flames leaped and glow
ed, lighting up tie lovely picture
face.
at is twenty years ago." said Car
rington. at seems only Yesterday SIS
at here and think of it. Tweut
years ago, and before your tim'
youngster, the Lone Star, transpor
vessel, employed to take out detaeh