Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-02-10
A vAEExTINE pORM.
The Fancles Of an Artist Beauti-
fully Wrought and Mounted.

woman Suffrage ana p0St0mce affairs.
1t is possible to have too much of all
such questions; there seems so many
sides to each one.
Now, l am sure you will be kind
enough to allow me to say just little
upon subject where all can agree.
1t is something so artistic that every
lover of the beautiful will desire it.
will seek it and will turn again to the
LEDGER searching for signs Of other
beautiful things.
Is not this better than wrangllng
and saying harsh words and sometimes
foolish ones? Such discussions cause
one to grow old, and will write wrink-
les on the face and on the heart, but
| come to tell you of something that
will write angel words, because it
whispers of love and charity.
It is net a text from the Bible,
or leaf from temperance lecture, or
any such admirable subject. 1t is
only a valentine which | have seen,
and which is so beautiful that | desire
everybody to hear about it. So the
LEDGER is the medium. The COM
pliment is not too closely yelled for
good eyes to see it. This valentine is
illustrated by Carl Gutherz, whom all
Memphis knows, and who is now Pro-
fessor of Design and Painting ia the
Washington University, at st. Louis.
1t is said by art connoisseurs and
critics to be the handsomest ever
given to the public. 1t is mounted in
six different styles and has six pages,
on each of which is printed a different
scene. On the first is tie limb of a
tree reaching up and past a gable
window, in which are two turtle doves.
They are already mated, and perhaps
the window is one of those in the
"house of the seven gables"
Carl Gutherz is as full of fancieS in
his way as ever Hawthorne was in
his. On the next page is the blue
sky with a half moon and stars.
Daisies and ferns are growing thickly
on the bank OF lake, while among
the flowers angels are standing and in
the back ground a boat is moored.
] ust here the poem runs
angels come and go between,
Only by stars and flowers seen"
The third page is symbolic of Easter
with the cross and star and
pure white lilies. The perfect sky
aud background can only be appre
ciated by being seen.
Turning the leaf the eye is soothed
by the sight of real violets. They
are SO like nature that | fancy
the fragrance of the delicious
little flower all about. Without
warning | am standing by
the bed where the purple eyes look up.
The green leaves are cool and sweet to
the touch as l bend over, and my
hands caress them. Hidden away
under the bed of purple flowers is one
verse Of little love song which running
through it all has made the artist
call it a Valentine Poem" am
10th to leave this bed Of violets. They
whisper and tell me to forget that life
is full of hard and bitter passions.
The sweet breath of nature and all
pure and precious dreams come TO me
through this simple exquisite. picture.
1t does not belong to the young alone,
but to the world weary-tO those who
are rapidly going away from
al the sweetness and sunshine of
early youth.
But | must 90 on to the opposite page
where the wild rose is blooming 10 all
its graceful beauty. 1t too looks as /
have seen it a thousand times growing
10 old felds-along country lanes
among weeds and nettles. 1t is the
Drayest and sweetest of flowers, hav
ing as guardians only the air and sun
shine. Other artists would have
made geraniums or heliotropes- 0s.
Jar Wilde would add a sunfower,
but Mr.. Gutherz represents his
divine 'love" by the flowers that need
no help from human HANDS; and that
The air of heaven has made.
On the last page is the picture most
pleasing to the young. 1t is full OF
poetic fancy and represents Cupid,
Who Of course has a finger IN
very pie. He seems to look more
iaucy and assured than ever. ( He is
lneeling on a card on which is written
lhe last verse of the poem. Hisarrow
las dropped into the tree below him,
while in one hand he holds the bow:
IN the other mirror. He is looking
down where, sitting on lower limb
Of the tree, are the same doves cooling
and wooing.
The last verse Of the poem explains
the mirror. 1t begins with the quaint
old word sweetheart" and ends with
valentine" which is all the clue |
shall give. In the Eastern and West
ern cities my Love" is a success. and
| am glad to see it in the book stores
in Memphis. The other day heard a
gifted young girl WHO is going to make
art her life study say it would be
to her the most beautiful Of gifts, and
if she did not get it the 18th she
would buy it as she would picture.
In a word, the work, though only a
valentine, is worthy the artist, and
many Of his old friends who look with
pride on his upward career will be
eager to have so beautiful a souvenir
1t is but one of thousand pictures
that crowd his busy brain. Like
everything he touches, it is chaste and
exquisite, with a power to light the
divine spark within US no other than
Carl Gutherz can have.
ARIADNR