Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1883-01-26
mR. HEArHY,s OWN NARRATIVE.

y MR. HEAPHYs OWN NARRATIVE
T am a painter. Ono morning in Ma
fe 1858, I was seated in my stndio at q
Ie usual occupation. IA paragraph or two
I omitted, as only introducing lady an
p gentleman, Mr.. aud Mrs. Krkbeck.]
y My new visitors were strangers to me-
: They had seen a portrait had paintat
y and wished for likenesses of themselve
/ and thtir children. The price 1 namat
I did not deter them. and they asked to LODI
& around the stndio TO select the style ant
4 SIZE they should prefer. The inspection
. proving satisfactory, they asked whethe
I | could paint the pictures at their nous
! in the country, and there being no differ
ence on this point, an engagement wa
made for the following autumn. subject t,
nv writing to fix the time when nigh
he able to leave town for the purpose. Thi
being adjusted, the gentleman gave m
his card and they left. Shortly afterwards
on looking at the card left by the strang
ers, was s'mewhat disappont ed to fine
that though it contained the names of Mr.
and Mrs Kirkbeck. there was no address
| tried to find it by looking at the Court
Guide, but it contained no such name, sc
[ put the card in my writing desk and for.
got for a time the entire transaction,
Autumn came, and with it a series OF
engagements had made in the North OF
England. Towards the end September,
1858. l was one IF dinner party at q
Country house at the confines of York
shire and Lincolnshire. The party was a
numerous one, and as the meal approach
ed its termination and was about to sub.
side into the dessert. the conversation be-
came general. | should here mention that
my hearing is def. Give. at some times
more so than at others, and on this partic-
ular evening was extra deaf-so much 80
that the conversation only reached me in
the form of continued din. At one in
slant. however, heard word distinctly
pronounced. though it was uttered by u
person at a considerable distance from me.
ana That word was-Kirkbeck. In the
business of the London season had for
gotten all ab tut the visitors OF the spriug
who had left their card without the ad-
dress. The word reaching me under such
| circumstances arrested nay attention and
Immediately recalled the transaction
to remembrance. On the fest opportunity
that offered asked person whom was
conversing with if family of the name in
question was resident in the neighbor-
hood, was told in reply that Mr.. Kirk
beck lived at A at the further end of
the county. The next morning wrote to
this person. saying that I believed he call.
ed at my stu'1io in the spring. and had
made an arrangement with ms which
was prevented fulfilling by there being no
address on his card; furtherm IRE, that
should shortly be IN his neighborhood on
my return from the north, but should / be
mistaken in addressing him. L begged he
would not trouble himself to reply to my
note. gave as my address The Post Of
dce, York. On applying there three days
afterwards received q note from Mr. |
Kirkbeck stating that he was very glad he |
had heard from me and that il I would |
call on my return he would arrange about |
the pictures; he also told ma to write q |
lay before proposed coming, that he might |
not otherwise engage himself. It was ul- |
timately arranged hat shonld 20 to his |
house the succeeding Saturday. stay till I
Monday morning and transact afterwards |
what matters mad to attend to in Lon
lon AMI return in fortnigt to execute the
commits sion.
The day having arrived for my visit, d.
recty after breakfast took my place in
the morning train from York to L ,ndon.
The train would stop at Doncaster, and
litter that at Retford Junction, where |
should have to get out in OF der to take the
line through Lincoln to A. The day
vas cold, wet. foggy and every way as dis
agreeable as have ever known day to be
n an English October. The carriage in
which l was seated had no other occupant
than myself, but at D ,ncaster lady gou
n. My place was back to the engine and
rext to the door. AS that is considered
he ladies' seat, offered it to her she.
however very graciously declined it and
tnok the corner opposite. saying, in very
agreeable voice, that she liked to feel the
freeze on her cheek. The next few min
ntes were occupied in locating herself.
There was the cloak to be spread under
'er, the skirts of the dress to be arranged,
The gloves to be tighter ed, and su"h other
5rifiing arrangem ,nts of plnmage as ladies
are won't to make before settling themselves
comfortably at church or elsewhere, the {
asst and most important being the placing
Jack over he. hat the veil that concealed +;
yer features. l could then see that the {
ady was young, certainly not more than
~o or three and twenty; but being mod {
'rately tall, rather robust in make and
'ecided in expression. she might have been ;
wo or three years younger. Isuppose that i
Ter complexion would be termed medium I
me; her hair being of bright brown or =
uburn, while her eyes and rather decided I
v marked eyebrows were nearly black. I
rhe color of her cheek was that pale trans !
aren't hue that sets off to such adv age i
arge. expressive'eyes, and an equabIe firm q
Expression of month. On the whole. the I
was rather handsome than beau i
iful. her expression having that agreeable T
Iepth and harmony about it that rendered /
ler face and features. though not strictly ,
OCULAR, infinitely more attractive than if 9
hey had been modelled upon the strictest
ules of symmetry.
1t is no small advantage on wet day
md dull, long journey to have an agree.