Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1884-09-19
The Story Of a soulptor's Love.
BY WALLACE GRUELLE.

Some forty years ago there resided
in the city Of Lexington, Kentucky,
a young woman who had just step
ped over the boundary line between
girlhood and womanhood, named
Mary Smithcrs. With form more
on the order of Vcsta than Juno
moulded with natures perfect art,
1.-the and willowy, swaying with.un-
conscious grace when in motion, a
step light and free, hair fine as silk
and resembling blcacEea gold, eyes
blue as the sky of May and beaming
innocence aud trust, cheeks rounded
and family tingcd, seen as the Cath
crime pear, the side that's next the
SUM-" lips like cleft rosebud, sweet,
dewy, and inviting kisses, voice full
OF music and laugh fresh from a
pure, virgin heart, that haunted
ones ear as the echo haunts the bel
fry-a woman that stood apart from
all other women by virtue of beau
ty no other woman Possessed
Such was Mary Smithers when
Joel Hart young stonemason of
Clark county came trudging down TO
Lexington in search of knowledge of
anatomy to assist him in the path he
had chosen for himself in the walks
Of art. lie lodged in the vicinity of
the home Of Mary Smithers, and at
once was his artistic eye caught and
held by her tlansccndant lovelincss.
But when he came to know her, and
| found that The lovely casket cnshrin-
ed soul us beautiful as its outward
seeming, his heart followed his gaze,
and both were conccntrcd on the fair
Mary
joel Hart was not handsome
ycuth-iar otherwise. In person lie
was rather tall and slender and alto
gcther ungainly. Yet there was a
sturdy manliness of expression on his
countcnance that made it attractive
to those who could see beyond the
surface. More beautiful eyes were
never set in any human head. With
in the figure of a peasant, and weight
ed down by scant education, dwelt
and struggled the soul of a poet,
while his brain was ever haunted
with visions the creation of q scarce
awakened genius.
Mary Smithers soon discovered hel
conquest of the uncouth country
boy, and instead of playing off upon
him the wiles Of coquetry, leading
him on by beck and call only 10 laugh
him down the wind at the end, sht
studied him carefully-fOr she was
sensible woman, and earnest as well
as sensible. She readily discovered
that in him which was yet obscured
from all others. She sympathized
with him, encouraged his dream
strengthened his longings. Sympa
thy is close akin to love and it was no
long before she responded to his pas
sion, and they became engaged, will
the understanding that he was t.
hoard up his earnings as a stonema
son until he had accumulated sum
sufficient TO take him to Italy where
he was to acquire the sculptor's art
When the time for parting came
they kissed, wept in each others arms
and separated never again to meet il
life.
Not that she was tickle. No, on
But half the world divided them. |
was drcary, uphill work for the poo
boy away off in that foreign land
without money or helping patron
compelled to live from hand to mout
for weary years as he drudgcd o.
from day to day and year to year
slowly but surely advancing npon tn
goal of his ambition, nearing but {
how slowly, the realization of his loi
ty dreams.
The long years, she wearily waitin
the hopclcssness of the fruition Q
their love, cooled her affection an,
finally killed it. Before his first II
i, turn to his native land she had bee
welded twice and now resides wit
Il her last husband in Alabama.
But his love for her never died i
the heart of Joel Hart. lie loved he
to the end as he had loved her at til
: beginning. And when, an old ma
is who had achieved for himself an III
J. dying fame, he came to putinto ma
O. BILE form the work destined to |
,; alike his last and masterpiece, Il
feature of the statue is the face
% Mary Smithers as last he saw it
Of the morning of his manhood, as
,k beamed upon him in constant mem
is ry every hour of every day for fl
~ ~ forty years, as 1t haunted his dream
nightly throughout the length al
breadth of his life.
We Reader would you see the mann
IN of woman who thus enslaved al
y held captive for lifetime the heart
r. the greatest sculptor yet produced
=" the nineteenth century? Then vii