Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1885-06-03
THE REAL AND IDEAL.
nongman's MAGAZINE I

She left apologies and all that sort OF thin;
for you, though"
1t was my most intimate friend and oil
schoolfellow, Barry, who spoke, as he stoot
with his back to his drawing-room fire, ant
reclined almost at his feet in the easiest O
easy chairs. l had only returned to Eng
land three days before, after more than twt
years Of eastern wanderings, during which
the only news 1 had had of Barry had been
vague announcement Of his approaching
, marriage. On my arrival had promptly
obtained from the Arts club his address a
. passionate Brompton," and as soon as had
a moment to spare l went to see him, only
giving him notice of my intentions in a not
posted the night before.
My friend vas an amateur photographed
Of the most enthusiastic type, and l knew
him too well not to beware that a quarter Of
an hour would not pass without his hobby
coming into the conversation somehow Oh
other. After five or ten minutes incense
quential chatter it come.
You would like a before-dinner cigar" hs
said my wife doesn't allow them here
says they spoil the curtains. Come up int
my study and I'll show you some Of my
work. have not done much lately, but
worked hard before / was married, and
think some Of the Derbyshire scenes ART
really worth looking at.
The room into which followed him needs
no description One room full OF photo
graphs is uncommonly like another. Cigar.
lighted, there followed ten minutes or SO OF
the boredom of looking at photographs Of
rocks, glens and waterfalls; interesting tc
the taker, no doubt. but utterly without at.
traction TO any one else With an immense
pile Of cardboard still before mo determined
to break the tyranny at any price, or al
least change the form of infiiction
by the way" said, '.the instantaneous
process was becoming fashionable when
left England. Have You done anything in
that way"
Alas, he had
"Oh, yes" he answered cheerfuily, drag.
ging down a huge album from the shelf; AL
these were done by the new process Look
at them"
pushed the pile Of scenery away. l had
got rid OF that, at any rate, and | took tho
huge book upon my knees with about as
lively sense Of relief as that with which a
convict turns from the sober occupation of
oakum picking to the lighter frivolity Of the
treadmill.
Now, thought, for trains in motion with
out wheels, horses galloping with fifty legs
apiece and swans on the Thames with half a
dozen necks each
| opened it at the first page
BY Jove" II this was the sort of thing
my friend had been instantaneously photo.
graphing-by all means, plenty of it.
The first picture in the book was a por-
trait A head. A woman's head and moth
| ing more. Though a little indistinct and
blurred in outline, there was definiteness
enough in the photograph to make manifest
a beauty such as might have inspired the
delicate pencil of a Leighton in his most
ideal mood.
"What beautiful face" said; abut was
it taken at Spiritualist seance that you had
to Use the instantaneous process for it!'
| Barry looked particularly pleased.
We'll, " he said. you're rather happy in
| your guess. 1t was something very like it;
but that is an enlarged photo. The original
is on the next page"
turned the page.
by JCve!" again, this time with much
| greater surprise
This was n smallar picture-rather larger
than what they call, think, cabinet size. Ii
was the picture of n grave The head and
only stone was large cross, not high, but
thick and broad, very roughly hewn, and
resting upon a ponderous pedestal, also of
| stone, but nearly covered with creepers.
Right across the cross, and hiding the in
scription from a casual glance, chung a wild
rose, which also covered the mound of the
grave itself. Close behind it. forming a
background of darkness, grew a yew
tree whose dense foliage seemed TO fall round
the cross like n curtain, and threw it into
holder relief. But what caught the eye first
- a..
mentioned them first-but a face that looked
at you from over one of the arms of tho
cross The face | have just attempted to
describe. The body must have been hidden
by the cross and creepers. The face alone
was visible. and in the deep shade thrown by
the tree the effect was startling and gho,tly
in the extreme.
why said. what grisly sort of place
for lady to choose for sitting" or was it
really spirit for which your instantaneous
process was bit too quick.'
There's nothing 'grisly' in womans
grave, replied Barry, a little stitfiy; but"
he added, more i'll his usual tone, that was
an accidental portrait-at least. | suppose
most people would call it se-though am
inclined to believe in special providences.
"Ah, yes!" | said, Just so-a sort of sweet
little cherub' to keep watch over amateur
photographers and bring beautiful young
ladies into the focus Of their cameras
mo, but seriously, | think the story Of
that picture would interest you, and in
tended telling it 10 you in any case. Shall l
have time before docking at the little
clock on the mantel-shel0. -oh, yes; plenty,
l think
Il am all attention" | said, 'bnt one ques-
ton first. l. there anything supernatural
about it: Is this face that of denizen of
churchyards or Of drawing rooms
Wait and hear, he sail, and keeping the
picture on my knee, settled down i'll my
chair, and my friend began.
About two V ears ago | was taking an in.
terest in Saxon churches about which my
friend Norton you know HIM was intend
ing to bring out a book-an edition de luxe
with Photographic illustrations | had moth
ing particular To do, and he gave me list
of the churches he wanted taken in the Mid
lands and 50 devoted one June TO the pleas
ant task.
Il had been pretty busy knocking about in
Worcestershire fer fortnight when ] saw
that the next job ON my list was porch and
two windows Of the church Of Bringley,
quite a small town in the next county. Con-
sulting the train arrangements. found that
l should have To spend at least five hours
at the place, though my work there would
not take much more than half an hour and
my next hating place was sixty miles of
However l thought it would not do to miss
II, as the name WIS marked on tn, list with
a star, which meant important, and the next
morning l packed traps and left by the first
train II did not take me long to finish the
porch and windows, the only pieces Of Saxon
work that had escaped the destructive hands
OF time aud the Restoration society Then
l had nothing 10 do for three or four
hours; 50 l cast about for any picturesque
graves that might be worth amusing ones
self with. The graves in Bringley are singu-
LARRY uninteresting, and was just about
shaking the dust OF my feet when. right in
the corner Of the churchyari. and quite by
itse'f, saw the cro0 anil i.Autftui cedar
that make up that picture I walked over
and arranged nv camera, put on one Of the
dry plates. and finished the whole business in
three minutes
But what about the young lady-or
young SPIRIT" l struck it Didn't it take
more than three minutes 10 arrange that
piece of groupingT
Well, wait a minute, was the answer.
given rather impaientiy.
The who'll story centers round that same
young spirit The mystery had only just De-
gun When took the photo | saw no face
near the grave and heard no sound, and be
heved most firmly that was the only human
heing above ground in the place. Suhse-
quent Investigations strengthened this idea
up 10 the point Of certainty as YOU Will near
OF course You know that the new process i