Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1886-04-13
MISCELLANEOUS.
Her ChiId's Picture.


II mn M ~ nr7-----f go
In a7secluded village in Brittany
there lived some years ago an honest
peasant woman, known as4'sLa Veuve
TYTonne.'' She happened one day to
hear someso of her lneighbors speaking
of the wonderful powers of photog-
rapy. ..'-,. eLi II ar,i- J.. L-, 4
+" Wonderful indeedi'' she ex-
claimed - Where are the best of
thesemarvelous pictures-to beseen2"
''InParis. Why do you ask, Mere
iYvonne?' IT -ra.si sti7gt II
I" Never smind!l L have anridea.
You will see.''rbSl iiI.a a1iir --
The Widows mind was strong and
simplea itdid not take long to 'smake
up.'f'T plE ~ I.f-u-arg, o.
- Without staying to1deliberatc. she
packed up few necessaries, and one
fine morning, rich with the savings of
many industrious years, she'set off
alone for Paris.i0utr -rv gre- 30.
She arrived in pthe great capital,
with her scarlet petticoat, her white
neckerchief, her~Iargc cap and her
honest face! Directly she arrived
she inquired:
..l-'' Who is the best photographer 2"
In reply she was,furnished with the
address of a clever artist to whose
studio she at once fastened. -,rl.
p" Everybody says, monsieur" she
began, s' that your likenesses of chill
dren are admirable" r.-....-....tE
Everybody is very kind replied
the photographer. If l have attained
any unusual skill it is probably be-
cause have worked con dmOre. /
have, moreover, plenty of little sub
jects of my own to practice Upon
See hcrc!"
Hefopened7a door, called; and the
next moment'half dozen merry chill
dren, of ages varying. from three TO
twelve, ! rushed into the room and
crowded round his knees. 'is" ND
b. ssIt is aicliId, / presHhIe, madame,
whose portrait you wish itaken?"
-9te1'es, monsieur, it is. a child: lie
WILDE neither petdtant nor rebellious,
the poor little love. Good reason
why; ,heis dead.i'.I,rH gpiIEaD
nAt these startling words the pho
tographer rofeltrdistreSseCi! He felt
he must hayel bitterly renewed the
mother'sr grief I'M exhibiting to her
thesefair children and caressing them
before her eyes.rTEl sd .a LE.".'isl .
-7.i'Go and play onstheibalcouy," - he
whispered, hastly5 and sas they
passed through the door helkissed
theniteuderly, butfsoftIy, lesthisvis-
itor should. hear. IThenIhe said, with
great gentleness bu1irl n Iof 'E..
..is!'' AsIthe little child of whom you
speak lis dead,r itCis. Iyconcludeg a
postllumous portrait you'wish to have
taken--the picture of7the little crea-
ture whose innocent soul has fled,
lying in his white bed, a cross in his
hands, crown of white rosesrOn his
colorless forehead. L shall be happy
if you will give me your address. to
proceed as soon as possible to your
reaidence.'' ,r.HHvoa - q. -..
''Thank you,.mnasieur," she said.
:" My child has been dead six years. "
You have then already portrait
of your SOM he SAID, after pause
=" painting, perhaps, that you
wish photographed - :, ..a,l.sg . .tra,
a painting Of himi-I2'' ,ex-
claimed Dame Yvonne. "3lon Dieu,
no. 1t is the hope of obtaining one
that has induced me to make this long
| journey" 81 .,ft ,..s, a. a
"a What, madame! And do, yen
Imagine that without the original,
without another portrait, without any
sort OF Indication or guide, 4 can pro-
duce a likeness of child dead six
years .ago?' r.r.., ar .z-5s,
YYonne, in her turn; s' aud do you
mean TO say it is impossible? People
vaunt on every side the prodigies,
( the miracles of photography. Cannot
the art that accOmplishcs these mar
yeIs reproduce a vestigc, shadow of
my son? Cannot it give ever-so inn
perfect a resemblance of her child to
a desolute, mother, who
Sobs broke the sentence Dame
Yyonne could say no more. /.
!. The kipd-hearted photographer did
not wish the simple peasant to return
to her Breton village disappointed, so
he, reflected awhile a. a
l. $ Madame, - he said, thoughtfuIIy,
:: nothing is absolutely impossible. Z"
. Ah," she cried, quickly, - then
you can give me portrait of my
darling 2''-a- liz .-. - s--.rl ...rf, r
Co. t' Who knows." he said, t' will
try at any rate. = III =
v7s:'rIou have preserved the clothes
of the child you have lost?' he asked.
g Preserve them?'' she echoed {;
9 have the very little garments still
as good as new, in which dressed
him the last time he ran chasing the
butterflies in the green fields"
''Send them to me directly" said
the artist.