Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-09-05
OVER THE WAY.


~ Incidentally that Charlotte street,
: rissroy Square, was much affected oy
oxtjess. Just then We had been suffer-
ine from an unusually severe course Of
foes. and wAs anxious above every
thing 70 get into clearer air. Artists,
eaid I TO myself, would never cougre-
rate about fiuroy Square unless 1t
were comparatively free from fog. So
70 Fitzroy Square took my household
GODS, only 10 learn that artists, like
other men. are prone 10 err, for more
fcrgy district than that to which ] had
migrated never lived in.
As l had artists all round me, II was
not wonderful that ] should hsve one
for my "over-the-way." lie was q
tall, dark, sombre. festured young man,
who might very we'll have had q drop
Of Spanish blood In his veins; and his
wife, though without any striking
beauty, vas . sweet faced little woman,
mere child, and evidently passionately
In love with her husband. They occa-
pied the iirst.iloor front room. so was
able to command a good view OF
their movements from my post OF
observation--the window OF my sit
tine.room on the second floor.
The Young man worked every day
as long Is the light held out, and then
he and his little wife would issue forth,
and when they came back from their
walk he would generally be carrying a
paper parcel, which ventured to as.
sumo contained most likely some mex.
pensive delicscy for the tea-table. My
nejghbors we're poor, there was no
doubt about that, but they were GER
tainly very happy. The husbands
grave face would light up In listening
to bis wife's CHEEKY prsttle; and she,
elipging to his arm and looking up IN
his face, seemed TO call upon all the
street to look at her happiness and to
confirm her judgment that her husband
was the finest fellow in all creation.
As the spring days heightened out
my neighbours hours Of LABOR length
ened, also. lie made the most of every
minute Of light. and noticed that he
began to look pale from overwork. L
could see him, as he sat before his can
yas-a somewhat large one-and his
wife, more often than not, would be
sitting near him and reading aloud. At
last there arrived one day large gilt
frame, so / concluded that the
picture was finished. A few days
afterward Q four-wheeled cab was
summoned, and the picture with
some difficulty was got inside.
The painter mounted the box be-
side the cabnan, and away they went.
For the next three weeks or month
nv friend took life much easier. From
the domestic details which | observed
had reason to believe that breakfast
over the way was rarely finished before
IL, and the painter spent much Of his
time looking out Of the window, pipe in
mouth. He was troubled with very
few visitors, but in these leisure days
] noticed that a tall man witha limping
walk called nearly every day. lie
generally stopped an hour or more, aud
once noticed him standing before
sketch Of my neighbours aud seemingly |
criticisiDg it, so concluded he was
brother.artist.
One morning saw the painter leave
the house with downcast air. He |
slammed the door violently behind him,
and look Of mingled rage and despair
sat upon bis face. After an hour or
two cab drove up to the door. The
painter descended from the box, and,
with the claimants help, dragged large
picture out Of the cab and took it into
the house.
For month after this occurrence the
house was almost blank. scarcely
ever saw the painter or his wife. The
former would sometimes come to the
window and gaze into the street with
look Of weary despair upon bis face.
The tall man. too, discontinued his
visits. At last he appeared again, and
this time he stopped nearly the whole
afternoon. He must have been the bear
or Of good news, for the painter seemed
quite himself again on the morrow.
He set to work at his easel. At first
missed the figure of the little wife with
her book open beside him; but my
binocular soon informed me that she
was seated before him on the platform,
evidently posed for her portrait.
lie worked with all his old energy
for fortnight or so, till the portrait
was done. Then it was brought forward
and placed in the window, so that
could easily get view Of it; and
though could see that it was a good
likeness, could see equally that it
failed to display the principal charm Of
the sweet young face it represented.
The look Of youthful innocence was
wanting. in day or two's time a
handsome carriage drove up to the
door, and msgnifcently. attired
lady descended and went into
the house. ] could see her moving
shout in the room, criticisiDg the
picture from all points of view. The
painters face was all aglow with pride
and admiration Of his work rs he did |
the honors but the little wife came up
to The window had not seen her so
plaibly for weeks--and looked out with |
very sad and hopeless eyes, and l
fsncied could mark the traces of re-
cent tears upon her pretty cheeks. The
fne lady drove away, but very soon she
returned, and q tall, handsome man
with her, whom judged to be her hus-
band, and, on taking comprehensive
view OF the studio, discovered her
seated on the platform, while the
painter was sketchipg out her features
on q new canvas.
felt genuine pleasure that my neigh
Dor bad at last gained foothold on the |
ladder of fame; the only bitter drop |
was the blank, woebegone face OF the
young wife IS she gated out Of the
window. or trotted out--alone now--on
her housekeeping errands. Often during
the sistings l marked the tall, hand
some gentleman talking to her on the
other side Of the studio.
As soon IS the lady departed the
painter invariably removed the canvas
from the easel and put in its place the
portrait Of his wife. Then he would
o.