The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1888-03-01

| proffcrs to heaven the beautiful prayer
| commencing
oh thou whose glory ills the ethereal
Gttrone,
Anl all &c deathless powers protect nay
soui
His intrepid sririt chafes at her
EARNEST remonstrances, which are but
an echo to his own om!naus PRESENT.
ments. He declares that heroes neter
die until their mission IS accomplished ;
and growing vexed ere long al
her importantly, he reminds her in
tones almost Contemptuous OF the fraii
! ~ o! her sex and inferiocity Of her &C
cupations; commands hex to "go home
and ply her household cares-Ihe
| loom and distaif. = y
| But leave to men of Troy The tolls Of war.
In this turbulent mood he hastens
again 20 the field to meet the certain
fate which he feels is awaiting him.
1t is at this juncture that the artist has
SO faithfully portrayed the patient,
tender, devoted wife, as she sits alb,
sorbcd III thought; her loving heart
stung by the cruel taunt her troubled
! soul narrowed by anxious fears, wonder
ing what Will be the fate Of him when
something tells her she has seen alive
| for the last time. As she sits IN
mourniul abstraction, oblivious alike
10 her child and the world around
+! her beautiful form relaxed into that
easy, graceful, unconscious attitude
penSise meditation would naturally
assume, her hand dropped listlessly
upon the disIaff in her lap, at which,
as the emblem Of life, she gazes in
mute appeal, as though to read il its
tangled threads the destiny of her dear
ones. We have portrait which genius
alone could inspire, and which only
i masters hand could execute. Nor
IS this ali, for at her side IS another
smaller bat not less beautiful figure
1t is the bsy--'' the Hector Of The fu-
turc age" as his father proudly styles
HIM, who cIings to her side, and gaze:
with mingled ave, and admiration
into her half averted face, and hi:
| bright locks rtified by the breeze, and
h;s infantic conntenanCe soul-lit witt
tender trust and wondering solicitudc
| Everything to the mnute.t detail.
| about this already celebrated group
every wave Of the soft trcsses confined
with band about the matChlcss bro"
after the fashion OF the time, every
curve of the perfect limbs, every folt
Of the graceful drapery thrown loosely
around her t9 the head, claws, ans
rough hair OF the lions skin which
Covers the chair upon which she sits
all is so finely wrought that once scca
it stamps itself indeilibly upon th'
memory to rccur in after-time as :
living reality. We behold here tn
concentrated study and labor Of 81,
years, and when completed, it wiil ado
new iustre to the fame Of It's giitct
author.
| lie l12s, 9? course, in the interYa
devoted large part of his time K
other subjects; but on this he has Law
ished the wealth of his genius, anC
; has paid to our sex his highest tribut
: ! in this poetic dream Of woman. Thos
; who knew her, recognize in the tea
, tures Of AndTomaChe, the portrait 9
f his own beautiful wife and AIR. Val
entine admits that the gentle face 0
the one most near and dear 70 hin
being his ideal and inspiration, it I'm
: consciously shaped itself beneath hi
: artistic hand. Of all bis conception
: this is the one about which h. like.
: best to converse. :: II il his life" n
: says, and never did q fond notne
t have her affections twined more III
} dissoIubly about an idoiizcd child thar
are his about this superb creation Q
: his soul and inteliccs.
i IN appearance, the sculptor is pleas
5 ing and graceful, and by his easy
I, winning manners, has The happy facnl
: ty Of drawing 10 hinself ell wit
/ whom ne is thrown. There IS a se
/ cret magnetism about genius which a
: feel and acknowledge, but which car
not be described. We feel this in
{ fluence when in company with Nj
;, Valentine aud recognize n him "a
\ vored son of the MUSES..
4 had left The studio and had reaehe
!, the street gale, when he called n
5 back 10 give me ! lesson in what h
termed stickab;iity." He then PFC
ceeded TO explain the long and tediot
{ processes indispensable 70 the perie'
! tien OF the least Oh flis creations, al
: cited instance after Instance 10 nnpre'
q the truth Of the ancient proYert
: L,z6or os,nfG 0fntft. Promising I
n prost by his xhelesosnc counsel. IN
c expressing my appreciation oil the il
d tcliectual feast had just enjoyed,
II bade MIN second 2dicu, anticiPatir
Z : repetition OF the pleasure upon Il
n occasion OF some future vlsi:.
4 Henderson \. {.