The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1888-02-16
4 PORTRAIT.
An ArtIst's Story Of PalnHng a Plot-

1t Is q theory OF mine that one can
not paint agood portrait from mere
sittings OF the subject before one. The
nature, as well as the features of the
model must require study. One
should know something OF the soul as
welbas the superficies. And SO, as !
was to paint the portrait of Mrs.
Adriance. q woman Of rare charm, l
felt, the necessity of some careful OBJ.
servation. Her guest for the purpose,
] had, OF course, the better opportu,
nifty Of making it, and the hospitality
being a matter OF course in the way
fot Business, hardly invested it with
the saci ed character OF guest, or in
vested her with any OF the shielding
only that should ordinarily surround
ones host. ,.
: Mrs. .Adriance was a woman OF lux.
urious beauty and OF toilet that
was it's fit setting. If I say that her
husband was her slave, I have no word
lett to describe the condition of his
servants; but in her house, which was
superb, she reigned an unlimited des-
pot, and her word, her wisfs was law.
She had many whims. each of which
she followed till she worked it out
and tlierewas no shred OF it left; now
it was charity, now it was religion,
now it was fashion, now it was ]itera-
ture, nowi it was art. Whatever whims
she pursued, it borrowe ed for the time
some OF the beauty OF the beautiful
creature who pursued it,. and seem.
ed as admirable o. she was, as all
she did was-at least in the eyes OF
Mr.. Adriance. In my own eyes-well,
beginning as her abject servant, I had
/ spent but a few days under her roof
when / found myself thinking that If l
painted Mrs. .Adriance as / saw her,
the picture would be unpleasant
enough to exceed the domain of art.
Nothing opens the eyes sometimes
like a good prejudice. IfIhad not be.
come aware of Mrs. Adriance's op-
position to the marriage Of her hus-
bands niece for no other reason than
that the girl was agreeable to herself,
a pleasant piece of furniture in the
house, and. she did not choose to
make a break in the way of life which
she enjoyed, i might have not seen
her SO clearly, myself. No one played
Chopin as this sensitive Irene did;
no one else read verses with the same
delicate infections and musical voice;
no one sy mpathized with her in all her
freaks and caprices as this young girl
did; nc one had such taste to criticise
and suggest. concerning a ribbon Or a
ruff1e, and let Irene's fingers twinkle
for a moment in the lace or among
the puffs and bows, and no French
milliner could have done better. It
WAS plainly impossible Tor Mrs. Adri.
ance to spare Irene. Who would see
the point OF the last social gossip
with her? With whom should she ex-
change tue swift glance9 With whom
should she talk over her friends and
enemies? ,
Lie would be coming to an. end
soon enough, anyway; let things be as
they were IT'LL sickness, and
age and death touches them with
necessary Transforming hand; why
60 out Of the way and bring
about unpleasant changes? No; let
Irene stay where she was we'll off and
make others so.s5 And why did Irene
wish to marry, anyway? she would
continue. It would only be a tenn
porary delight, and after that weari-
ness. Doubtless very much in. love
now in a year the enchantment would
be gone, and the bridal satin would be
only sackcloth and ashes. No, it was
as much for Irene's sake as for that
OF every n else that Mrs. Adriance
opposed the whole affair." '". :
And then the man was poor. It
wastrue that was atrouble which Mrs.
Adriance could remedy, if she would,
| out of her abundant wealth., but il
irene wished to throw herself away,
not a dollar, not q cent, would Mrs.
Adriance contribute toward her doing
SO; she, at any rate, should not make
herself responsible for helping on the
sacrifice. Resides, see how selfish it
was in Irene!s q I'~'''
How singuiarly selfish to wish to
leave this nome where she was SO &C.
ceptable. SO agreeable, actually SO
her as few women did their husbands
relatives, where her uncle found her
of such&use, where she filed all the
ehinks and: corners. where nothing
could replace her to make up for her
loss, how very selfish in herto wish to
go of with q young man WHO must
needs absorb her entirely to himself.
She couldn't really believe such selfish.
ness was possible to Irene, and there
fore che couldn't really believe that
Irene positively wished to marry the
young man. And II she didn't wish it,
what was the use OF talking any more
about 1T It was not q matter OF
Igenuine love, but mere phase .sentl-
mentality. And how did that old
pink accord with the furnished
gold, and what did you say
TO this cloth for Il riding h~abit-scar-
let velvet full of SILVER gray shadows?
One hastto be 80 careful In the choice
OF hues after one has passed one's first
youth; and scarlet is certainly vul-
Tgarizing unless ones skin is ~transpar-
emit Ms moonlight. And hers was?
Yes, there was perhaps nothing out
aof the Hay in ~seonfessipg it, fact in
nature that was patent to. any oh.
sarver was hardly matter 81 person,
I'll vanity; and she was willing to adj
NIT she had found ploasare in her col
oring. as the glass gave iEsbaekt 10 her,
the pleasureshs might find 10 locking
at q Corregeio-Irene bad often told
her. she lookedl,ke apaintfngon ivory;
and it MIS- certainly very unusual &C
40. AsEeverl temperhad aaersat deal
laGdo withsnch preserYationsby Keep.