The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1889-05-29
AN ARTISTS VISION,

How many sleepless nights and weary,
wandering days that haunting face had
cost me, and yet l seemed as far from
its discovery as ever, while the picture
on which my hopes of fame were built,
and in which so many beautiful thoughts
and dreams were enshrined, stood un-
finished on my easel | strove again and
again to paint the face | had seen in my
visions, but alas the moment l seized my
brushes and palette, found myself
painting an ordinary woman's beauty in
stead of that soulful and mystical lowell
ness grown perfect and precious through
centuries of spiritual communion with the
denizens of the dim land of dreams.
AT last, one night, after painting all
day in vain, l threw myself down on Il
tiger skin in front of the picture, utterly
wearied out, and fell asleep, though to
this day am not sure if what seemed
merely sleep to the material part of me
was not really a spiritual experience, sent
by those unseen helpers who are ever near
us, to prepare and strengthen me for the
future pain.
| saw mountainous coast, with deep
purple hills melting into tender lilacs and
faint blues as they met the sky, already
breaking into the golden radiance Of
dawn.
Gradually, as | gazed, the fairness of
the golden dawn changed into lurid
coppery hue, and save the bells, not
sound was heard, while | felt a growing
horror and terror in that heavy stagnant
air.
l strove to fly, and in the darkness,
which was growing slowly, suffused with
weird unearthly light, as if the pitiful
stars had faltored back into the morning
sky to comfort the wailing people, |
stumbled over something in my path, and
peering down, saw it was an open coffin,
wherein lay veiled woman. Half un
consciously stretched out my hand to
raise the VEIL and saw the hunting face
| sought everywhere in vain for my
picture.
sprang up with cry of terror. and
awoke in my darkened studio But the
face was as clear now rs if she really lay
before me in her coffin, and still very
family | fancied | could hear the clashing
of those weird bells in the distance.
lighted my lamp and worked on and
off, with that strange feeling of posses
sion one has sometimes-as if some
mighty power outside us were guiding
our hands and inspiring our thoughts
Gradually the dawn, faiut and pale and
ghostly, as it comes to us in London,
stole into my room. | eXtinguished my
lamp, but still worked on, and at last
there lay the lovely face, clear and dis
tinct.
My picture, 1.-THE Vision,n was duly
sent to the Royal Academy and accepted;
not only accepted indeed, but actually
hung in the place of honor in one of the
best rooms, and was overwhelmed with
the generous congratulations of my
brother artists, mingled with inquiries
about the model who sat for my princess.
! could see very few of them believed my
story, that l had painted from no living
model, but only from a dream-face, and
my closest friend, Reginald Doone, ex-
pressed the general feeling, when he
said:
"Ah, well, old man, you want to keep
her to yourself. l don't blame you, for
there Is not such another face in England.
BY Jovel' he broke off under his breath,
with "A mischieyous look at me, 'look
there; is that dream, toog'
And following his glance, / saw, to
my amazement and delight, the original
of my picture. Involuntarily | glanced
at it. Yes; every line, every curve of
the sweet face was reproduced with
absolute fidelity, and stood as if turned
to stone as she paused before the picture,
and am old gentleman who was with her
said, in tone of surprise:
"Why, Ina, that is your portrait!'
"Oh, no, papa; am not beautiful like /.
that!n
81 must have that picture he added,
as, after another long look, they passed /.
on.
! had placed IA price of 20OO guineas
on my picture, wishing to keep it for
myself, and thinking no one would be .
likely to give that sum for the work of
comparatively unknown artist. How |
ever, | found shortly afterward that it
was sold to well-known dealer.
! followed my vision at a distance |
through the gallery, asking every one |
knew who she was, but no one could tell |
me anything about her; and at last,
when they left, was fain to follow still,
thinking from their carriage might be able
to discover some clew. However, to my
surprise, they walked some little distance,
and then got into a hanson | Jumped
into another, and ordered the driver to
follow theirs and stop where it stopped.
Much IN INV Hforr.et D.I1s,.-t...