Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1889-06-21
AN ARTISTS VISION.

ana III winch so many beautiful tnovunts
ana dreams were cnshrincd, stood I'M
hnlshcd on my easel. | strovc apnin and
again to paint The face | had seen II my
visions, but alas the moment seized NV
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
dcnlzcns of the dim land of dreams.
AT last, one night, after painting all
day III vain, threw myself down on n
tiger skin in front of the picture utterly
wearicd out, and fell asleep, though to
THIS day L 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 tendJr liIacs and
FAINT blues ms they met the sky, already
breaking into the golden radiance of
dawn.
Gradually, as l gazed, the fairness of
the golden dawn changed into Il lurid
coppery hue, and save the bells. NOT =
sound was heard, while felt Il .erowu..
horror and terror in that heavy stapnunt
air
strovc TO fly, and in the darkness,
which was growing slowly, suiIuscd with
a weird unearthly light, us if the pitifnl
stars mad ialtered back into the morning
sky to comfort the wailing people. 1
stumbled over something in my path, and
peering down, saw it was an open coffin.
wherein lay II veiled woman. Half I'M.
consciously stretched ont my hand tn
raise the veil, and saw the hunting fare
| sought everywhere in vain for INV
picture.
sprnng up with a cry OF terror and
awoke Ill my darkcned studio. But the
faco was It's clear now us if she really Inv
before me in her coffin, and still VERY
innliy imcicd | could hear the Gushing
oil those weird bells in the distance.
l lighted my lamp and worked on and
oil, with that strange feeling of posses
sion one has sOmctimes-as if some
mighty power outside lis were guiding
our hands and inspiring our thoughts.
Gradually the dawn, faint and pale and
Shostly, as it comes to us in London,
stole into my room. cXtingnishcd my
lamp, but still worked ore and Mt las
there lay the loSIt looHingcar and dis
tinct. how mat,
My picture, "Thde Love h" <as daily
sent to the Royal Aca1 .I1 4 :ccptcd;
not only accepted, in'.es N actually
hung in the place of ljdcrcd linc of the
best rooms, and ashly .pringmed with
the generous conetGful;{liaxs of my
brother artists, mingled with INQUIRIES
about the model who sat for my princess.
l could see very few OF them believed nv
story, that L had painted from no livinc
model, but only from dream face. and
my closest friend, Reginald Doonc, ex
pressed the general feeling, when ne
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 Jove!" he broke of under his breath,
with a mischicvous look mt me, "look
there; is that dream, too?'
And following his glance, saw, to
my amazemcnt 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, aud | stood us if turned
to stone as she paused before the picture,
and an old gentleman who was with her
said, in Il tone of surprise:
"Why, Inn, that is your Portrait"
ooh, no, papa; am not beautiful like
thatw
81 must have that picture" he added,
ms, after another long look, they passed
on.
had placed price of 1000 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 a
comparatively unknown artist. How
ever, found shortly aftcrward that it
was sold to wcll-known dealer.
followed my "Vision' at n 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.
thl5.sitg from their carriage might be able
to discover some clcw. However. to nv
surprise, they walked some little distance.
iN 'iieh Sot ilto lhnSOm. L Jumped
INTO another, and ordered the driver to
folio" theirs and stop where it stopped.
Much to my disgust, Paddington station
seemed their destination, and when after
paying my man hurried into the station,
! was just in time to see them disappear
into q tirst-class carriage as the train
steamed off
l had lost her for that time, but com
forted myself with the idea that we must
meet during the season, and determined
at once to look up all my old friends, and
accept all the invitations got, for until
now, wrapped up in my art, / had rather
neglected the first, and always declined
tue last. But everything had changed
since my dream had been the shadow OF
this sweet reality seemed to have reached
a 0tn h..,.,