The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1889-05-30
AN ARTISTS VISION.

AN AkIISI VISION.
How many sleepless nights and
weary, wandering days that haunting
face had cost me, and yet seemed as
far from its discovery rs ever, while
the picture on which my hopes of fame
were built, and in which so many
beautiful thoughts and dreams were
enshrined, stood unfinished on my
easel. I strove again and again to
paint the face l had seen in my visions,
but alas! the moment l seized my
brushes and pallet 1 found myself
painting an ordinary woman's beauty
instead of that soulful and mystical
loveliness grown perfect and precious
through centuries of spiritual COM
munion with the denizens of the dim
| land of dreams.
At last. one night, after painting all
day in vain, thew myself down on
tiger skin in front of the pictures, ut
terly wearied out. and fell asleep,
though to this day l am not sure if
what seemed merely sleep to the ma
terial part of me was not really a
spiritual experience, sent by those un-
seen helpers who are ever near US to
prepare and strengthen me for the fu-
ture pain.
| / saw a mountainous coast, with
deep purple hills melting into tender
liIacs 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 a
lurid cOppery hue, and, save the bells,
not sound was heard, while | felt a
growing horror and terror in that
heavy, stagnant air.
1 strove to fly, and in the darkness.
which was growing slowly, suffused
with a weird, unearthly light, as if the
pitiful stars had faltered back into the
morning sky to comfort the wailing
people, l stumbled over something in
my path, and, peering down, saw it
was an open coffin. Wherein Law q
yelled woman. Half unconsciously J
stretched out my hand to raise the
veil, and saw the haunting face l had
sought everywhere in vain for my pic
ture.
l sprang up with a cry of terror. and
awoke in my darkened studioi But
the face was as clear now as if she lay
before me in her coffin and still very
family 1 fancied l could hear the
clashing of those weird bells in the
distance.
l lighted my lamp and worked on
and on, with that strange feeling OF
possession one has sometimes-as if
some mighty power outside us were
guiding our hands and inspiring our
thoughts.
Gradually the dawn, faint and pale
and ghostly, as it comes to us in Lon
don, stole into my room. | extinguish-
ed my lamp, but still worked on, and
at last there lay the lovely face, clear
and distant.
MY picture, 1.-The Vision," was duly
sent to the Royal academy and ac'
cepted; not only accepted, indeed. but
actually hung in the place of honor
in one of the best rooms, and l was
overwhelmed with the generous con-
gratulations 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 had painted from nc
living model. but only from dream
face; and my closest friend, Reginald
Doone, expressed the general feeling
when he said:
s.Ah, well, old man, you want tC
keep her to yourself. l don't blame
YOU, for there is not such another
face in England. By Jove" he broke
off under his breath, with a mischiev
Gus look at me, .'look there; is that |
dream, tOoP"
And following his glance / saw, t.
my anMzement and delight, the orig
iual of nv picture. Involuntarily
glanced at it. Yes; every line, ever,
curve of the sweet face was reproduced
with absolute fidelity, and l stood
if turned to stone as she paused befor
the picture. and an old gentleman
who was with her said, in tone O
surprise:
'Why, Ina, that is your portrait!'
A faint flush rose in the lovely. pal
face as she murmured:
"Oh, no, papa; 1 am not beautiful
like that!"
, 81 must have that picture" he add
\ ed, as, after another long look, the
passed on.
l had placed price of 1000 guinea
on my picture, wishing to keep 1T fo
myself, and thinking no one would b
likely to give that sum for the work {
comparatively unknown artis
However, | found shortly afterwar
that it was sold to a well-know
dealer.
followed my ''vision" at distano
through the gallery, asking every on
| knew who she was, but no one coul
tell me anything about her; and a
last, when they left. | was fain to TO
low still, thinking from their carriae
= might be able to discover some cleV
- However, to my surprise, they wake
N some little distance and then got int
NJ hanson. jumped into another an
D ordered the driver to follow theirs an
: stop where it stopped. Much to m
disgust Paddington station SCENE
their destination, and when, after pa.
ing my man, l hurried into the static
was Just in time to see them dlsaI
pear into first-class carriage as ii
train started of!
Ihad lost her for that tina hgt