Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1891-06-05
MURILLO'S SLAVE.

One beautiful summer morning about
the year 1880, several youths of Seville APP
preached the dwelling of the celebrated
painter Murillo, at which they arrived near
" az the same time
After the usual salutations they entered
the stu!io. Murillo was not vet there. and
each Of the people walked quickly to his
easel to examine if the paint had dried, or
pcrhlp-. to admire his work of the previ-
Gus evening.
"Pfly, gentlemen exclaimed Isturitz
angriiy, (which of you remained behind in
the studio last night?''
"What an absurd question: replied Cor
doya. Don't you recollect that we all
came away together?'
"Ths is a foolish jest. gentlemen" an
swere Isturitz. Last evening | cleaned
my palette with the greatest care, and now
it is as dirty as if some one had used it all
night"
"Lookn' exclaimed Carlos. "Here is a
small figure in the corner of my canvass.
and it is not badly done. l should like to
know who it is that amuses himself every
morning with sketching figures sometimes
on my canvass, sometimes on the walls
There was one yesterday on the easel,
Ferdinand"
'Gcntlemen," replied Isturiz, II pro-
test
"You need not protest" replied Carlos
eve all know you are not capable of
sketching such figure as that"
"And my pencils are quite wet said
Gonzalo, in his turn. "Truly, strange
things 90 on here during the night"
''Do you think, like the negro Cameo
that it is the Zombi who comes and PLAYS
all these trickSDH said Tsturitz
"Truly," said Mendez, who had not vet
spoken, being absorbed in admiration of
the various figures which were sketched
with the hand of a master in the different
parts of the studio, "if the Zombi of the
negroes draws in this manner, he would
make beautiful head of the Virgin in my
Descent of the Cross"
With these words Mendez with a care
less air approached the easel, when an ex-
clamation of establishment escaped him,
and he gazed in mute surprise on his can
vass, on which was roughly sketched
most beautiful head of the Virgin: but the
expression was so admirable the lines so
clear, the contour SO graceful, that, COM
pared with the figures by which it was en-
circled, it was as if some heavenly visitant
had descended among them.
''Ah what is the matter?" said a rough
voice The pupils all turned at the sound
and all made respectful obesance to the
great master
"Look, Senior Murillo; lookr' exclaim-
ed the youths, as they pointed to the easel
of Mendez.
''Who has painted this-who has paint
ed this head, gentlemen" asked Murillo
eagerly. 'Speak; tell me. He who has
sketched this Virgin will one day be the
master of us all. Murilo wishes he had
done it. What touch! Such delicacv.
Such skill! Mendez, my dear pupil, was it
you?''
mo, senor," replied he, in sorrowful
tone.
WAS it you, then, Isturitz, or Ferdinand
or Carlos?'
But they all gave the same reply as Men
DEE.
at could not, however, come here with
out hands" said Murillo impatiently, in
deed.
81 think, sir" said Cordova, the young
est OF the pupils, ''that these strange pict-
ures are very alarming; indeed this is not
the first which has happened in your stu
dio. To tell the truth such wonderful
things have happened here one scarcely
knows what to believe"
where are they?" asked Murillo, still
V
gin by the unknown author.
According to your orders, senor.m an
swered Ferdinand, 1--WE never leave the stu
do without putting everything in order
cleaning our palettes, washing our brushes
and arranging our easels; but when we re-
turn in the morning not only is everything
in confusion, our brushes filled with paint,
our palettes dirtied, but here and there are
sketches beautiful sketches to be sure they
are), sometimes of the head of an angel,
sometimes of demon, then again the pro-
file OF young girl, or the figure of an old
man, but all admirable as you have seen
yourself, senor"
This is certainly curious affair: but
we shall soon learn who this nightly Wis
liant is. Sebastian" he continued, adj
dressing little mulatto boy about four
teen years old, ''did l not desire you to
sleep here every night?"
Eyes, MASTER" said the boy with much
timdity
"And have you done SOP"
Eyes, master"
'Speak, then, who was here last night
and this morning before the gentlemen
came? Speak, slave, or l shall make YOU
acquainted with my dungeon" said SIu-
rillo, angrily, to the boy, who continued to
twist the band of his trousers without re-
plying.
"Ah, you don't choose to answer" said
Murillo, pulling his ear.
mo one, master, no One,' replied the
trembling Sebastian with eagerness.
"That is false" exclaimed Murillo.
mo one but me, | swear you, master"
cried the mulatto, throwing himself on his
knees in the middle of the studio and hold
ing out his little hands in duplication.
'Listen to me-" pursued Murillo 81
wished to know who has sketched this head
of the Virgin and all of the figures which
my pupils find here on coming to the stu
dio. This night, in place of going to bed,
you shall keep watch, and if by tomorrow
you do not discover who the culprit is, YOU
shall have twenty-five strokes from the
lash. You heart have said it: now 90
and grind the colors, and you, gentlemen,
to work.
From the commencement to the termin-
alton of the hour of instruction Murillo
was too much absorbed with his pencil to
allow word to be spoken but what re-
garded their occupation, but the moment
he disappeared the pupils made ample
amends for this restraint, and as the un-
known painter occupied all their thoughts
the conversation naturally turned to that
subject.
Beware, Sebastian, of the lash, - said
Mendez, land watch for the culprit; but
give me the Naples yellow"
"You do not need it, Senior Mendez: you
have made il yellow enOuoh. and "a m tba !