The Yazoo sentinel. (Yazoo City, Miss.) 1878-1916, 1891-04-23
A PORTRAIT OF A LADY,
by MARY KYLE DALLAS

hin a painter. fho name upon m,
studio door Is familiar TO the fashionable
world, and ! have painted tn portraits
OF many Of the four hundred / am in.
vited 70 receptions, too, aud guests arc
brought up and introduced 10 mo by i'm.
port1nt gentlemen, who inform them that
lpainted that wonderful likeness OF Mrs.
S.. ] always consciontiously en-.
deayor 10 make the best picture can.
But, as never forget to mike a matron
at least fifteen years younger than she Is,
and to omit every crows.foot, limo and
wrinkle that years have traced upon her
face, a guilty blush comes to my own
when the mendacious stranger repeats !:
Wonderful likeness, wonderful. Mrs.
S. TO the lifo." For my own pleas
ure often sketch rugged and character
istic faces, old faces, worn faces, but
never 70 hang in the drawing rooms of
the rich, who all desire to be smooth and
smiling, and to look as though they had
paid time TO forget them.
My portraits, however, did not hang
on the walls OF rich men when this
story begins. / had nevor vet had one
accepted at the academy, aud had be.
gun to believe that | never should.
had canvasos galore, on which the iani.
tress and the lit..y match boy, the laun-
dress and the boot black figured CON
spicuously. They stood with their faces
turned to the wall about the room, But
orders had had none since had paid
my tailors bill In full.length family
group Of himself, his wife aud his six
children. This sort Of thing, you may,
Imagine. did not pay well, and had re-
solved to go back TO Corndoll, where
they would receive me with open arms,
and kill the fattod turkey for my sake.
To go baoS and take to farming, and
TRY TO live" Marie Jane Pell, whose
fathers farm was near to ours, as had
40 often been requested to do by my
mother.
Certainly, could never ask Stella
Hope, with whom | was tremendously
In love, TO marry me under
such circumstances, TO be
farmers wife and milk cows and mako
butter-Stella, who had graduated at
Vassar and was so brilliant and so stylish.
] had just hunted up pom with point,
found my ink bottle, and written at the
top ola sheet OF paper: "Dear Parents"
when, turning, beheld lady standing
by me, She was young woman, with
the popularity of black Dyes and very
blonde hair She was pale but beauti.
full On her left cheek was a soft brown
mole that looked, at a distance, like
patch OF court plaster She must have
come in a carriage, for she wore no bon.
net, but only a large and very remarkable
cloak Of some oriental fabric. As l
locked at her, surprised aud startled,
and vexed az having been caught in my
shirt-sleeves--certainly, the last thing |
had expected was a caller-she took her /
seat in the large chair prepared for sit. I
tiers, and said, softly;
"Noyer mind. Begin to paint me. 1 !
have so little time to stay"
She was certainly very peculiar per-
soa, In her manner as well as in her looks,
but she was very winning, nevertheless.
Moreover, she seemed to compel me do
as she demanded.
happened to have a new canvas Of
the size.on which l usually painted half
length portraits, and placed it upon my
easel, and rapidly sketched in the head
and figure. The work fascinated me.
When the first painting was accom-.
phshed, aud could do no more until it
bad dried, l signifod as much. and at
tais abe rose and stood before the can
vas.
SIT is good, she said. "Now look at
me well. may not be able to come
again Store every line and feature in
your memory, aud il I do not return, I'm /
ish the picture. Il will be well worth
your time and trouble. Do not forget
tins little mole on my cheek. Do not 1
forget how | wear my hair. Do not for
gel TINS ring upon my hand.
she smiled, gave me a little bow. I
opened the door, passed through Il, and
closed the door behind her. Iran to the
window, expecting 70 see the carriage
drive away, but II was already gone, il
one there had been, and | felt SURE no
lady could have'walkod in such dress.
| put my canvas in The sun, aud. after
space Of three days, placed it upon the
easel, and taking my brush, began to
work upon il. had been requested to
finish ~. whether the lady came to sit o.
not. Usually, this would have been i'm
possible; bGs he vivid memory that
retained Of her features, her colorin-
md her costume was astonishing.
For nearly = fortnight worked upon
.he picture without a model; bet when
{ vas completed, I felt SURF that Il was