The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-03-03

the privilege oil painting the heroine oil
the most successful canvas Of tine year,
Isabelle Urouhart was pleased to make
the ACQUAINTANCE Of these gentlemen.
But she resolutely declined all their
s-1Iterlng offers, She was professional
actress, she declared, not professional
model, She had merely posed for Mr..
Nader Brown because he was friend,
as she would probably pose for her
other friends when her lines OF figure
would assist in The completion OF their
pictures. lhlslltimatum caused every
painter who was intimately acquainted
with the actress to become an object OF
envy to his associates, But Miss Urqu-
hart remained firm in resisting all out
side Establishments. She was OF inval-
liable aid to the little studio circle OF
which she was an hoRored member, but
refused to pose except for the artists
whom she liked personally. Nor would
she accept money for these services.
There was certain firmness in her
flesh that gave it rich, symmetrical
contour OF maturity conjoined to the
fresh color and delicacy OF maidenhood,
This 10 so rare quality in models that
the actress could have demanded almost
any terms for posing, She not only
would give her services to art gratuit-
ously, but in many instances compel
led her wealthy friends to buy the pic
lures she had stood for.
NO" she would say, deCisively, II
won't give you a signed photograph. |
want you to go to Mr.. Sepia's studio
and pay him $500 for Il picture he has
painted OF me" and in every instance
tho request was complied with.
On one occasion, some FIVE years ago,
Isabelle Urquh0rt's devotion to art
came near ending the young comic
opera singers career. Among her
friends was q sculptor who entreated
her to allow him to make cast OF her
form. Yielding with her usual good
nature to his request she visited the
studio, and in due time her body and
limbs were lying swathed in a shape
less mass OF plaster weighing several
hundred pounds. During the drying
period tho sculptor bethought himself
that his beautiful model would have q
keen appetite after getting out OF the
matrix. He babe Miss Urquhart to lie
perfectly still, and locking the studio
door, hurried to an adjacent caterers
to order luncheon sent up, On the
way back an old print shop attracted
his attention and, with the absent
mindedness natural to artists, he be-
came immersed in q portfolio OF fine
engravings, and quite forgot his model,
his cast and his luncheon.
Meanwhile the pretty actress was lay
ing helpless in his studio. At first she
was amused at her novel predicament,
but very soon she commenced to realize
its discomtorts. The mass OF plaster by
which she was enveloped was SO heavy
that she could move neither hand nor
foot. She presently discovered to her
alarm that one OF the properties OF plRs-
ter OF Paris is to shrink in the process
OF drying. About the same time che
realized appallingly that it possessed
the characteristics OF emitting great heat
in becoming solidified. As is customary
with sculptor's models for casting, the
actress had been copiously creased from
chin TO toe with n shiny mixture OF oil
and tallow. The heat OF the plaster, the
grease, and warm spring day, COM
bined with tho natural glow OF the
lovely woman's body, soon transformed
the huge matrixinto an oven,
Miss Urquhart'was used to both Turk
ish and Russian baths, but at that mo-
ment she began TO feel as il she was
threatened with the fate prepared for
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abeduego. In
addition to its fiery heat the mold COM
menced to shrink slowly but surely, un-
til the plaster, which had at first fitted
comfortably around every curve in her
form, now frightened in vicelike grip
from which there was no escape. After
half an hour OF sutiocation Miss Urqu.
hart believed that the sculptor had
been run over in the street, tried to
scream but could not expand her lungs
sufficiently to gain breath for the vocal
effort, gaveup all hope OF rescue, and
prepared to die.
II would bea tterSdveftisement for
comic opera divinity, she thought,
than any loss ofdiamonds, and she could
already see columns in the morning pa
pers recounting tho tragic and unparal-
ieled death OF well-known actress.
But, she considered ruefully, it wouldn't
do any good, Better, she muttered
family, have life and a steady $3.50 a
week than posthumous fame achieved
by dying slowly and horribly in a sculp.
tors plaster matrix. Suddenly a knock
was heard at the door, and the almost
unconscious young woman revived sud.
denly with renewed hope OF rescue.
Miss Urquhart tried to call out, but the
great mass Of plasterclutched her bosom
so firmly that she could scarcely breathe.
1t was the waiter with the luncheon.
After pounding at the door for aev-
eral minutes and yelling through the
keyhole without hearing any response,
he picked up his tray Of dishes and re.
turned to the caterers. Overcome by
the horror OF losing this last chance Of
release, Miss Urquhart tainted. A few
minutes later the sculptor returned and
was terrified to find his model, as he
supposed, dead. Hastily Selling q
hammer and chisel he Clipped off the
matrix and extricated the lovely wom-
an. The cast was irratrievably spoiled.
but neither the luncheon nor the
sculptor's ardent persuasions could in
duce Isabelle Urquhart TO have another
cast made OF the most equsitively
beautiful form that was ever seen on
the stage OF America.
Uoy,.ro ~ Otntu,an,s Fo, Cnt,..I, 1,1,nt