The state chronicle., 1893-05-24

oOoA A0uO00C0 OV0I tu0 10OA40SO - |
the work of the heaven born artist =?
Whether painting or sculpture, it
bends the mind to the illusions, as
if by the witchery of enchantment,
and surrounds it spell-bound with
any ideal creation, at it's pleasure.
In the service of virtue, it becomes
q salutary incentive to all that is
lovely and e1alting; and though
it's delights are of the most e1qui-
site character, they are never found
to tire. Uprisen these words on a
visit to the home of Virginia Dare.
Yes, yes, they have in their labors
resurrected Virginia Dare. We
need not say the reference is to Mrs.
George Kilder and Mrs. Robert
Cotton, discovering the marble of
such exquisite beauty so full OF life
that it seems as if the fire of Prom
etheus had been applied, and she
would speak to those two noble
ladies who have so gracefully and
overhowingly filled the task allotted
to them for the welfare and honor Of
North Carolina, at the greatest of
| ell expositions, and give the fullest
history of the first borl off spring
| of English parents on this western
world.
After the depths of three centu
ries thus by Louise Lander was
recreated Virginia Dare. And how
can any one define the qualification
communicated by such specimen
of art?
Being in Washington recently,
with His Excellency Governor Carr,
through his courtesy we visited to-
gether Miss Lander. He had been
especially commissioned to do so,rel-
ative to her statue of Virginia Dare,
by the North Carolina Lady Mana
gers of the Worlds Columbian Ex-
position. They had been conferrir g
with Miss Lander on the subject
and we're using every means to OBJ
tain this specimen of art for our
own State. Reaching the artists
residence a stormy afternoon, not
too much so, however, for the lovely
circles of flowers to att act con
stantly the attention of the Gov
ernor as one wheeled rapidly BY
{ them, we were met very courteously
and cordially. The object of the
visit was announced. Possessed Of
natural ease of manners, cheerful
ness in conversation, captivating
3 disposition and a frankness tina
could not be mistaken, Miss Landel
= won the most exalted esteem Of he
1 visitors at once. She began il
most charming way to describ'
the creation of "My Virginia" a
t she termed the statue. "Observins
I was in London and seeing ther
relics of the "Colonist," the ide'
: flashed across my mind that coult
re- create Virginia Dare. I went t,
! Rome and there began the statu
: which, in due time, was cut in mar
ole. The effort was to represen
T Virginia coming out of bath, an
. on the edge of the shore turnin g
i looking dreamingly over the sea 70
h other lands. A fish net is gracefull
;, worked partly around her. Th
statue finished was sent to Palos
. Spain, from where it was shippe,
e for Boston. Unluckily the vesse
- was wrecked on the coast of Spai
. with many other works of art. M
\ Virginia was insured for one thou
e sand dollars. Finally I was tole
e perhaps year afterwards, 1 mus
= take insurance. My grief can b
"a imagined at the supposed final los
!, of Virginia. These dates are nc
- remembered. I could not give thel
~ correctly without examining my ps
- pers. It must have been abor
~ ~ 1866" She continued: There is
~ law of Spain which prohibi
~ n the shipment of any cast ava
- - article on the coast, except diret
ams m to the place first designed. Thu
~ as before said, l thought Virgin
-, gone from me, if safe on shor
y But fortunately there we're such
- quantity of works of art for Bosto
~ with Virginia, vessel was sent fl
W them, thus she reached this coul
try; the condition of the contep
~ of the box unknown. Virginia ha
- been sold once by me for $500
~ the highest price then paid f
~ such work of art; but in cons
~ ~ quence of the purchasers inabili
oo w. to meet payments due, Virgin
w w came back into my possession.
g. Boston in box, with my Virgin
~ standing on her head 1 was offe
~ ed it for three hundred dolla
80 - With head off or head on I mu
Lo % pay the amount. Finally, I concl
ded to risk it, and my Joy can
:. imagined when 1 discovered V
- ginia to be safe. Miss Lander NJ
read some extracts extolling t
- statue, by our most eminent write
Continuing again, Virginia had see
ingly miraculously twice escap
G. destruction by fire.
10. We have followed Miss Lande
7e- history of the statue as closely
ort possible and it really appears
|oe will be shown presently, there
he Divine interposltion to get Virgin
of Dare to this State.
rs. Governor Carr now asked M
T,apdcr IS che oou11 bo ;pIrooI