The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-10-20

the following wees. On Ine Saturuay
there was long consultation in the work.
shop with two of the cleverest men In the
trade with respect to the casting of the
group, which had now received the last
touch, and IL was agreed that on the Mon
day following the operation should be be-
gun. Taras told me this when the work.
men were gone. and found him in the
workshop. There he stood before his work
with folded arms, and after regarding it in
silence for few minutes he said with inn
pressive forces
"This is the finest work have ever done
In my life. Aura. am pooud of it."
1t was the pride Of conscious strength,
not the vanity Of weak mind, that i'm
PEELED him to say this, and it evoked cor
responding feeling Of exultant admiration
In my breast that banished all foolish
thoughts and compunctions. slipped my
hand under his arm and pressed 1t. was
proud, TOO, not of the work, but of the man
whose genius had produced it.
'It should be his finest work." said to
myself as the awful reflection flashed upon
me that it was likely to be his last and
that it would cost him his life
We went TO Kew on Sunday afternoon
and fingered under the beautiful trees i'm
outv' We were both more silent than
usual, for we were both thinking about the
group-he with some anxiety, probably,
about the delicate operation of the morrow,
for the result of its successful achieve
ment. But with my anxiety was mingled
q supreme happiness, a fitting sense Of my
privilege in being the friend and companion
of such noble man.
I'm Mopdav N, ,orpinu II roca % ri opa <xe
ing out to the atelier raw Taras standing
in the doorway, his chin sunk upon his
breast and his eyes fixed on something
within.
At the sound Of my step he raised his
head and turned, looking down Mt me with
deep detection in his face and with such va
cancy in his regard that could scarcely be-
lieve he saw me.
"Tarasl" exclaimed. halting at the foot
of the steps in wonder and fear.
Without word he beckQped me to come
up, and as / reached his side on the landing
he raised his hand and pointed within.
With achoking cry Of dismay perceived
that his work-the beautiful group on
which he had spent months of patient
labor and strenuous thought--lay n shape
less wreck upon the floor. The irons that
supported the subject stood there, n gro
tesque skeleton of the living figures, but
the modelled clay was heaped upon the
floor in shapeless mass, the original de-
Ngn beaten ogt OF recognition.
For the moment thought that, finding
h hfallen and his work spoilld, hchimself had
,rampled upon IL in Go of frcnzied cxas.
peration.
WAS IL too dnmp'n I asked. knowing
the care he tool, to wiring out the wetted
cloths that envelopcd the group at night
time.
He shook his head.
"Then who has done thisf" asked.
"The car" he replied. Ellis arm is
long"
But not so long ns yours" said I, fired
with spirit IF revengcful wrath "You
will not give ih because of this You will
fight him TO the end What you have done
before you can do ngain. You can build up
the figures once NOR. and make them as
beautiful as they were. IL IL only matter
OF time"
MY brave Aura" said he. laying his
hand aTectionately ON my shoulder, "you
give ma the courage lack. Yes, that Is
the way % face n disaster like this. Take
up the sword aud fight on. That alone
makes defeat honorable. What does II
matter 1.-The delay Of few monthsi We