Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1894-08-10
WILLIAM MORRIS HUNT.

In the August number of the New Eng
land Magazine Helen NJ. Knowlton, an APP
precative and loving pupil of the great
artist, has an interesting article on the life
and career of William Morris Hunt. 1t
covers u pages, including the numerous
engravings made from some of Mr.. Hunts
best known pictures. The writer notes
the birth of Mr.. Hunt in Brattleboro
March 81, 1924, and says that his taste for
art was derived from his mother, whose
desire to become painter was sternly
crushed by her father, an old-time New
Highlander, who saw no good in such
needless accomplishment. After the
death of her husband the mother took her
children to Europe to educate them. Will
liam Morris began his studies in Rome but
found his real inspiration in Paris. The
account of his acquaintance with Milet is
especially entertaining. The story of his
career after his return to this country is
delightfully."- told. The artists work reach
ed its climax in the great mural paintings
in the Albany capitol, which were so soon
destroyed by the shiftless and dishonest
construction of the ceiling of the senate
chamber. An attack of nervous prostra-
| ton followed the completion of this work.
which had greatly overtaXed Mr.. Hunt S
strength.
OF his death by drowning, which took
place in September, 1879 at the Isles of
Shoals, where he was staying with his sis
ter at Mrs. Thaxter's cottage, the writer
says: "The long Illness, from nervous
prostration, was borne with great equa-
nimity and fortitude, and with constant
thought for the comfort and welfare of
others. His drowning, in the little reser-
voir at Appledore, gave rise to a story
which greatly panied his friends, who
knew that in his nature was no hint OF
cowardice Whatever his sufferings, and
they had been great he would have endur-
ed to the end, as he did. Through the
summer he had been subject to fits of yer.
tigo. These indeed had come to him years
before, when driving near deep water, and
frequently while working on the high stag
ing in Albany. 1t had been his custom tC
visit the little pond daily, and watch the
birds coming down TO the water to drink
He was leaning upon his umbrella
Doubtless, the vertigo came upon him, anC
, he fell, unconscious, into the water s.
good a swimmer would have been startled
back to life; but life had fed. Such wa
the conclusion reached by those who heart
the testimony of a surgeon who was a
APpledore at the time; and it was strength
ened by the fact that his umbrela-staff wa
found, months after, broken, as if by hi
: weight in falling"
All this is of great interest to Mr.. Hunt
Brattleboro friends, who were many. Tn
magazine article does not record the fac
that his burial was in the town of his birth
3 and that his grave is on the brow of tn
2 hill in Prospect Hill cemetery, where on
T. looks OFF across the tree-hidden village t
! the Connecticut river winding along tn
4 foot of Wantastiquet, and to the delectabl
5 mountains which mark the horizon on tn
north. The grave is covered by heav
i slab of polished granite, which bears til
:, simple inscription: civilian Morris Hun
; born March 81, 1924 died Sept. 5, 1879.