The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1896-02-18

quiet stream reading letter from her
lover.
Now, Miss Nash, if you please. we
will begin" he said to his model, aud
placed her in the desired position.
Then the artist took up his palette
and brush and seated himself in front
Of the blank canvas.
Then it was that his ewes missed
well-known sight, and they glarel
round the studio in bewildermept.
With an effort and II sigh he pulled
himself together and settled down to
work. Dipping his brush in the color,
he lifted 1t to the canvas and-maie
nothing but smear upon the sheet.
Again and again he essayed to bring
back mis- departed talent, but in vain.
with intense and unuttsrable horror
1t dawned upon him that his artisti7
genius had been but an intellectual
will-o'-the wisp. No sound escaped
from him; he was at once transfixed,
staring with wide-open eyes at the
canvas despatched with daubs without
form and void, and anon to the blank
wall beyond his easel.
All the time the model had been an
astonished witness of this remarkable
scene, but as the brush fell from
Hariy's grasp, and sinking upon a
chair he covered his face with his
hands In abiect misery, she rushed up
to him. care you i'll, Mr.. Hardy ?"
she asked breathlessly.
'Oh, it's nothing only-onlv I
cau't paint-all conception of how to
TO 1T has completely gone like
irightful dream when one awakes. It's
awful !" And an eternal darkness
seemed to gather over his very being.
Just then there was knock at the
door, and the baronet and his daugh
ter were ushcred in. They were deep
ly concerned at the phenomenon that
had occurred to the artist
Now, you and Mary must marry,
ana then possibly" the baronet said.
laughing, your intellectual blight
will disappear. You'll be nil right
financially; I've arranged that part OF
the business, so it won't matter ii you
never paint again"
A fortnight later the wedding took
place; Hardy was too occupied to
dwell on his lost genius. Three DAYS
only remained Of their honeymoon In
Scotland, when telegram arrived an.
nouncing that Sir Henry Greet had
died suddenly from paralysis. So, with
heavy hearts, the young couple at
once returned to London.
Six months had gone since the we'd
dlnS, and the painter and his wife
were living in the late baronet3 house
IN Grosvenor square, which, along
with all the other property of the
dead man, had been left to them. But
Hardy still haukerei after his lost
art, and continued to rent his old
studio.
One morning he and Moore were
smoking in the familiar room; everv-
thing had been kept exactly rs on the
day when the artists genius left him.
ALFRED, said Hardy, Eve strange
fancy, if The Dawn of Love were
placed again on the wall beyond the
easel, think l could paint little.
Let's act upon the idea -
A couple of hours afterward the fa-
nous picture was in its old position.
Hardy sat before n clean canvas. The
model posed for Beside Still
Waters, and after n stead(ast look at
THE Dawn of Love" the artist be.
gan operation. To his great surprise
the old skill came back to him rs
quickly as thought, and with such q
power as he had never known before,
and once more the glow of Inspiration
shone in his eyes.
At the next exhibition at the ROYAL
Academy beside Still Waters" was
even more popular than the celebra-
tel Dawn OF Love
Ever afterward Edward Hardv's
genius for painting was marvellous
when "Jhe Dawn OF Love" was before
MIN, but unless in the presence OF his
tailsman he had not the remofest 10.
ton of his art. Cases are on record
where by sheer force of will painters
have given to their brain creations
the figures in their pictures-the DOW.
er OF hypnotizing their authors, the
artists themselyes. Hence it has now
and again arisen that painter has
only been able to work at all while in
view OF one OF his masterpieces. Aud
thus 1t was with Hardy ana his Dawn
of Love"
The magic influence oS o product OF
the intellect, as our story shows. il
but m indication that there is q
genius and an inspiration impaired TO
some by ways that We cannot falhom.
but which are the inscrdiab!e Gcsicus
OF the Being B-auteous. -Tit.Dit..