The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1898-03-11

L
remained at Sycamore Creek till Sen.
tcmbcr Of that year: then the place
grew hateful to me. Everything about
it reminded ME of the dead girl. / re.
moved to Nashville. l called fire.
quently on Matthew WatsOn's family,
and Mrs. Watson talked to me Of her
daughter. She often said it would be
some mitigation Of her grief II she
only had likeness Of her child.
photographs and even daguerro-
types were unknown IN those days
and miniatures were rare in this c0un.
try because OF the scarcity OF good |
artists.
George w. Dodge was the most |
noted miniature painter OF that day.
1t was he who painted the celebrated
miniatures OF Henry Clay, Daniel
Webster and Andrew Jackson. He
lived about the time Polk was elected
President. He came to Nashville
shortly utter l did, and | met him.
AS STRANGE REQUEST.
"An idea struck me. l went to
Dodge and said: Could you make a
likeness OF person you never saw?'
lie laughed at me. l explained
more fully. May Frances face was
just as vivid in my mind as though l
were looking at her. could describe
her accurately, and l could get models
OF her features.
dodge became interested. 1T looks
impossiblc,' he said, but would like
to try it. First, however, must have
a cast OF her face
"'But she has been dead six months.
"'I must have it, said he. 1T is
necessary for me to have the exact
dimensions and proportions OF the
OsscOus structure. Without that no
description would be OF any service.
With 1t l may get a likeness, but 1t Is
doubtful
"You shall have it, said. l went
to Matthew Watson and unfolded my
plan. 1t was to obtain likeness of
May Frances and present it TO her
mother. lie agreed to aid me by CIV
ing his consent to the body being cx-
humed.
"Dr. Il. X. Martin, Mr.. James f.
Yeatman-now OF St. Louis, and tue
only person living except myself who
had any hand in the affair-Artist
Dodge and l went to the cemetery at
night, opened the grave and took out
the corpse that had been put there six
months before In a walnut coffin.
dodge took plaster paris cast OF
the dead face, and we reinterred the
remains.
"Then 1 began hunting models.
Whenever l saw a agirl or woman
with feature like one Of May Fran.
ces', l got acquainted with her and
took her to the artist. He would
sketch the feature. In that way got
the nose, the ears, the turn Of the jaw,
the chin, the growth Of the hair about
the temples, the curve OF the lips, and
other features. l don't think we got
any two fcatures'from the same per-
son. ----~----
SEARCHING FOR A PAIR OF EYES.
~ looked for weeks before l got
the eyes. l was almost In despair. al.
though it has never been my nature
to abandon an undertaking, and
Dodge drew dozen OF eyes in the hope
OF getting the right kind by accident.
Finally one night l was at the supper
table in the old City Hotel, and saw
those eyes. They were in the face 0l
a handsome matron OF forty, but they
were the eyes Of May Frances.
;, 81 inquired who the lady was, and
learned that she was Mrs. John j.
Crittenden, the first wife OF Ken
tucky's famous Senator (his second
, wife was Mrs. Ashley, Of st. Louis
and that she would probably leave
Nashville next day. l sent my caro-
; to her room, and she came into th'
hotel parlOr.
r "'What is it you wish, sir" sh'
} asked.
"'Madame, / want your eyes, l re
piled.
"Shc rccoilcd in astonishment. Sh,
/ thought / was a madman. Then
/. explained, telling her what l had don
!, and what l hoped to do. She entered
(. into the spirit Of the thing at once
G Certainly will give Mr.. Dodge
e sitting, she said, and she did. not one
y but several, for she seemed anxious a
c l that the picture should prove su
S ceS.
IN sEACH OF A SMILE.
J. "Thcre remained only May Frances
@ smile to make the picture perfect
8 There was but one duplicate Of II o.
carth.-her mothers. II seemed
q hopeless task to try To get that, 10
since her daughter died Mrs. Watson
r had never smiled.
A II went again TO Mr.. Watson. uel
I your wife To sit for her miniature
! said. He persuaded her to go II
: Dodge. was there with DIR. Il. X
: Martin. DR.. Martin was u fatnou
. xlt. Whilo Mrs. Watson was pOslni
!. he told funny story after funny story
He made her laugh. Following th
laugh her face was wreathcd IN JUS
: =, ~. in M ,s,6u s.,onk ~ ttNuu,tro -,