Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1898-10-20
A CELEBRATED 'NTkILBY"
The Beautiful Model of Sir Ashley
Cooper's Painting.
Secured Through a Mortgage Upon
Her FamiIy's Missouri Home
stead-Source of a Groat
Picture.

Had it not been for mortgage on a
Missouri homestead, it is certain that
the world would never have seen Asst
ley D. NJ. Cooper's wonderful painting
of "Trilby." There might have been
a painting of that subject by the same
artist, but it could never have been the
masterpiece which the present painting
is. 1t was that mortgage that gave Mr..
Cooper his model.
Her name cannot be Did, for she is
not professional model, and is now
the wife of a Kansas City business man.
Some years since she was living the
happy life of country girl on her
wealthy fathers farm in western Mis-
souri,. She grew up wild and free, I'M
restrained in spirits and in form. No
corsets ever encircled her waist and no
tight shoes distorted her feet; she grew
to womanhood an unfettered child of
nature, beautiful in form, face and man
ner.
Then came misfortunes for her IA
Their. The grasshoppers devastated his
fields and he was compelled to mort
gage the homestead. Troubles came
thick and fast, and at last the father
died, leaving his wife and child with
out resources and WI heavily mort
gagged homestead. ey were women
of spirit, though, and they faced the
crisis bravely. They went to Kansas
City, where the mother secured employ
ment as cashier in department store,
the daughter being saleswoman in the
same establishment
Their common purpose was to save
money enough to raise the mortgage
on the old home. But as they came
and went from their lodgings to the
store each day, and as they performed
their duties all eyes were upon them,
the superb daughter renewed the moth
er's age, and the handsome, dignified
woman of middle age was sure promise
of what her child would be-
1t was admitted on all sides that
such a superb incarnation of the fe-
male form divine as that of her daugh-
ter's had never been seen before. I'm
pressed by the pure beauty of her face
and form, men instinctively bowed and
respectfully made way for her as she
passed along the streets. She soon
came to be known as the Living Ven
us" and as such was known to many
people who knew nothing of her life.
At this time a friend who lived in
Kansas City wrote to Ashley Cooper
that he had seen on the streets of that
city the woman of goddess-like form
who alone would serve for a model for
perfect Trilby. Mr.. Cooper had great
faith in his friends Judgment in such
matters, and came post haste TO Kan
sas City. He secured an introduction
to the beautiful girl, and with all pos
sible tact suggested his purpose. She
Indignantly refused his offer. but Mr..
Cooper was so impressed by her beauty
that he could not content himself with
refusal. He labored with the mother.
persuaded her, promised price for the
service that would raise the mortgage,
and endeavored to show the dauohter
that there need be no sacrifice of her
maidenlv modesty. The girls friends
heard of the offer and of the gentle
manly way in which it had been pre-
scented, and urged her TO give art the
benefit of her wonderful form. Finally
she yielded.
Accompanied by her mother she went
to Mr.. Cooper's beautiful home in San
Jose. where. during four months, she
furnished the inspiration, and was the
sole model for the great picture as it
grew ever more and more perfect. and
soon both became so absorbed in the
progress OF the painting that the four
months passed as so many weeks.
When the picture was completed the
mother and daughter returned to Kan
sas City, where the latter has since
married very well.-Boston Herald