Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1899-09-10

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| twitter; from the heart Of a thick
leaved holly comes the cry OF the red
cardinal; while high up in air swoops
a kite, silent, but with eye keenly bent
on all that is passing below. Seated
, or the cliff lodges, the rock-dove gives
out its gentle gooing; while the strike
of fercer nature, IS seen darling UP and
down the ravine, shooting from side to
side in pursuit of its insect prey-this
| also chased by swallows, that at inter-
walls descending dip their scimitar-
shaped wings in the p~ellucid waters of
! a pool, which, caught by a cross ledge,
spreads out below the spring. Ming
ling with the bird music there is a hum
ming of bees; and, to complete the SYM
phony OF Natures concert, the sound
of falling water. For below the pool
is a cascade, where the stream breaks
over its rocky barrier, and goes dane
ing on, feathered with froth.
All this under the eye of the artist
reminds him of his profession; the
very place for a picture. Even apart
from classic associations, the scene is
every way worthy of his pencil, having
all the desired adjuncts and require
ments-trees with finely tinted foliage
of various shades and colors; water
running and foam-crested; gray rocks
in the foreground; blue mountains at
back, with soft undulating outlines, in
places rising into rugged peaks-one
of these, the higher summit Gennaro,
capped and capped with snow.
What artist could look on such a
landscape without feeling a beside to
put its counterpart either on canvas or
paper? And this last Henry Harding
determines to do-having here no fear
of being hindered by the curiosity of
gaping rustics or their troublesome i'm
| %portunities.
Looking about for the best point of
view, he selects it upon a little shelf,
or platform, below the pool, partially
shaded from the sun by a projecting
ledge, and further by a wild walnut
tree which, growing out of the bank
above, spreads its outrageous branches
over all On the platform itself, at
back, a lower ledge, bench-like, Of
fers the artist a seat; and upon this he
plants himself, and takes out his para
~phernalia, including a box Of colors-
for he intends it to be a water-eolor
drawing.
Having spread before him his cartoon
paper he sits, brush in hand, taking
survey of the scene-in short, making a
study of preparatory to painting it.
The longer he looks the more is he
charmed with it. The light is in his
favor; the sun is near the zenith of the
sky clear, cloudless and blue as lapis-
lazuli; his golden beams, striking down
through the spaces between the trees,
leck the ground with dashes of chiaro
| and oscuro, while the placid, glass-like
surface of the pool forms a pleasing
contrast to the same in turbulent mo-
ton, where it sweeps snow-like and
seething over the crest of the obstruct-
ing ledge. On both sides rise the grim
rocks, here and there showing ragged
points that peep through the green cur
tain of the foliage, while beyond is
enough open sky to give a good view
of the bold mountain background.
1t has been already said that Henry
H%arding's forte, as his prediction, is
the landscape. He prefers also figures,
be they animal or human. In the pres
ent instances he has neither. and la
ments their absence. True, he might
supply them from fancy: but intending
to sketch a real scene. and do it con-
Observation-Disclosures to truth in the
minutest details-he will take no such
would be glad of a figure or two, and
almost regrets not having chartered
half a dozen of the rustics and brought
them UP along with him. 'Tis too late
now; he has no time to go back for
them. The vineyards are more than a
league below, to say naught about the
difficulty OF the path, downward as up
ward.
"a pity, too" he says, s~oliloquizing
aloud. IF I'd only thought of it in
time! There were several I saw that
would have served my purpose to a
nicely. Faces, figures, costumes
everything that could be desired for
such a scene as this. Three or four
of those fellows, with but slight alter
alton. would have made magnificent
models for brigands-no dummies eth
er. but living, speaking originals. 1t
only needed to put carbines in their
hands and stick pistols behind their
belts. Then / could have truthfully
called it a picture OF Italian bandits,
drawn from real life-the last. at all
| events. true. That would have been a
thing to boast of-somethng to hang
against the walls OF the Royal Acade-
! my. if l ever go back to England.
"Well, he concludes. resignedly, while