Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1908-05-22
THE VISION SPLENDID.

When out of his turbulent fancies, he
came to the world again. He was walk
ing rapidly through the heart of the
West End. As he walked, he became
conscious of the great houses, piled on
each side of the square man
sions occupied by the wealth and fash
ion of the town. Many of them were
closed, for the season had not com
menced. Some, however, were lighted
and showed signs of occupation, and.
as he walked, one house stood clearly in
| his memory because it gave a picture
to his receptive senses.
| 1t was a huge house, cold and gray,
! but the room overlooking the square.
on the ground floor, was blaze of well
coming light The details were hidden
by the window draperies. They were OF
curious gauze-like whiteness. throw.
ing film over the interior. In the light
woman stood for a moment, the shad-
ow of her figure and face thrown sharp
| ly on the gauze in silhouette The
woman was plainly visible, regal fig-
ure, in white evening dress. Bnt.
though plainly visible, alluring with the
| fascination of her gaze, the filmy dra-
4
hint of the woman's beauty-a hint no
sooner given than it was covered and
hidden again by the elusive fabric Of
the drapery. For a moment the figure
remained there, like graceful beckon-
ing phantom. The artist stood looking
eagerly, taking in the possibilities.
"Fame-the elusive goddess-Fame.n
he said
| Ere the words had escaped him the
figure stepped from underneath the
| light, in the direction of the door. and
as she passed out of sight, the light was
switched off, leaving the sombre house
in darkness.
Fame elusive; Fame seen-Fame al.
most grasped. And when YOU stretch
out hand to hold the garland. there Is
nothing only darkness" the artist said
aloud.
So the great symbolic painting. Fame.
the Elusive, was born.
1t is not for mere writer to describe
IN awkward words a masterpiece that
can be remembered and is still to be
seen. When it hung, completed, IN the
Academy, year after its completion. it
held a crowd each day. Critics debated
and explained it, some raved about Il.
some disliked it. But all the men who
paint and talk about painters in the
studios allowed that as a painting IT
was sheer masterpiece
1t brought fame to Ralph Taunton's
studio doors; fame no longer elusive.
fame that materialized in the postal de-
livery IN fashionable correspondence.
fame which took shape in the press in
criticism; fame which was yisualized
by the visitors who mounted the studio
steps Society seemed to decide that life
had not exhausted its possibilities until
Taunton had painted its portrait.
Many time Ralph left his studio and
walked the old promenade down the
Kings Road to the great squares. con-
trasting the earlier days of his artistic
career with the present. MANY times
he sought the gray house in the square
at night for glimpse of his elusive
mascot. But the house remained closed
and no light ever flashed from its upper
windows
Two years later, in the early autumn.
he was crossing the channel. The night
was raw, cold and dark, and the decks
were deserted Taunton paced the for
ward deck alone, watching The great
boat leap through the darkness to the
song of the protesting waves.
His aimless musings were suddenly
broken. Along the deck, leading past
the upper cabins, woman moved out
of the darkness beyond into the light
swinging over the cabin entrance. For
a moment she stood in the white halo,
a regal figure in the blazing circle of
| light.
The painter started to his feet, and
his hand swept across his eyes. 1t
seemed like a trick of vision-some
strange phantasy played by the brain
on the eyes. The figure standing in the
light, silhouetted for few seconds like
a statue, was real: but the face, look
ing from the awning out to sea, might
have come straight from the picture
hanging on the studio wall.
"Madam--one moment" he said, his
Voice sounding strangely hoarse
"Wellq" she asked, CURLY and coldly
/ ut sounds futile, know" Ralph said;
but for moment l thought you were
not real-were vision out of the mys-
tic night"
| The woman's ffine eyes smiled for a
moment into his.
"A visionl Why a visiong What a
strange thing to say! Do / look inn
palpahle9 Surely a woman's greatest
! failure!"
Il thought you were Fame, the Flu.
sive." he said.
She looked at him. then smiled.
Il think that magic head and the i'm
palpable figure have turned mems heads.
Other men have said the same thing to
me- 1t is nice to be flattered if the de-
eeptiou is not too obvious; but the man
who painted that woman's head knew
her as men seldom know women-had
looked into her soul II is to be under
stood as the painter understood, for
which women crave; and | have never
known the painter, so it cannot be so"
Il thought you We're vision" the
painter continued. Il saw a woman
once looking from n window in Ebury
square. l did not see the face. it was
family blurred by the hanging, fiImy
curtains. All that year had been CROP
| ing for fame and recognition; MISSING.