Year: 1870

of beautiful foreign city, lived a woman
and her little son, whom we will call Henri
The boy had no recollection of his father,
who had cruelty deserted both his wife and
child. Their only means of subsistence
was what could be obtained by the wo
mans labor-such household work as could
be obtained in the dwellings of the rich
Sometimes she had to walk long distance
to and from her occupation, but no muir
mur ever escaped her lips, save one of re
gret that her little fair haired boy had to
be left alone ia her absence. and that she.
could not earn money enough to send him
to school. Nature. however, all unaided,
was teaching him without the aid of books
or masters, and everywhere in Florence
1.-THE city of fiowersl there was more than
sufficient 70 excite the admiration and sat
isfy the Cravings of this child of genius,
whose inqulring eyes would always Test on
whatever was beautiful-and such was to
be met with in every nook and corner of
the grand old place. The ''purple and
transparent shadows" which flooded the
whole city at eventide, and lit up the gor-
geous palaces and churches fair, made for
him so many glowing pictures, on which
his poetical Imagination dwelt long after
the first impression had passed away.


During his mothers absence, the greater
part of his time was was spent in what we
should call grubbing in the street cutters,
making odd looking things OF any soft n l.
terlal he could shape to the needed consls-
tency, just as one sees children making
sand houses at the seaside. These little
juveniles generally set up, and then de-
molish their buildings; Henri did nothing
of the sort. Every one of these little Jumps
were moulded into some form copied either
from nature or art for in that beautiful
city every street is museum. Projections,
bosses, finals, all are specimens of real
architectural beauty of peculiar and dis
tinetive type. For long time the young
boy continued to fashion objects of this
sort until, by kind of fresh Inspiration,
he aimed at representing the human form;
the only difficulty seemed to be how 10 OBJ
tain the models from which to work.


At length a happy thought occurred to
him. He had no money, but he could cas-


lyrewa1d the sitter by giving him his next
meal, and to loose that was nothing com
pared to the joy he felt at having some
chance Arab who would answer his purpose.
and who could be enticed by SO small a
gaerdon to the artists humble studio. In
spite OF his mothers remonstrances, Henri
worked away early and late, every day be
coming more passionately attached to his
beloved art.


Years sped on without any public recog-
milton OF his talent; but his resolute, per-
severing nature would not allow him to be
discouraged. 1t is tru7 that he was poor,
but then he was rich in hope, and sustain
ed by the consciousness of that inward
power which is the accompaniment of real
genius. He never dreamed of envying 9th
ers. but thought only of making himself
perfect in what he determined should be
the masterpiece of all his hitherto attempt
ed studies; one which was now growing to
ample proportions beneath his busy flu
gers.


At length his task, or rather his labor of
love, being complete, he told his mother
that he should ask permission to show il
at an exhibition of sculpture which was
shortly to take place in his native city. He
applied for PERMISSION, and his request was
granted, on condition that the statue
should be sent forthwith to the hall of in
spection.


THAT, gentlemen, is impossible re
piled Henri. 81 am very poor; and the
apartment in watch [ live is so small that
my work could ouly be removed by taking
of the roof.


The men looked at each other in amaze
ment; but there was SO much simplicity
anu honesty in the youth that. after con
terring together for few moments, they
proposed to accompany h m home to see
the marvellous production, to which Henri
at present declined to give any name. They
followed him up the narrow staircase to the
little garret, and looked around in vain for
the wonder they had come to behold
Henri saw their surprise, and with the a
word threw back 81 baizs curtain from the
floor, and revealed to them the lay-fgUre,
life size, of murdered man. The gentle
men started back in amaZement. So love-
w. in death, were the hneaments of that
exquisite face so faultlesS in form, so won
drously expressive OF purity and innocence.
that they could not believe it the work OF
an untutored youth, entirely devoid ofart-
education and of the laws of anatomy.
which the most critical admitted were per
fectly unassailablein the figure before them.
No; they would not credit it, and avowed
their belief that he had been implicated in
some terrible crime, for which the victim
had served as model. It was in vain that
the young sculptor protested, explained; {;
they were inexorable, and declared he
should be sent to prisou, and there await
the issue of the charge preferred against
him. They further desired him at.once to
name the counsel for his defense. "He shall
appear. gentlemen, on the day of trial; l
cannot give his name before"


Amazed beyond measure at the calmness
and self-possession displayed by Henri,
they felt compelled to acquiesce. Either
his youth, his beauty, or his earnestne> s
perhaps all three comoined-made the
judges so far mitigate their severity as to
allow him the use of his tools an Il ad-
mission of visitors during his imprison-
ment.


~ 1t is needless to dwell on the disappoint-
ment 10 the youth at this terrible blow to
his lo g cherished desires-hardly less on
his oV II account than on that of his good
mother, whom be had hoped to place be-
yond the need of all further earthly wants.
1t will better please the reader to learn that
he did not yield himself up to despair. His
will n. rived to plan, his hand to execute,
anoth statue equal if not superior to the
one he had already achieved.


1t " III readily be imagined that the ad-
vent OF such trial as that now impending
caused no small stir in the city. The hith-
erto obscure life of the young sculptor, and
the stand he had made about his counsel,
very considerably enhanced the anxiety
and excitement OF the public. Many, un-
able to restrain their impatience, visited
him in prison-sone, doubtless. impelled
BY curiosity, others moved by Some higher
motive. Among these were two distingu-
ished looking individuals, who CHANGED al
that time to be sojourning at Florence,
One was considerably past middle age; the
other (said to be his nephew was young
man, of remarkable handsome countenance
and noble figure. No restriction seemed
to be put either on the frequency or length
of their visits; whilst to poor H2uri, the
time thus spent was as gold and sunshine
in this otherwise dark phase of his career
Greatly 10 the astonishment of every one,
his M 1ther had removed to handsome
Eo0oia in the best quarter of the city; hel
sadness OF heart and countenance seemed
to have vanished; and there was a gladness
in her whole bearing, such as none who
had known her had ever before seen. Il
is a great mystery certainly, . said the gos
SIPS. chow this change should come abou