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Marie’s letter to the Duchess April
9, 2002 About two months ago on February 18, 2002 I opened the Sunday New York Times and saw on the cover of the Book Reviews a young girl in a group portrait of the Mitford sisters who looked amazingly familiar to me. I thought I had seen and painted such a child sitting with her legs stretched at the same awkward angle. My heart skipped a beat. The little painting was steps away in the next room. And yes,it was the same child! I learned that you were that child from the book review and after much thought I decided to tell you the story of the painting. Many years ago, I was experimenting with a crystal ball that had belonged to my husband’s grandmother, a spiritualist, and I saw a little girl bathed in bright light. She was exquisite. As I was pregnant, I remember the date as late spring or early summer 1973, I thought she might be the child I was carrying. I already had five daughters. I’d probably have another. (It was a boy!) So the next day I painted a small sketch of the child. The painting did not convey the beauty of the child I had seen, but I was glad to get the image down. I remember struggling with the legs and that the little white shoes seemed to emerge from the paint by themselves and that as an afterthought I added the cat which I didn’t remember seeing in the crystal ball.. Two days after I saw the NY Times illustration for The Mitford Sisters I found the 1926 photograph on the internet and learned that my painting was more like the original photograph than the NYT illustration. Possibly in 1973 I picked up an image in the crystal ball from the spirit world that was meant for you or someone in your family. And thus I feel obligated, though twenty eight years late, to pass the message on. Sincerely, |
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