THE FIRST SUBJECT, 



103 



short, means, to get a reflection of her face on the 

 glass in the camera obscura at that one particular 

 point of view which presented it better than any 

 other ; and when this was obtained, the miniature 

 likeness of the object was so faithfully reflected, 

 that, as artists carried away by enthusiasm, we were 

 obliged to call in the papas and mammas, who pro- 

 nounced it beautiful — to which dictum we were in 

 courtesy obliged to respond. 



The plate was now cleaned, put into the box, and 

 the light shut off. Now came a trying time for the 

 young lady. She must neither open her lips nor 

 roll her eyes for one minute and thirty seconds by 

 the watch. This eternity at length ended, and the 

 plate was taken out. 



So far our course had been before the wind. 

 Every new formality had but increased our impor- 

 tance in the eyes of our fair visiters and their re- 

 spectable companions. Mr. Catherwood retired to 

 the adjoining room to put the plate in the mercury 

 bath, while we, not knowing what the result might 

 be, a little fearful, and neither wishing to rob an- 

 other of the honour he might be justly entitled to, 

 nor to be dragged down by another's failure, thought 

 best to have it distinctly understood that Mr. Cath- 

 erwood was the maestro, and that we were merely 

 amateurs. At the same time, on Mr. Catherwood's 

 account, I took occasion to suggest that the process 

 was so complicated, and its success depended upon 

 such a variety of minute circumstances, it seemed 



