I was worn out from caring for my little girl for months. So I just let it go, and then, a few days later, I was called by the Art Department of Towson High School to substitute. This was the high school in the county where we lived. I had been there many times in many departments, but never before in the Art Department, or in any other department, for more than a day or so at a time, because, of course, the teacher always came back when I got underway and really got the kids to respect me, not throw things at each other, and so forth.

So there I was in the Art Department. I looked around me, and there was every material that anyone could possibly need for a fine painting. I had the material for a class in composition because I had the idea of a composition design with a straight line and a circular line, and so forth. I thought that the best way I could possibly teach something in this class was by standing up there and showing them how I myself would go about painting a picture.

Painting made in art class at Towson High School

It was quite successful, and they did many things. The class itself responded beautifully, and I got my painting done.

Letter about color of wings and garments

On the last day, when I wanted to put the angels' wings on, I couldn't decide whether I should put white or yellow wings; I saw no yellow in those angels, only white. But, because I saw yellow wings on a study by Blake, the idea came to me-perhaps I should put yellow wings on the angels instead of white!

It was an unspoken thought, and I stood there for quite a while thinking about it. Finally, I put the white wings there and took my picture and left.

I went to the Faculty Club of the University where we had dinner quite often, and I happened to meet the friend who had sent me to the church. We had our dinner, and then I asked this friend to come over to the car to look at the painting and tell me how he liked the way I had painted the church. He came over to the car, and I took the painting out and showed it to him. He just stood there. He looked so mystified and so perplexed that I asked him what was wrong.

Photograph from the vault of the church

He finally said, "Why, Eleanor, you've painted the interior of the church exactly as it was more than thirty-five years ago, before the church was completely remodeled."

I was as mystified then, as he was. That was before I was born! I said, "Do you mean these angels look exactly like the ones that were on the walls over there?"

He said, "They were circling around just like that; they were large; and they were ...I don't think the pose was the same, there are certain things not the same...and they were clothed in garments that were tinted." He said, "That is, I think they were; I was a little boy, and I can't remember exactly."

It mystified and amazed me so much that, when I got home, my eyes seemed to become almost blind from the shock, and I went around the house turning on all the lights because I felt so in the dark about the whole thing.

Meanwhile, many other incidents had happened all surrounding the little books, the little Golden Books that Linda had wanted just before she became so ill and the woman who had borrowed the little Golden Books.

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