this portrait is of my great cousin Pauline from when she was a little girl (around 1905 or so). Pauline never married (if memory serves, I believe her fiance was killed during World War I). She lived alone with her Siamese cat and taught Sunday school. She passed away when I was a young teenager. I remember with fondness how she always seemed slightly childlike to me - she was very tiny and gentle and quick to smile. What intrigues me most about this portrait is how the serenity of her countenance conveys a distinct maturity and slight sadness - an unexpected emotion for such a young girl. The dichotomy between the serious little girl and the lighthearted elderly cousin I came to love is puzzling and yet lovely - it's almost as though she had the good fortune to grow from adult to child over the course of her life. if only we could all be so lucky.
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