Art Explained by a Writer: Among The Missing (1884)
And, of course, the whole village turned out to have a look. After all, there wasn’t much else going on, and nothing beats turning someone else’s misfortune into a drama.
Word spread like wildfire as soon as he heard her scream. This happened even before anyone knew what was actually going on. What people didn’t know was made up, as is customary in small communities. Every time the story was passed on, it was embellished and made a little more dramatic. The errand boy was the one who first told the story to the butcher, who, of course, had customers at that very moment. And you could see the cogs in their heads turning at full speed. There was no need to agree on who would tell whom. Everyone scattered in all directions to spread the terrible news to every corner.
‘Serves them right,’ snorted the butcher, who was still seething that they’d refused to buy anything from him.
“Well,” asked the old woman, taking her aside for a moment. “Do you regret anything? Blow your nose and stop that sniffling. You know very well, my child: repentance comes only after sin. I certainly didn’t bring you up like that.”
She carried on sniffling and had no energy to engage in conversation. Behind her back, she could hear the village gossiping about her. The sense of loss was certainly great, and there was no one with whom she could share it.
“What if he never comes back? What if she ends up on the streets?”
She thought of the cold winter, the lack of friends, and a lack of income.
He watched the scene from a distance. It was unfolding exactly as he had expected. Walter began to sketch. It was an accurate depiction of the bustling village life. Predictable, but never boring. Later, when the sketch was finished and he’d added a bit of colour here and there, he’d tell her that, amongst the missing paintbrushes from the previous years, he’d found the big flat one he thought she’d steal, and that he’d told her off for nothing and kicked het out of his house. In any case, he now had his inspiration back. He chuckled and carried on drawing diligently.
Painting: Among the missing - 1884 - public domain
Painter: Walter Langley
1-7-2026
The contest Art & Writing is hosted by @solperez.
Tragedies have always been fertile ground for people to express their best feelings, but also their resentments and hatreds. Thus, a single scene can trigger conflicting emotions. Excellent text, full of irony and truth.
Las tragedias siempre han sido un caldo de cultivo para que la gente deje aflorar sus buenos sentimientos, pero también sus resentimientos, sus odios. De modo que una misma escena puede activar emociones encontradas. Excelente texto, cargado de ironía y verdad.
And if it is no tragedy, a drama and tragedy is made out of it. Thank you for stopping by. I hope you are doing well and the earthquake didn't harm you or you beloved ones. Is there aid on its way?
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Thank God, we're all okay, although we're scared. Time will take care of it. The country has received a lot of international help, thank God. In fact, aid came from the Netherlands. Thank you for your concern.
Gracias a Dios, todos estamos bien, aunque con miedo. El tiempo ya hará su trabajo. El país ha contado con mucha ayuda internacional, gracias a Dios. De hecho, vino una ayuda de los Países Bajos. Gracias por estar pendiente.
It is good to hear the aid arrived. In many cases a lot is collected and we sent but it turns out it never arrived or has been used for the people.
That's right. There are people who take advantage of others' misfortunes. The truth is, we are very grateful to all the countries that have supported us.
Así es. Hay personas que se aprovechan de las desgracias de otros. La verdad es que estamos muy agradecidos con todos los países que nos han apoyado.
Walter, I think that he is very daring. Let's think about it: what if things hadn't happened that way, what if the townspeople had ignored it because it wasn't anything new? Well, I'd better not let my imagination run wild, hahaha. I can already picture a whole range of different scenarios. That point where the predictable sometimes becomes unpredictable.
You how it works in small villages where the smallest things, unnoticed by the average man, changes into world issues. I can tell my one be relatives were good at it.