In this quote from Katherine Anne Porter's work "Old Mortality," she reflects on the portrait of a woman as being just a memory from the past. The phrase "only a ghost in a frame" suggests that the woman in the picture is no longer alive but remains preserved in the painting. The use of the word "sad" conveys a sense of nostalgia and longing for times gone by. The description of the story as "pretty" implies that there is a bittersweet beauty to the memories evoked by the portrait. Overall, this quote captures the fleeting nature of time and the power of art to preserve moments from the past.