Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1831-02-17
A MOTHERS KISS.

Betd,ood of Benjamin Wsst,-ise nrst nv
clav az ,.lsnt in the infant mind Of MIR. West,
vs.. curious. and still mere 80 frem ITS sccSr-
ring where there was nethIsg TO excite II
America contained scarcely specEaea oil
fine arts and being the ssn Of t2uaEer,se
had never se.p . picture or a PRINT ~"
nepcu was Of bis swn invention, las co eTs
were gwen to him by IN Indian; hs whole
progress was a series Of Invention, aad paint
,nv ts hin was act the result Of lessen but
an istuitive passion
Whoa only seven years Of age, be was enc
DAY left with the charge OF an ihl@ht nelce
in ihe cradle, and had a fan To tap away u's
dies from The child. The motion Of the fan
made the ekiid smile and ITS beauty attracted
bi, attention. He looked at it vita plea
sore he had never before experienced and
observing soas paper Ell the tSsie, together
| with pens and red aud black iDk, he seized
| them With agitation. and endeayeres ts deli
neate a portrait, although at that penod nc
bad never seen an engraving, o. PIC 'urs.-
Hearing the approach Of bis s'stser and SIS
ter, he endesTorsd to coaccal what he BAD
| been doing, but the old lady observing his
lconfusien, asked what he had been about, aud
| insisted on seeing the paper he sbeJed,
! entreatiss her not to BE ssgry. Mira. west,
| after ieoking some time at the drawing wl.S
evident pleasure, ssId 10 her daughter, g /
declare be has uade likeness Of little Sal
! ly." and kissed hlu4 With much fsnsnsss and
| satsfactiea. This encouraged him to say
that If il wsuld give ksr any pleasure, be
werld make drawings of the fswers which
she held in her hand, for his genius was
wakeued, aud he felt that he could initiate O.
| ny thing that pleased bis sigat In after life
he used to sey, My mothers kiss made zoe
/ painter"
/ Young West used pen aaa lax fer his draw
ing,, until hair pencils were described to him,
when he found substitute IN the tapcring
/ fur Of cats tail In the following year e
cousin sent him bsX Of colors and pencils,
with several pieces Of canvass prepared for
the easel and six engravlngs. The bex was
received with delight, and West now found
l al his wants supplied Ils reese al the dawn
of the following day, ass carried the box 10
h. garrett, where he spread the canvass, pre-
pared bis pallet, and began to initiate the Fl
l CURES in the engraving Enchanted VITA his
art, he forgot the school hours, and joined
the family at dinner without mentioning the
employ ulent IN which he mad been engaged
In the afternoon be. again retired to the gar
ret; and for several DAYS successiveiy be
! Withdrew ia the sane manner, and devoted
himself to painting. Mrs. West, su.pectng
that the bsxsceasioned his neglect OF school
went into tho garnet and found him emplayec
on picture. Her anger was soon appe isec
by sight Of his performance. She sew not
merely copy, but composition from twC
Of the engravings. She kissed him with trans
iperis Of affection and promised that slit
would intercede with his father TO pardon hi
absence frem school The piece linissed ii
: his eighth ysar. was exhibited, sixty seve,
: years afterwards, in the same rson with hi
sublime picture Of 3" Christ Rejected :" an,
the artists declared that there were inventive
tsuchss in his first juvenile essay, wAich al
his subsequent experience had net eaablee
him 10 .urpan