Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1853-04-06
EVENING STAR.
W ASHINGTO\:
WEDNESDAY,. APRIL 6, 1853
Clark Mt.lx


tel II" Hour uut CT .rk Mis- the Soup
tar"
The public at large are hut little aware
Of the early struggles Of Mr.. Mills, although
same Of them have been occasionally exhib-
tied and d~e't upon by American writer's.
1t Is pleasant, now that the arts, has achi.v
ed 50 splendid triumph, to look back ever
his early life, and see the difficulties he SO
molly encountered and So brav-ly over
come.
An incilent Of his boyhood, illustrating
the develop ment Of his juvenile genius, is
thus related by the le,ter-wri,er:
When Mills was about ten years old he
used to make his schoel- boy slate a com
plete miniature picture gallery. Everything
which came under his observation at that
time was at once transferred to his slate.
friends face, rartel chum, the trees
from the windows, pictures in the books,
everything moving around him became the
subject Of his pencil
When engaged in cyphering, one side of
his sln,e was always devoted to drawing -
I-e moment tie maste CT came near he would
turn the slate over and Commence fou,iny
away-although no, knowing whetherit was
in division or multiplication
One day the master had been Furnishing
one of he boys in the usual mode, which
was drawing him over bis knee and then ap
plying the rule in Il very ute, m:ortabIe
na''her. The b"y Kicked .nd struggled.
yelled n d squalled-but to no avail. The
blows came down with mathematical p..cis-
lon-one, two. three, four! till he cane to
eighteen. AT this iLs;an, the boy brought
his he' in Contact With the masters cra,.i-
um. who dr"pped the rul. and cl,pred hi.
hand to the wounded lsar while The boy
stood trembling, h" ding his hand. b. hind
him, with IL suppressed laugh of triumph
This was the moment seized upon BY the
hoy Mills for picture. lille School Bov's
PUNISHMENT md Kevenge"
Meanwhile the you gster had received an
extra twenty p"uudings f. Insult or. ination.
Blu, the young artist had fiuishtd bis draw
l. g. lie exhibited his picture to his chum.
The j. ugh went ROUND The eagle eye of
the master was ufon them; tie slate torn
from their hands, and the master, in a rage
dreadful TO behold, stood like an angry god
III the m;d,ile Of tie floor. His white hair
stood on an end his e, es dilated with an
ger, while the slate was held aloft b, fore all
The school.
Such breach Of prcp,iety had never oc.
Cured before. How any boy could be g,il- 1,
ty of ridiculing his sacred person, and hope
to live after was more than be could imag- |
inc. lie gave the poor boy -artis, look an
dreadful, terrible, and Mills !
qnivered in his seat. One spring, and the /
old teacher had elu'ched his prey. He held !,
him aloft, his feet dangling in the air,
aud then rlacing him across his knee
be gave him what Mills expressiveIy called !
1.-The darudest ckirg he ever had"
Such were the school boy attempts at art |
by CLARK Mills. But the poor reception they
met with in this case did not discourage
him. lie was not to be ftrruled nor spank
cd out of his genius, as his subsequent ca.
reer has 81, rious'y proved.
We have TO more room to day for further
extracts from these graphic letters, bu,
will recur to these again in short time.
The article on Mr. Mills, his early histo-
Il