The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1857-10-15

same simple, C00y60tont, Ee31g1o0e oree8 IA ne
others, and only recognised By the large bp Ich
Of keys at her girdle.
THE SELF-MADE POTTER.
@ M. Babinet" say the annals of the Ere ,ch
lnstitute, in the report Of the session Of the
Academy of Sciences of the twenty. thin of
March last, presented in the mama of NJ hll
some specimens Of Delft ware initiating t nse
of Bernard Palissy, and worthy Of attrac }ng
attention by the 6neness and hardness OF the
earths employed, - by the perfection Of tn ,
figures of animals which adorn them. AT the
parts which are in relief above are no low
beneath, giving great lightness to these, Mo-
d1et., which are notwithstanding remark bly,
I La Revue des Beaur Ants of the FIRST Of une
last admires the dishes il the medieval lyle
made By n. Pull, and praises the little 6e res
upon them, representing fish, reptiles, or sta
ceans, and vegetables, moulded after ma are,
and initiating the movements and color Of
life-for the solidity and liRhtness of the ste,
the elegance and finish of the modelling, and
the brilliancy and hardness of the enamel.
N. Pull, who 10 not literate, has dictates the
following autobiography. 81
Ny name IL George Pull; was Dor at
Wissembourg, in the department of wer
Rhine, upon the tenth of MAY, eighteen iun-
dred and ten. Ny father followed in that owp
the trade Of locksmith. Without being, .bIe
TO lay By anything, he knew how to find j, his
labor and his economical habits the mea . of
maintaining his family honorably; but he ever
had the pretension, which, besides his resot rces
would scarcely have permitted, Of makint me
greater than himself By . more brilliant cd aca-
ton. He did well, for in my young years did
not give signs of any prediction for the sty dies
which demand head-work; and il was nth
great difficulty ! succeeded in compreheH ling
and retaining the little they tried to teach me-
Ny intelligence was completely asleep in n .ard
to questions of science, but in regard to b hdi-
work-the knack Of reproducing, counterfeit ing,
initiating the form, the figure of the frs. OBJ.
ject which came to hand-my intella nee
swoke instantly; she came ont Of her ordI ,ary
lair, (gite,l and came and placed herself en-, rely
1t the end Of my ten fingers. Inspira ion,
ideas, everything, then came to me ct one /;
fashioned, manipulated many baubles and
little figures those who prided thems Ives
upon their taste or their knowledge did mi the
honor to call them all their master-piece I
very often heard them say, in their admire ion,
If George had masters, he would 20 far. , /
often expressed . wish to learn drawing, but
they could not pay for the lessons of mt ter.
1t was thus, it may be said, having le, med
nothing, without fixed plan, only fe ling
within me decided taste for sculpture, very
decided ono for working with my fingers Ian
inclination which, unhappily, did not re- sive
taking to any occupation, and without leaf aing
any trade. That inaction was not at 81 the
wish of my father; he complained. of it, and
was even uneasy about it. More by nec ssity
than enthusiasm, engaged myself, at tn age
of twenty, ~ . military musician in the e gbth
regiment of Light Infantry, which vas tn 10 in
garrison at Wissembourg. As had rec lived
some lessons in instrumental music, obi lined
easily the appointment of second cor thar
monte.
The life of soldier was scarcely of q Aure
likely to give an impulse to my intellgel ce-I
she slept always; only had within me sgue
feeling of some unknown thing for VIII ch /
searched. What, would then have been ,uch
embarrassed to say. But already at Wi sem.
bourg had something like forerunners like
a slight indication of the awakening my
ideas.
When walking in the country, if ga the
terrace-makers occupied in following the srth,
feeling of curiosity-or, to say it bett (, an
instinct of which / took no heed-pushs>: me
to examine the heaps of earth of different. ;inds
and aspects ] took morsels in my hi id, I
picked out grains, / crumbled them i nv
fingers. / would then have given two me nths'
pay TO any man who would have explain ID to,
me the nature and properties of these diff rent
sorts of earth and clay but the terrace-n ,kers
never have been members of the Acade, ~ Of
Sciences.
After the revolution of July, the Eighth Ugh.
regiment Quilted Wissembourg, and wen. into
garrison in Paris. 1t was the first time saw
the capital. One day, my longiSgs bk night
me before the windows of q marine stors -n,
marchdnd de brio d-brac. In the midst IL the
curiosties' Of the strange objects display ID in
that shop, saw only, / remarked bus one
thing superb enamelllsd dish, with figa es Of
animals and plants in relief. Somethin. like
dazzling seized at once my eyes and + in
telligence. Twenty times was tempted TO
enter the shop, to be near, to touch, to kndle
that marvellous work, to question the Nealer
respecting the price, the value of the thin the
name of the man who had made it. Butt did
not dare. They would have laughed {, the
amateur in red pantaloons and police cap.
That never was the costume of the anti, gary.
During eight days / returned and stationed
myself before the shop of this dealer, abe rbed
in my reflections. did not stop thas.
went in search of all the 5ric.d brac o. odds
ana ends shops In Paris. utt re
What was then my joy when succeed ID in
discovering an ever with its basin, there
. baptistery; with this one . plate, with thst
one salt-cellar, . candiestick, or any pther
utensil of the table-all objects elegant in jorn,
brilliant in tone, and rich in tasteful ornaS ents.
Unable to resist any longer the desire sf in
structing myself, finally decided upon 'aues-
tioning the dealers, and learned that al these
marvels were called Bernard Palissy'S 10
see them, to admire them, was the thousht Of
al my days, the dream Of all my nights. Iso-
lating myself from my comrades, / pass.d ali
my time in contemplation before my der er.
amels. Thus time passed, until my reyiment
Quilted Paris to mako the campaigns az 1891
and 1882. After the capitalization Of the citadel
OF Anvers, went to Lille; thence from. aarri.
son to garrison, and from cantonment 30 can.
comment; but, always thinking of my d6ar en-
amels, reached the time when, my ssespe2,
msnt having expired, Quilted the services. We
we're in the year 1886. E
l retained 70 my native town, but ennni
ssised me, and the desire to zee again tEs Bsr-
nAxd Palsy specimens soon brought me 10
Paris. Az have already said, I had moi
learned any trade, and yet must work 10 live.
sought for place, for any employmeA: whAtS
ever, and did not find it. Want forced me ~
70 TO Havrs, where received an Offer of en-.
ployment in the wine trade. Ny stay "a ths.
town IVES Of short duration. As at Eissesut
bourg, ennui seised me, and retusped ts
Paris, resolved neves>to quit it. them entered
a. srrandboy the olics Of N. Guerin, proptie,,
tor and director of the 6Gzstts Aedicales Thss
place leaving me- Some leisure time, I took thu
6rm resolution 10 mako il usefal FFs Ik
Nsvsrthsless, prior 10 beginning anyAing, I
sat myself to reflect ssriousy, and to ints rogesA