The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1857-03-06

u
from home, in . distant part Of the country,
would you object to having in your bedroom
a landscape view Of your native town, or
some familiar scenes about 10 Suppose
that you could wake up every morning, in
such case, and se hanging up on the
walls, the portraits your wife and children
looking smilingly ut you, would you con-
slider it very dsasrecablc! None bot the
Artist can Je useful in producing such .
qualification for you
And this brings us to the second question.
"what good do pictures do after they Are
painted" You mean, Of course, pictures
that are to be hung up in your parloS and
sitting.rooms. To begin with the most COM
mon sentiments with regard 70 them, would
It not do you good to look at life.likc Por-
trait Of your daughter who died last year,
and whose features are gradually fading
from your memory? Or that Of the brave
boy whom you loved 10 well, but who is
now gone? Your children are all we'll, you
say, and you have not yet lost any dear
friend. Very well, then you have yet to
to know what we mean, if your affections
are not all as blunt aud obtuse a. your tastcr.
But is this the only good! BY no means.
You look upon nature now rs one great
garden in which 80 many bushels OF tur-
nips can 30 raised, which will bring so
much in the market. We wonder If God
made 30 many beautiful scenes and clothed
them with rich hues and colors, with any
reference to potatoes or turnips! Get one
fine landscape and hang It up in your sit.
ting room. Examine it for two minutes
only, every day, and You will end change
coming over you. When you 50 out, the
trees will no longer be to you rs cord-wood
and timber. and nothing elre. They will Of
course retain all their former value, and
your interest in turnips may remain the
sane, but there will be double pleasure in
everything you look at. What will have
produced this change? The Artist has
brought before you IN u small compass the
images of things, You would not. without
his help, have noticed. Your feelings DO.
Gun to soften and You begin to show that
there is poetry in your nature, and unusual
thoughts begin to be suggested by the sky,
and water, 10y field and forest. HI
But how Is this? You no longer take
q pride in being rough and uncouth in your
speech. manners, and dress. All, you are
gradually becoming civilized. The Artist
has found small corner in your mind. and
it is doing you good. You have just as
much wealth as beforc, and YOU work just
as industriously. but you feel quite like
another man. And meanwhile your children
have been examining the picture. Perhaps
you have added one or two more. You be-
gin to understand them better and can point
their beauties to your family. They all he
gin to exhibit different aspect. You no
longer grudgc them money for books and
instruction In anything that will elevate and
refine their minds. The pictures have been
silently at work. All, indeed, and yon have
never thought of all this neither. Well, b,
40 good m to think of IL little Il may
appear at first. like fancy. Ii Is not fancy.
Your neishbor Is poor. but educated, and
no has always had pictures about him.
There is Difference and IN attention paid
to him that makes you almost envious.-
You wonder that your wealth does not pro.
cure you admission into good society. One
Of the first ingredients Of really good society
is education. Intelligence, refinement, and
taste follow naturally. Were you rich rs
Crmsus, you might possibly find your why
into il, but would never he of IL. If you
get there at all, II would only be because
there are always those who will aatten their
noses upon tho ground before wealth.
Now for the last question. "Why does
not such man, instead Of coping himself
up in small room with his paints and brush
es, come out into he porh and BE- nterpris.
ing, and not be drone in ,ociety." II is
very diffi-ult to refrain from calling this u
very stupid question The very nature Of
the thing absolutely requires retirement from
the common Affairs of life. You think,
probably, that all the Artist has to do is. to
put q canvass upon the easel, and then GOV.
er it with paint, with tho mere trouble Of
putting It on, and without any other labor.
Let any one try to initiate the most simple
thing, and very soon ho will discover that
he has not really scen the object Alright
The saying shaving eyes they 50, not is
true with rcgsrd to the majority of men.
Tho Artist sees things, and hence the neoes.
sity Of intense labor and study to represent
them correctly. And hence be must scoop
himself up" away from the hustle Of the
world. Isit not shameful that because lac
docs so, and labors day after day, and late
into the night, to improve himself, and to
do his work well, he should be looked upon
with contempt and called "a drone in socis-
tyg" It rs very reason bio to call a man
a drone, because no does not dig on the
highway. or saw wood, or hay md. sell.
when he knows nothing about thoso things,
md is simply trying to do what he docr
know. .t
We havc not said an hundredth part Of
what might justly be said In reply to all the
ID 'yo questions, but must stop for want Of
lime and space. In conclusion we will ny
hat We do not think painting to be the
most important thing in the world. And.
n this country especially. We do not like to
ee q pursuit esteemed byall intelligent peo-
40 nc worthy ous. utterly Derlected and