Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1858-04-09
Letter from Barbes, the sculptor.

! tors of the age, addressed in familiar style 70
an old old scboJlmate, will be read with plea
sure By all who may give il pernsal. Inc
honor of bis birth belong 10 Virginia: let
= nerous patronage show her appreciation
Of it,
BALTIMORE, March ooh, '5S.
M Esteemed Friend Your kind favor OF
the III instant came duly TO hani. The IN
terest we have mutually felt IN each other,
fr m our schoolboy days ~ 10 the present
tine, i clearly esiucei. Oh your part, in y"ur
letter. | cannot suficienIly thank You. ny
early friend, for the sympathetic tenor o!
your feelings. and the amour, Of pride With
which YOU seem TO have rc"iJwei my 5hoT;
career Of lie. can ouly repay Ii b. an AZ
surapce If a similar IuIcre-t Ola my part ~
oil that c.Gceras you.
Ii has ever heon mater cf the iivclest
concern with me to trace the d,ings aud des-
tiny Of those with whom have been associa-
ted in early lie. 1t may be, perhaps, owing
II the same SORT Of feeling with yourself, that
find IN your letter request that give you
a synopsis Of ny life.
Biography generally, however barren OF
Incident, has Its tasciuatIuus t.r most read
ers: bat when you viii fad patience 70 trace
tue struggling characters OF my pen, through
tnr series Of ny ups and dosa&," cannot
tell. But, since you .tes,fc II, do not %n0w
how to refuse to coniensc u few Ut the lead
ing particulars # my lite, and spare you the
thousand details. which would not only weary
YOU, but Consume more time than | can at
present devote 10 such a task.
WAS, as you are aware, born IN Kappa
hammock county (then Culpepcr,) s1metlug
near thirty-slx years ago. My birthplace
YES at the foot of the Blue Ridge, Dear
Thornton'- Gap While vas still 40 infant,
my father removed to the top oi the Moua'
t,in, where | spent al! my earlier lie
! Whatever could baye created IN MY mind,
situated as VS. love tor the Arts, mus;
remain among the mysterious clements ;hat
make up the human organization. But Ger
tain il il, that 81 Mat spot nature nd sup
piled me with facility for tie injuis nee 81
my peculiar turn of mind, over wuich |
gloatgd with childish delight 1t was soft
soapy stone, that | carried eyer about mc-tn
my school and elsewh here, and with my pen
knife would shape into every conceivable
image of living things. This propensity was
strongly combsttad by ny early teachers ;
and time, and time again, | was cba-tlsed
for the wiiful dleness las it vas terme!l oi
my childish pursuits But this Singular
fUndneS5 for transferring every form | saw
pursued lie through al! the v1cati0US and
changes Of my life. E.eu when We @o'c
school boys toy, theT at J,a.rsJuton. J can
recJicct the thousand er.ic:gne image |
traced on the sails # the Academy, aud
every place that would receive u PeUc!! Or
charcoal lIue.
Some shor; time after our term Of stady at
this Academy had expired, my father sent me
t. the Richmond College with view Of pre-
pairing NE Tor the study Ct the law, in wh!ah
| engaged Immediately upon laa'ins The C"!.
I lege, aud was admitted ~ the bar before
was eligible under tbs aw--or before | was
twenty ouG years Of age. Bu', b.!oTe | en-
tered ap0n tie study of law, | Appealed to
my fathFT--a strong PTac.lCa! man--to suffer
me to go 10 LAZY to =udy the Arts. nave
since oltel wondered ST this -t'0nI pre- IIec-
tion in that way; for up to tolt period. and
! long alter, bad ucvc: seen & statue, rlA-tcr-
| cast or even pa!Juug, OF ctEef thing tn"i
, could hays given an impulse - such il 'urn
OF minG or directed il iutn that chGnnei.-
! Nv father dIasuaded me from entering upon
! such pursuit, as one giving but little hope
( Of distinction. or promise Il pecun!ary prom.
/ Hence had to abandon TIE cherished hope
/ of my life. | ente ed upon the PRACTICE OF
! the law, and continued it, with some degree
! of fOndness for the criminal branch OF L, tor
nearly Ten years. Blu; durug ths time.
found myself constantly pursued 10y my early
fonduess Tor the Arts, and produce, ~ &C.
cret, numb1riess little siatuettes. Ihe las
OF these--a PsVchc and Nerus--.Hc one 10
marble, aud the other Ia alahaste:- -weTe tue
products of my chise. during the last year oi
my practice 10 the ;own Of Lurty, Pig"
county. They elected praises from tue press
aud connoisscurs. which did D 1t know they
mcrited The result was an earnest Sohclta-
ton from a number OF distinguished men OF
my quaintance, @ abandon my profession
and 60 at once 10 ltaly. 10 thi- gladly
Yielded, aud was proud Of any ackn1"ledg-
meet of merit that would give me hope OF
success in the Arts.
went The result you know. j. would
be scarcely necessary u gccur q the ten thpu
sand difficulties | had 70 encounter, 10 Guild
~ the little reputation 1t has teen ny lo'-
tune u obtain. | was located abroad, In the
midst OF the greatest living aTu t., whose
fame, for twenty years before M, had spTead
froul land to land. ! went stranger, ana
friendIess, among people where the search
ing eve OF the critic is ever fixed upon the
young aspirsnt. Side by side with The great
master pieces Of the living and ancient ages,
] had to build up my own productions, and
rise OF fall by the trying comparison. The
helping hand aud encouraging voI'e OF 40
kind patron ever came 10 my rehei ~ my
seecre struggles for position among my hTe-
thren. Upon myself, and my own resources,
hal 70 raiy aIune. For one year Jeff nv
ilr,i'y 10 America. under the most painful
ifiet!Yns TO them, Gut to myscit-a sacrifice
which required all The phiigsop&y OF my
mind to withstand. But during tnat reflod
] employed every element OF application at
my command IL the production OF the " III.
gueHe" ! com pIctet ihe medel and retHrnci
10 America in the spring Of 1898, aHd re
embarked for Europe VITA my family, IN the
month of June following. ] resumed my
studies Immediately upon my return TO Flor
enca and erected tho model 0! my FtS4cr
Girl" During tue progress Of my severe
labors on this work, found my hea!th fat
failing me. NJ cInhocmcnt 10 my ftrdin
was extremely close, ADJ .bc studies 'ni-
posed upon myself too asduons io- my ply
steal constitution. These, together with tbc
debilitaiing Influences Of the cilmate, AMI
,,,,-.l Spf -.