St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1858-10-14

per, the first creation Of her genius, watch
ing its growth beneath her hand, as /
young mother watches step by step' tb'
progress Of her first born; kneaeling i,
with the plastic g!ay all those thousant
hopes and fta$s, which turn by tprr
charm and agitate all Who aspire Al
length, the clay model finished, Block o
marble was sought and found, and brongh,
home 10 the shed in the garden, hitherto
appropriated to dissectine purposes, buI
now fitted up as u studio. Here, with
her own small hands, the youthful maiden
short Of stature, and delicate in make, any.
thing but robust In health, with chise]
and ,nai',st blocked out the bust, and sub.
sequently, with Tasp and file, finished it to
the last degree q, ,nlanipulatige perfection.
Mouths and months it took, and hours and
days Of quiet toll and patience, but these
wings Of genius, perseverance and indos-
try, were hers, and love lent zest to. the
work. It WAS late summer in 1852 before
Hesper was fully completed.
"Now,' sait} its author to her father,
Il am ready to 60 to Rome"
"And 60 you shall, my child, this very
autumn" was the reply.
Anxious as DR. HoSmer was to facilitate
in every way the career his daughter had
chosen, there was yet another reason for
going to ltaly y before winter set in. Study
and nervous anxiety had made their i'm
preston upon naturally delicate constitu-
ton, and short dry cough alarmed the
worthy doctor for his chjId>s health. -
October Of 1882 saw iather and daush-
ter on their way to Europe,sthe st. Louis
diploma and oagaerrotype of Hesper be-
ing carefully slowed away in the af.st cor
ner Of the purCmantcau, as evidences Of
what the young artist had already ac
hieyed, when, arrived at Homo she should
seek the instructor. Of one Of Two masters,
whose fame, wtl..l-widc, could only sat-
isfy our aspirants ambition. So eager
was her desire to reach Rome, that a week
only was given to In ssllnd, when, joining
some friends III I'aris, the whole party pro-
ceeded to Rome, arriving il the Eternal
City on the evening Of October l2,,lo52.
Within two days the daguerrotypes
were placed IN the hands Of Mr.. Gibson,
as he sat at breakfast In the Cafe Greco,
II famous place OF resort 1or artists.
Now, be it known as a caution to wo-
men not to enter lightly upon any career,
to throw it up as lightly upon the first diih-:
culty which arises, that prejudice exis-
ted in Rome against lady artists, from
the prctentions with which some had re-
paired thither, and upon which they had
succeeded in g;'ining access to somo Of the
best studios aud instruction: from heir
masters, to throw these valuable oppurtu-
mites aside at the frs: obstacle that arose.
Mr.. Gibson had himself, it was said' been
thus victimi2ed and annoyed, and it was
represented to Miss HosHler as doubtful
i'll the extreme if he would either look at
the daguerrotype or listen to the proposal
other becoming his pupil. However, the
daguerrotypes were placed before hin; ;and,
taking them into his hands, and found
one presenting q full and the ether a pro
file view Of the bust, he sat some mo-
ments in silence, looking intently at them.
Encouraged by this, the young sculptor
who had undertaken to present them
proceeded to explain Miss Homer's in
tentions and wishes, what she had already
done, and what she hoped to do. Still
Mr.. Gibson renal ned silent Finally.
closing the cases, .'~>
'send the young lady to mt" saidhe,
land whatever know and can teach
her she shall learn" .
In less than q week Harriet Hosmer
was fairly installed in Mr.. Gibson's stu
dio, in the upstairs room we have al
already described, and where she still
is, though, rapidly outgrowing the space
allotted to her. It is { difficult, however
for master and pupil, or,wc should rath-
er say for the two friends to part; for
spite Of the difference of years, or per-
haps III consequence Of it, a truly pa
ternal and fEal affection has sprung up
between the two, source Of greas hap
.piness to themselves, and Of pleasure
and amusement to all who know and
value them, from the curious likeness, yet
unlikeness, which existed from the first in
Miss Hosmer to Mr.. Gibson, and which
daily intercourse has not tended to lessen
The first winter in Rome WAS passed in
modelling from the antique, Mi, Gibson
desiring to assure himself Of. the correct
ness Of Miss lIomers eye, and the sound
ness Of her knowledge, Hesper evincing
the possession Of the imaginative and crea-.
tive power. From the first, Mr.. Gibson
expressed himself more than satisfied with
her power Of initiating the roundness and
softness Of flesh saying, upon one occasion,
that be had never seen it surpassed, and
not often equallad, '~:|@ :4# = n %'n,5. a
He. first attempt at original design in
Rome was bust of Daphne, quickly sue
ceeded by another Of the .Aedusa--the
beautiful Medusa and a lovely thing it is,
faultless IN form, and intense id its express
nP \ u,