The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1867-09-13
negro; aud Byron bidding adien 10 his ma.
tive hills.

L
tive hills. .,. .......
Some Of these groups were enclosed in
glass cases. Miss Jinks set moro value up.
on the Scripture pieces, and she had sue.
ccedcd, by means Of q pair Of old clock
wheels, piece Of string, and handle, in
making Daniel nod his head to an npoPlec.
tic lion, and by the same appliances the
snake was made to spin round and round
but Miss links explained to her friends and
admirers that she SCARED above mere tricks
of this sort, and had only introduced mech.
anism jus, TO show what might be done ;
her great object was to initiate nature in oil
its beauteous forms and colors; and sllc
hoped she had succeeded, Ito say nothing
Of the correct costumes Of the periods
When persons of more than ordinary po-
stiou, after making purchase, were in
duced to visit tho gallery, Miss links would
quietly slip behind curtain in the third
room, and perform sundry well.known airs
on the old square piano, which she had
bought at the sale Of the boarding school
establishment where she wss educated, and
upon which she had learnt the five.fgured
exercise. Miss Jinks was lover Of order
and harmony. She liked oil things to DO
IN keeping, she said and SO, when her
visitors were looking at Daniel, she struck
up the Old Hundredth with impossible va.
riations @Rob Roy" accompanied the ban.
dit scene, and ''God save the Queen" the
coronation.
The figures were marvels In the way of
eyes and arms. The former were always
very wide open, and the latter usually fixed
in painful assertion Of assumed authority.
Napoleon was looking through his glass at
soldier who was close to him; and Queen
Victoria was sitting very jaun,ily on a paste
board throne, nursing her sceptre in very
mautlin fashion, amongst crowd Of rick.
ETY., drunken, spongy.looklng lords and
dukes, and generals, and bishops; some
with drawn swords, Others with their hands
upon their hips, striking magnificent a,ti-
tudcs. Byron was sitting upin boat all
alone, with his shirt-collar undone, and his
native hills were rising up a few inches
from the shore, and in a very threatning at.
titudc; whilst in the lions den, at the cor.
onation, at St. Helena, and in the wilder.
ness, birds and beasts and reptiles were fly
ing and prowling and creeping about in all
the glory Of blue, and red, and green, and
yellow, with golden heads, and tails, and
eyes, aud legs, and feet Of the most varied
and gorgeous hue. Miss links loved plcn.
" Of color. "Nature has not stinted 1t,
and no more will we, Arthur; SO just give
that peacock another touch of blue, and
give the lizard green topping"
And in that little room where the figures
received their final touches Of color. !, Ar.
thur Westwood, received the gorgeous
spinster's instructions, and carried them out.
Fow fellows would believe that this was
my first introduction to art. My instruct
ress had, as have said,a tremendous eye
for color, and she was always anxious that
il should be understood she was an anna
tour. Art was not her profession, neither
was il necessity to her on the score OF
money; il was her hobby, her recreation,
and she never failed to explain all this up.
OH all occasions. .,..-. ..f
"Your Chalkses and such like NAV pro.
tend to be brokers and furniture dealers and
conniseers of articles Of virtue, but II In one
thing to do that rs profession, and live by
it, and another to stuff birds and all sorts Of
filthy things, and really get your bread and
cheese by that; though why should say
bread and cheese when It Is well.known
that the Chalkses mostly dine of the bod
les of the beasts and birds which they stuff,
the process is we'll known, but it is not for
me to say nothing against my neighbors,
and so never mind that, Arthur, but look
to the color, and don't be afraid of your
blue and reds. II nature makes thing
blue, why nature means il to be real blue,
and so make it Us blue asyou can, Arthur" ."
II was strange world, this new world
which opened up to mo ut Jinks's; quite n
world of wonder and romance. To be
allowed to revcl in Goldsmith's book, and
the history Of England, q book Of fairy
tales, eastern legends, and Byron's poems ;
and not only to look at the pictures, but to
paint models from them, and have real
paints and brushes! This was something
beyond all my childish dreams and to have
five shillings week for such glorious
amusement! There wns something so
marvellously romantic about the whole
thing, tha, half my time could not help
believing that Miss Wilhelmena Jinks was
an eccentric genii, who lavished favon up.
on me from pure good.naturc. ,. ..
A room oil to MYSELF and paints all to
myself and all the contents Of a Noah's
urk done up in wax to paint and fasten
feathers upon, and rows Of dolls waiting
for their cheeks to be ruugcd II was
quite little paradise. When went home
to dinner every day, I walked along the
streets with my studio and paints and pic
lures continually in my poor little noddle.
All very ridiculous and yet that made
me painter. Ay, and more my being an
artist was the means Of introducing mo to
her who made such change in the tnngled
wets OF my tangled life. that ] may exhibit
!, fairly, in proof Of the grim ridiculous
blending Of pain and pleasure, and great
ness and littleness, in the weR which wc
complete at last. .o' t.-f-.'' T..'a.
| Tho time soon cufl,e. Won may be sure,