The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1869-12-01
! asWll,a:.hinstoa All.toto.i
BIZ JAMES PiRros,

y
# !. Whom Washington. Irving, ayounj
4 man of twenty two, arrived at Rome
on that tour IN the south of Europ
undertaken for the recovery. oe. hi
health, he was Informed at his hote
that there were three other t.merical
gentlemen then stopping, in the Etern
al City, one of whom was Mr. All
ston, OF South Carolina. At present
! YOU may find, perhaps, a bundre,
4 Ame aRgentlemen residing at Rome
| but in che year 1896. an America
traveller. would consider himself for
1 tunate if he found even one uofehi
countrymen tneres In the.course. o
his first evening at Rome, Mr.. Irving
went in search of the Americans, ane
1 found Nj. Ailston at home. ,g,l7- - ;
7Allston returned the visit in dine
time, and they struck up, what Mr.
1lrsing calls, "a young man 3 in
'tlmacy," sf5lii e4eHrns-- ISL =, 7.,
Irving. in fact, was, enamored of his
young friend. GAs he listened to him,
while he spoke upon the charms Of q
beautiful Italian landscape, and point
ed out the beauties of fine painting,
p Dor Twin g began to look upon his owu
commonplace destiny with .repugnance
and dismay. Allston, he thought,
was to live among those delightful
scenes, surrounded by master:pieces-oi
art, by the noble monuments Of the
past, by artists always studying,,heauti-
full objects; while he was 20 return
lhome, and become, if he could, a
New \ ork lawyer Ii One day, when
they were out together in the grounds
Of Roman villa, the thought sudden
IL occu red to him:. .r r0cb glt lf :
rWhysmay q not remain here and
turn painterT3us ri .sez 1854 u5
} Allston caught eagerly at the idea.
Nothing, he thought, could be easier.
They could take rooms together he
could teach Irving the rudiments. and
all would 60 well. Fer two CT three
days the project wholly possessed the
mind of living; but his good sense
prevailed at last. He had neither the
money nor the gift requisite for sue
cess. IN that career; and SO he turned
his back upon Rome, and Allston, and
their enchanting dream and went
home to- New York to play at law
and write the Salmagundi, and Knick-
.e' booker, and become the favorite au-
thor,of two ihemispheres.s Fifty years
afterwards, Iheard Washington Irving,
at his home on the banks of the Hud.
son. talk for several hours Of tha:
friendszof his early life-of Scott. of
Moore, Of Leslie, and all that bright
circle of men who illustrated the reign
of George the Fourth. He spoke of
then. all kindly.and Of some Of them
aHectionately; but when he ctme to
speak of Allston, his voice fa;t.red
and his eyes moistened. -ayvifih 81 4
% Never" said he in his simple way,
iiahayeI loved a man as l loved ALI
ston- Isl 81; II 11f,; 7; 81 ,ss.is.s- .-,---
q. L see in Iryings memoirs, that they
met afterward, both inLondon and in
America, and kept alive their tender
friendship as long as Allston lived.
= How interesting the little we know
of the early life of this gifted and
artist Strange to re-
late, he was born, and lived the first
seven years of his life upon his faith
er's plantation in South Carolina, far
from any large town, and still farther |
from. the influence which nourish an
inclination toward art. But even there
his native talent was manifested. A
5right.s pretty, sensitive boy, he de, |
lighted to listen to, and to be terrified
oy, the tales of witches and hags,
which the negroes are so fond of relat. |
ng and one OF his fayorite pastimes |
,s a child was to form figures Of men
md women outof standing fern stalks,
~ dressing them in colored yarn, and |
making them hold vases Of pomesran |
tte blossoms. - 80 .s-..-.
At seven, rs he was thought too de-
icate a boy for the climate of South |
Carolina, his father sent him to New
port, in Rhode Island, which was then
lot merely place of summer resort.
'ut the seat of an important foreign
and the abode of large
number Of wealthy and educated fami-
les. There he lived for ten years at
| board school and it was there that
lie received the impulse which made
lin painter. The iuquisitive boy
became acquainted with manufact,.r
,r of nautical instruments, who knew
| little about painting, and sometimes
ried his hand at portrait This
gentleman saw the talent of the boy,
encouraged and corrected his early eff
iorts with the pencil and the brush.
One Of his first pictures was a portrait
IF this benefactor, which is still PR
served at Newport. There was also
. young immature painter residing at
Newport, of great excellence in his
,rt, who -sympathized warmly with
,he lad 9 artistic taste, as well as with
he ambition to become an artist
which gradually possessed him They
walked and talked and sketched to-
,ether with the enthusiasm natural tn.
heir age; and the youth made many
IN attempt in the same walk, of art as
hat in which his friend excelled-t
miniatures upon ivory. H1.a Il
From beautiful Newport, at seven.
cen, the youth went to Cambridge,
where, in 1900, he graduated from
Harvard University. There was lit
le then in New England or in any
,ther part of America. to foster a love
# art, and still less to tempt q young
nan of distinguished family to en-
race art asa career. And yet this
tudent, through all his college life, 1 !
leld firmly TO his purpose; and seiziHg
very opportunity to- increase his
he became remarkably
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