The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1870-06-16
THE PAINTER OF ROT
TERD4M.
BY MISS AMELIA b. EDWARDS.

Ny father was distilier and trade
at Schiedam on the Mass. WiUhOu
being wealthy, we enjoyed the means
of procuring every social comfort. W.
gave and. received visits from a few
old friends, and went occasionally Il
the theatre, and my father had hi
tulip garien and summer-hOuse at ;
little distance from Schiedam, on tn,
banks of the canal, which conneetl
the town with the river. 9f - 2
But my father and mother, who's,
only child was, cherished one dream
of ambition in which fortunately my
own tastes led me to participate; they
wanted me to become painter. lie
me but see a picture of Franz Linder
in the gallery of Rotterdam" said my
father, 'tand / shall die happy.Y So a
fourteen years of age, was removed
from school, and placed in the class O
MeSser. Lelser, an artist living at De
lit. Here / made such progress, thai
at my nineteenth birthday / was
transferred to the attelierof Hans Van
ROos, a descendant of the celebrated
family of that time. Van Roos was
not more than thirty-eight or forty
years of age, and had already acquir.
ed considerable reputation as q
painter of portraits and sacred sub
iects. There was an altar piece of his
i'm one of our finest churches; his
works had occupied the place of hon.
or for the past six years at the annual
exhibition; and for pOrtraiture he
numbered among his patrons most OF
the wealthy merchants and burgo-
masters of the city. Indeed, there
could be no question that my master
was rapidly acquiring a fortune COM
mensurate with his popularity.
Still he was not cheerful man. III
was whispered by the pupils that he
had met with a disappointment early
i'm life-that he had loved, been ac-
cepted, and OH the eve Of the mar
riage was rejected by the lady for a
more wealthy suitOr. He came from
FTiesland, in the north of Holland,
when a very young man. He had al
ways been the same gloomy, pallid,
labOr-loving citizen. lie was sparing
Of domestic expenditure, and liberal
to the poor. This every one could tell
you, and no one knew more.
The number of his pupils was linn
tied to six. He kept US constantly at
work, and scarcely permitted US to ex-
change a word with each other during
the day. Standing there among us so
silently, with the light from above
pouring down upon his pallid face,
and becoming absorbed in the sOmbre
folds of his long black dressing gown,
he looked almost like some stern old
portrait himself. To tell the truth,
we were afraid of him. Not that he
assumed an undue authority; on the
contrary, he was stately, silent, and
frigidly polite !; but his poIiteness had
in it something oppressive, and we
were all happier out of his presence.
None of us resided under his roof. |
had n second floor in one of the neigh
boring streets, and two of my fellow
students occupied rooms in the same
house. We used to meet at night in
each others rooms, and make eXcur-
siOns to the theatre; and sometimes
on a summers evening we would hire
a pleasure boat and sail down the riv-
er annie or two. We were merry
enough then, and not quite so silent
as in the gloomy studio of Hans Var
ROOs.
In the meantime, 1 was anxious to
CLEAN every benefit from my masters
instructions. / improved rapidly, and
my paintings soon eXcelled those of
the other five. My facts did not in
cline to the sacred subjects, like that
of Hans Van ROOs, but rather to the
familiar rural style of Berghim and
Paul ROtter. 1t was my great delight
to wander along the rich pasture
lands; to watch an amber sunset, the
herds going home to the dairy, the
lazy wind-mills, and the calm, clear
waters of the canals, Scarcely ruffied
by the passage of the public tercE-
scHcyt. In depicting scenes of this
nature
The slow canal, the yellow blossomed
The willow tufted bank the gliding sail
1 was singularly fortunate. Ny mas
ter never praised me by word or look;
but when my father came up one day
from Schiedam to visit me, he drew
him aside and told him, in a voice in
to the rest, that "AIesser.
Franz would do credit to the profess
sion;;' which SO delighted the good
distiller that he took me out with him
for the day, and, having given me
fifteen gold pieces as testimony of
his satisfaction, took me to dine With
bis friend the burgomaster, Won Gael.
1t was an eventful visit for me. On
that evening first fell in love. K..Il. Il
Few people, l think, would at that
time have denied the personal attrac-
tiOns of Gertrude Won GOel; vet l do
not know that it was so much her
features rs her soft voice and gentle
wOmanly grace that fascinated me.
so young, she performed the
honors of her fathers prineely table
with self-possession and good breed
ing. In the evening she sang some
sweet German songs to her own sim.
Pile accompaniment 4 We talked of
books and of poetry. 7 found her
well read in English, French and
German literature. We spoke of art
and she discovered both judgment
and enthusiasm.
As we took our leave at night, the
shook me warmly by the
hand, and told me to come often. /
fancied that Gertrude's blue eJ es
frightened when he said it, and L felt
the blood rush quickly TO my brow, as
bowed and thanked him.
HFranz," said my father, when we
were once more in the street, chow
Did are you 81
"Just twenty-five, sir" ] replied,
rather surprised at the question.
"YOu will not be dependent OH your
brush, my boy" continued my father,
as he leaned upon my arm and look
ed at the lofty mansion we had just
left. II have been neither wasteful