Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1870-03-03
THE YOUNG SCULPTOR.


In one Of the poorest, narrowest streets
of beautiful foreign city lived woman
and her little son, whom we call Henri.
The boy had no recollection OF his father,
who had cruelty deserted both his wife
and child. Their only means OF subsist-
ence was what could be obtained by the
woman's abor-such household work as
could be obtained in the dwellings of the
rich. Sometimes she had to walk long
distances to and from her occupation, but
no murmur ever escaped her lips, save one
of regret that her little fair haired boy had
to be left alone in her absence, and that
she could not earn money enough to send
him to school. Nature, however, all I'M
aided, was teaching him without the help
of books or masters, and everywhere in
Florence (the city of tlowersl there was
more than sufficient to excite the admlra-
ton and satisfy Tie cravings OF this child OF
genius, whose inlmring eyes would always
rest on whatever was beautiful, and such
was to be met with in every nook and
corner of the grand old place. The "pur
pie and transparent shadows" which
flooded the whole city at eventide, and lit
up the gorgeous palaces and churches falr,
made for him so many glowing pictures,
on which his poetical imagination dwelt
long after the first impression mad passed
away.
During his mother sabsence, the greater
part of his time was spent i'll what we
should call grubbing in the street cutters,
making odd-looking things of any soft
material he could shape to the needed
consistency, Just as one sees children max
ing sand houses at the seaside. These
little juveniles generally set up, and then
demolish their buildings; Henri did moth
ing of the sort, Every one of these little
Jumps was moulded into some form copied
either from nature or art, for in that beau
tiful city every street is a museum. Pro
jections bosses, finals, all are specimens
of real architectural beauty, of peculiar
and distinctive type. For long time the
young boy continued to fashion objects of
this sort, until, by kind of fresh inspira.
tian, he aimed at representing the human
form: the only difficulty seemed to be
how to obtain the models from which to
work.
AT length happy thought occurred to
him. He had no money, but he could
easily reward the sitter by giving him his
next meal, and to lose that was as nothing
compared to the Joy he felt at having some
chance Arab who would answer his pur-
pose, and who could be entced by so
small gueidon to the artists humble
studio. In spite of his mothers remon-
strances, Henri worked away early and
late, every day becoming more passion
ately attached to his beloved art.
Years sped on without any public rec
ignition of his talent, but his resolute,
per5eyering nature would not allow him
10 he discouraged. 1t is true that he was
poor but then he was rich in hope, and
sustained by the consciousness of that in
ward power which is the accompaniment
OF real genius He never dreamed of en-
wing others but thought only of making
himself perfect in what he determined
should be the masterpiece of all his hither-
to attempted studies, one of which was
now growing to ample proportions be.
meath his busy fingers.
AT length, his task, or rather labor OF
love, being complete, he told his mother
that he should ask permission to show ii
AT an exhibition of sculpture which was
shortly TO take place in his native city
He applied for permission and his re
quest was granted, on condition that thC
statue should be sent forthwith to the hal
of inspection.
"That, gentlemen, is impossible" re
piled Henri. II am very poor and the
apartment in which live is so small thai
my work could only be removed by tax
ing off the root"
The men looked at each other in amaze
ment but there was so much simplicity
and honesty in the youth, that after con
terrlng together for a few moments, they
proposed to accompany him home, to Sc,
the marvellous production, to which
Henri at present declined to give any
name. They followed him up the narrow
staircase TO the little garnet, and looked
around in vain for the wonder they ha,
come TO behold Henri saw their surprise
and without a word, threw back a baz
curtain from the floor, and revealed (,
them the lay-hgure, lite,sjze, of murdere,
man. The gentlemen started back in
amazement So lovely, in death, were tn,
lineaments of that exquisite face so fault
less in form, so wondrously expressive O
purity and innocence, that they could no
believe il the work of an untutored youth
entirely devoid of art education and of tn
laws of anatomy, which the most critica
admitted were perfectly unasailable ii
the figure before them. No they woul
not credit It, and avowed their belief tina
he had been implicated in some terribl
crime, for which the victim had served a
model. 1t was in vain that the youn
sculptor protested, explained they wer
inexorable, and declared he should be ser