Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1870-05-13
MISCELLANEOUS.
THE PAINTER OF ROTTERDAM.
BY AMELIA b. EDWARDS.

BY AMELIA b. EDWARDS
MY father was trader and distiller a
Schiedam, on the Mas. Without beinl
wealthy we enjoyed the means of pro
curing every social comfort We CAV,
and received visits from few old friends
we went occasionally to the theater, anC
my father had his tulip garden and sum
mer-house at little distance from Schie
damon the banks of the canal which
connects the town with the river.
But my father and mother, whose OILY
child was, cherished one dream of ambi
ton, in which, fortunately, my own taste
led me to participate. They wanted me
to became painter.
Let me but see a picture by Franz
Linden in the gallery at Rotterdam" said
my father, "and 1 shall die happy"
so at fourteen years of age l was re.
moved from school, and placed in the
classes of Messer Kesler, an artist living
at Delft. Here made such progress that
by the time had reached my nineteenth
birthday l was transferred to the dtelier
of Hans Van Roos, a descendant of the
celebrated family of that name. Van
Roos was not more than thirty-eight or
forty years of age, and had already &C.
quired considerable reputation as painter
Of portraits and sacred subjects. The .
was an altar piece of his in one of on.
finest churches his works had c.,,.c,,v;od
the place of honor for the Las. civ 1oara ~
our annual exhibition, am. for portraitSre pH u re-
ne numbered among is masters most Of
oe VIC mea!.ny nelcr ants and burgomasters
onoat;on VI e%i c,tS, deed, there could be no
dd,,;r;,,O duiSOn VI at my master was rapidly ac-
l. Iuni :, n fortune commensurate with his
POI, r,dlarity.
Still he was not cheerful man. It was
whignaraH hu ha le hot H. H.
with disappointment in early life-that
he had loved, been accepted, and on the
eve OF marriage had been rejected by
the lady for more wealthy suitor. He
came from Freislsnd, in the north of Hol-
iand, when very young man. He had
always been the same gloomy, pallid,
laoor-loving citizen. He 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 limited to
SIX. He kept us constantly at work, and
scarcely permitted US to exchange word
with each other during the day. Stand
ing there among us silently, with the light
from above pouring down upon his
pallld face, and becoming absorbed in the
folds of his long, black dressing gown, he
looked almost like some stern old por-
trait himself To tell the truth, we were
all somewhat afraid of him. Not that he
assumed any undue authority on the con-
trary, he was stately, silent, and frigidly
polite; but his politeness had in it some.
Thing oppressive, and we were all happier
out OF his presence. None of US resided
under his roof / had second floor in a
neighboring street, and two of my fellow
students occupied rooms in the same
house. We used to meet at night in each
others chambers, and make excursions to
the exhibitions and theatres, and some
times, on summers evening, we would
hire pleasure boat and row q mile or
two down the river. We were merry
enough then, and not quite so silent, l
promise, as in the gloomy studio.
In the meantime was anxious to CLEAN
every benefit from my masters instruc-
tions. improved rapidly, and my paint
ings soon excelled those of the other five
My taste did not incline to sacred subjects
IKE that of Van Roos, but rather to the
familiar rural scenes of Bergman and Paul
Petter, 1t was my delight to wander
along the rich pasture lands, to watch the
amber sunset, the herds coming home IN
the dairy, the lazy wind-mills scarcely
rutfied by the ps.asage of the public
recEshNW (canal boat). In depicting
scenes of this y,ature,
irhe I.i, sl9w Anal, the yellow blossom vale
1 was s'.ngularly fortunate. Ny master
never praised me by word or look, but
%n en- my father came up one day from
EJchiedam to visit me, he drew me aside,
and in voice audible to the rest, he told
him that +" Messer Linden would do cred
1t to the profession, which so delighted the
good distiller that he straightway 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 his
friend, the Burgomeister Won Gael. 1t was
an eventful visit for me. Upon that even
ing first fell in love.
Few people, think, would at that time
have denied the personal attractions ofGer-
trude Won Gael. Yet / do not know that
1t was her features as much as her SO #
voice and gentle womanly grace that fas.
cinated me.
Though so young, she performed the
honors of her fathers princely table with
self-possession and good breeding. In the |
evening she sang some sweet German
songs to her own simple accompaniment
We talked of books and poetry, and /
found her well-read in English, French
and German literature. We spoke of art,
and she displayed both judgment and en-
thusiasm
AS we took our leave at night, the bur
gomeister shook me by the hand and told
me to come often.
fancied that Gertrude's blue eyes |
frightened when he said it, and felt the |
color rush quickly to my brow as bow
ed and thanked him.
Franz" said my father, when we were |
in the street, show OLD are you ?"
=" Just twenty-five, sir" replied, sur
prised at the question
You will not be dependent ON your |
brush, my boy" continued my father, as
he leaned upon my arm and looked back |
at the lofty mansion we had just left. "I |
have been neither wasteful nor unsuccess- |
ful, and it will be my pride to leave you |
respectable income at my death"
II inclined my head in silence, and Won
dered what would come next.
"Burgomeister Won Gael is one of my |
Oldest friends" said my father.
iE have often heard you speak of him,
sir,p replied.
"And he is rich"
I" So l should suppose"
Fl" Gertrude will have a fine fortune" |
said my father, as If thinking aloud.
bowed once more, but this time rather |
ner rvously.
"Marry her, Franz"
dropped his arm and started back.
"Sirl" l faltered, "I-I-marry the
Fraulein Won Gael ?"
sand pray, sir, why not ?" said nv
father, curtly. He stopped short in his |
walk and leaned both his hands upon the |
top OF his walking stick.
! made no reply.
Why not sirH" repeated my father,
very .eneTgetically. "What could YOU
wish Tor betterf The young lady Is hand.