The Cecil Whig., 1871-05-20
Charles Fciu, the Armless Painter OF
Antwerp.
BY REV. J. II. PETTINGELL.

by REV. J. II. PETTINGELL.
There is Il wonderful power of adaptation
| to circumstances in the human system
Men will often live and thrive under condi-
| tions that would seem to preclude exist
encc, even. Education will develop facul-
| ties which, but for the conStraint of neces-
| sity, would have lain dormant forever.
| 1t is interesting to observe how the loss
Of one organ OF faculty tends to quicken
all the rest, and how those that are the
nearest akin will assume the functions of
that which is wanting, and how gracefully
they will fulfill their double duties. When
the sense OF right is wanting, the hearing,
! the touch, the taste, the smell, will almost
make it good. The blind learn quickly to
| read with their fingers, and to recognize
their friends as readily as those who can
see. They will not only go about the house
without difficulty, but will often find their
way through the town or city where they
live, and even make long journeys, without
assistance. Thcie have been some who
could even distinguish colors by the deli
cate sense of their touch. The deaf and
dumb learn quickly to converse by signs
the eye takes the place of the ear the hand
that of the tongue. There is no language
| iioI SSIcliSC " "Hltli IOI lS
there any thought too abstruse to be COM
municated to those who have been educated
in the language of signs. l have known
some who could articulate WELL and others
who could play on an instrument of music
without ever having heard 4 sound, though
| their exercises were rather "dull music
of course, and practiced by them rather as
an accomplishment than for pleasure or
profit. | recollect the very pleasant inter-
| view | had many years ago with Laura
| Bridgeman, the deaf, dumb, and blind girl,
and by taking her hand, how readily con-
versed with her by the manual alphabet,
which she had learned to use. Some two
years ago, when in the British House of
| Commons, I saw Mr.. Kavadaugh, the Irish
member who has neither hands nor feet
nevertheless, he is an active member of that
body, and can speak and vote Us well as
any of them. He is said also to be a good
writer. He holds the pen in his mouth,
and guides it with the stumps of arms,
without hands, which nature has given
| him.
But one of the most extraordinary eases
of triumph over physical difficulties ever
knew, is that of the Antwerp painter. He
was born entirely destitute of arms, and
yet he has learned to use his toes more
readily than most persons use their fingers.
| He often passes my windows with the
sleeves of his coat tucked into his pockets
on each side, and walking SO gracefully,
that n stranger would not detect any defect
in him. He may be seen any day at work
in the picture gallery at Antwerp. 1t is
wonderful to notice how skillfully he han
dies his tools. His canvas rests upon all
easel, so arranged that he can raise or
lower it at pleasure by turning a crank
He sits on an ordinary stool in front of it,
without any support whatever for his back
or limbs. He takes his pallet and resting
rod with one foot, with the other he seizes
the brush, mixes his paint, and applies it
as freely, and precisely in the same way,
us his fellow artists, more favored by nature,
many of whom he excels in the beauty and
finish of his paintings.
called upon him the other day, in COM
pany with DR.. b, an American friend,
at his own house. He received us very
kindly into his parlor, and showed us
his collection of paintings, all of which
had been executed by himself. After this,
he took us up into his studio. Everything
was in perfect order. I saw nothing that
indicated any popularity in his way of
doing things. There was on his easel Il
beautiful portrait, yet unfinished, of a
young lady, which | recognized at once as
..iI 'c.';iI ''. o'1' r 80 ~
o'H.l :td III ,p1 I; SIM ot .i..n
which he was painting to order. He says
he has quite as many orders as he can fill.
We "sheu mn. ioi ms :'iu. nc inii,ou i
ateiy PuI ms looI iii.o MS l'"She'' Hn,' .ooh
out ms porteiionilale, opened IT. ana took
from II a sini.ll Key ana Went 10 ms desk;
inserted aiie Key ul,i"cN'u tile ul1"er anu
uleM II o"t, im, ioUh :. 1it'iH o.i" t,Hm,
"ch !.'' :. 10y !, IL, I;, "o :. it w.
"t,oie ~ 81 sc'e't." pen 'ifl''u inuo Wy
iiA' anu ' SS' III - 'is ny ~ oi III"
',,,n and aJ1rnss :. Cb,rlcs FcIr Artista.
,,ointro Or + onrue Alec Anvrrs
If was heoutifi,IIv written and was exe-
,,,tod NC ,,,,;nLlv and Vim ne Et+la offort
u,Ur 'n ,,.n,,id do II un o1sa +o,,l, o,,t
s, 10 '.ns iat+ors anh n,o,ad thn,,, ~ 'ood
.,at ,i,rl+ ln ,,lhnt rIorn ho 'I,i had
rnceivcd nc,e I We showed rs lorge mannscrint m ,r