National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1872-06-14
Tom.

There Is "A picture Tor sale in neigh
) boring city with which there is connecte,
n curious story. On the back is scra Nv led
ct. A., Obiit 1863" The artist died b,
his own hand, for cause of suicide NOR,
common than love, or religious mania, ol
despair; and as poor Tom was well known
and near akin To many of our readers, til,
history of his picture and himself
seems to us worth telling. As for the
picture, it is in execution nothing but d
crude, strong dash or two of color; only
a bit of sandy beach, dead woman
washed ashore, man keeping watch over
her, and bird, the solitary living thing
in the world, disappearing in the stormy
sky, leaving him alone with his dead.
But there is the subtle something in il
which touches us, as do all great utter
ances of truth or human feeling it is one
of the inspired words, painted, or spoken,
or written, that are strong as love, or
grief, or death, and share their nature.
There was something about the painter,
too, from the time he was boy, that set
him apart from other men as one who had
message given him to utter. After all.
God does give nowadays to certain men
special errands to their fellows. and
whether it be TO make them cry or laugh,
to call them to be heroes or saints, to
show the stupendous joke OF misery or
comfort under life, or to explain fishes, or,
like Bezaleel, to be "filled with the spirit
of God in working with iron and brass"
they carry about them the signs of their
commission as PLAN as the shining on Mo-
ses's face when he came down from the
mountains with the tables of stone. Even
as II boy, Tom knew that he had an errand.
1t might be but petty thing, picture to
paint, or a crayon sketch or two to finish.
But it WAS his work, which no man could
do but himself. He caught hints of it ev-
erywhere in the glass Of water Pickering
in his hand, or the stone under his feet Ms
much ms the song nobly sung or the life of
some other man greatly loved. 1t was
clear enough to him; but Pickering light
or songs and loves of others would not
make it clear to the world. There were
times when the desire for its utterance
was so strong upon him that if he could
have accomplished his work he would
have been ready, shy, hearty, young fel-
low as he was, to cry, lord. now let
Thy servant depart in peace" He did
not fall into the usual mistake of genius ss
to the ease of delivering his message. He
had slip-shod dependence on winged
Pegasus to carry him. or draughts from
llelicon to give him divine strength. Slow
aud incessant work, and unflinching integ-
rity to his errand, he knew only would
carry him safely to his journeys end.
and he set out on his career most gal
lantly.
But Tom was poor, and-Tom married
married n woman who thoroughly recog-
nized him and his errand They lived in
a shabby little house in the suburbs of
New York, where their first baby was
born; house where the roof leaked, and
where the floors were carpetless. But |
going there, you found their talk furnished
with such high and noble thoughts, their
daily lives so rich in love, so gay in tests
and tancies, so sweet and admirable in
temper, that the background of want
seemed only meant to throw into relief
these sunshiny figures. Books, too, mu-
sic, nature, and art meant so much more
to them then to other men and women
they drew such strength and wealth ont
of even the blades of grass ut their gate or
the sunlight on their bare floor. that one
could not but envy the rich heritage that
they would bequeath to their boy. 1t was
about this time this picture was painted.
Men found in it something of message s
rom the gods struggling to be heard {
hey looked curiously at Tom and said ,
Presently we shall have a great man 8
lmong u.s." But they did not buy the |
picture. They did not buy any of Toms t
'ictures.
As years went by this fact forced itself 1
loser and closer upon the painter. The /
aore he fixed his eyes upon the stars the /
nore his empty pocket took life and gnaw- {
d like fox at his vitals. He and his a
wife could have always found food and Ii
oyal clothing for themselves in their con +
cousness of their great work for man Il
ind, but for their boys they wanted r
roadcioth, beef, and potatoes to equal |;
hose of their neighbor's children across b
he way. One day a picture auctioneer a
tfered Tom place as hack" 'Give up fl
his Flemish accuracy and this peculiar h
lncy which struggles through all your p
'ork. You can dash me off two or three o
old studies day; something to catch u
he public eye. Coarse as you please
gu need never put your name to them" al
he wages offered were conn etency.
was an everyday transaction; the man
ad simply to make a choice between Y
overly with his own work and wealth I'll
thout it. To Tom, however, it seemed ia
choice between God and Mammon. 1t II
lreatened to rench soul and body asun. dl
ar. But the children had their hands Il
pom him Should they not have their W
lare of the worlds comfort. gentility. la
yle2 Tom went into the road where all III
lcks tramp together their treadmill &c
'und which leads nowhere in life or DEATH th
e had meant TO be deaf and blind if any pl
Dice summoned him out of it. But he NJ
ever heard again the heavenly Call. His pl
,dy is alive yet, goes about, with those a
his wife and children, well fed and Nv
ell-todo. Their floors are carpeted G'
ith cheap Brussels. and in their clothes to
ey follow the fashions scrupulously and tn
But Tom, finding this old pic at
re exposed for sale the other day. IN
rawled on its back, ct. A. Obiit 1863" 2e
There are SO many Toms in studios, in of
wspaper offices, in the pulpit, that we RAJ
I've thought it worth while to tell his be
ory. We do not know whether he ever
lestions what the loss in his choice has
en- to himself, his children or the world po
= !, nav NOT be too late fnr .ome nj sta
EN- to pause in theirs, and ask them SCI
Ives, "Was this well donef" Oh
ag
A PERSON intimately connected with -
I'm S c. Abbott, says The Wdtchmdn no
d Reflector, assures us from personal h.
that @ba ,rol,eo o,tI ~ ,ayar nv