The Osceola times., 1875-11-27
A MODEL BOY.

lying on the wall of the public gardcr
in Venice, fishing with pin-hook
lie apparently consisted of two BROW
bare legs and a thing of shrcds anC
patches called trousers. The rest o.
him was hanging over the lagoon.
" Iialloo, young man, said "sta,
where you are a minute. | want t.
make sketch of YOU"
lie lifted his head and showed IN,
one of thoes delicious child-faces thai
belong only to Da Vinci's angels
Two great innocent brown ewes lookeC
frankly and steadily into mine. 1hc
mouth wore that sweet shadowy smile
which Leonardo cast over the lips o
all his women and children. ..Effi
| extended my hand. The young
fisherman dropped his pin-hook anc
laid his dingy little paw therein.
This i, more than mere circum
stance | said; "this is an affinity.
will take this child unto my heart and
adopt him while stay in Venice.
am poor lonely Bohemian; this de
lighttul boy is also a Bohemian, iudg
ing from his clothes. Let us be beg
gars and happy together y
| ended by proposing that he should
share my humble home and fortunes
provided his mother would let him
clean brushes, go of errands, amusC
the dogs, make himself generally useful
and pose for me by the hour
81 will" he cried tumbling off the
wall. "Come along, lllustrissimo.'
So we went home to the dull abode
of poverty. introduced Pipo to the
World, Sin, and the Flesh. Don't
trcmble in your yirtuous shoes. They
were only my dogs gS-poor outcast cur,
that drifted with the tide in the lagoon
to my door. They were lean, hungry
eyed creatures, always on the alert fol
blows and kicks. What better friend,
could an unrecognized artist have
than three drowning, starving, miserable
dogs? They were four-footed epigram,
against fortune.
1t was too late to begin work that
day; could only form high hopes of
Pipo on canvas. We partook of a
frugal repast. Pipo was initiated into
the use of the fork. Then offered
for his consideration the first of a
series of lectures on the manly art OF
washing plates. Hitherto the dogs bad
neatly polished them and had merely
touched them up with the towel. Thi,
is the poetry of the artists life.
And yet, now that have made me
name, now that friends and honor
and fame are mine, | long with a
wistful sadness for those dear old DAYS
in far-oh Venice. Something have
lost which then made life glorious II
| could onl " step out into my loggia at
sunset, after hard days work, and
hear in the rustic of the trees in the
garden, in the roar of the surf at the
Lido, in the vespcr bell sweeping over
the lagoon, "Thc world is an infinite
possibility. Go forth in the might Of
thy genius and youth and conquer the
realm"
painted Pipo just as he was, in his
rags and his dirt and his angelic I'M
pishncss. | wanted TO paint him
scmi-nude, for the sake of that ripe
golden skin of his. But | fclt that my
picture was destined for American eyes
and | merely enlarged the holes in his
garments.
Pipo began to manifest an alarming
fondness for brushes and colors. as
it possible that may prove the
Cimabuc to this Giotto?" | queried.
"Giotto tended sheep and Pipo fshed
with pin-hook. Better that he
should dredge mud from Venetian
canals all his life He shall never
WELD the brush with my consent
This model boy of mine had one
vice which all my efforts could not
uproot from his youthful breast, He
had the face of an angel, hut he used
language that would have brought a
blush TO the checks of Il shipload OF
pirates.
Pipo soon settled to his own satistac
ton that when ! went to America he
was to 20 likewise | encouraged the
idea from educational niotiycs. .ltr
"Pipo, how long is it4sincc4 YOU
washed your face"
PHO counted his fingers.
"A week.
"Wcll, when YOU go toEAmcrica
Pipo, my boy, you'll have to wash you
face every day, and your hands too, tol
there, my Venetian aristocrat, the
people have a plebeian prejudice II
favor-of cleanliness T.-s
Pipo went off and, returning, said