Weekly Trinity journal., 1875-12-11
A NsODEG. BOY.


on the wall Of a public garden in Venice,
fishing with pin hook. He apparently
consisted of two brown bare legs and a
thing Of shreds and patches called trou-
sers. The rest of him was hanging over
the Lagoon.
" Halo, young man." said l, "stay
whore you are a minute. Iwant to make
a sketch Of you"
He lifted his head and showed me one
of those delicious child faces that belong
only to Da Vinci's angels. Two great
innocent brown eyes looked frankly and
steadily into mine. The mouth wore
that sweet shadowy smile which Leonardo
cast over the lips of all his women and
children.
extended my hand. The young fish
erman dropped his pin hook and laid his
dingy little paw therein.
"Ths is more than mere circumstance, y
| said 4" this is an affinity. | will this
child unto my heart and adopt him while
| stay in Venice. am "a poor and lonely
Bohemian this delightful boy is also Il
Bohemian, Judging from his clothes. Let
us be beggars and happy together"
| ended by proposing that he should
share my humble home and fortunes,
provided that his mother would let him,
clean brushes, go of errands, amuse the
dogs, make himself generally useful, and
pose for me by the hour.
Il WILL" he cried, tumbling off the
wall. Come along, illustrisimo."
SO we went home to the dull abode of
poverty. introduced Pipo to the World,
Sin and the Flesh. Don't tremble in
your virtuous shoes. They were only
my dogs-poor outcast ours that dritted
/ with the tide in the lagoon to my door
They We're lean, hungry eyed creatures
always on the alert for blows and kicks
What better friends could an unrecog
nized artist have than three drowning
starving miserable dogs ? They wer,
tour-tooted epigrams against fortune.
1t was too late to begin work that day
| could only form high hopes of Pipo OF
canvas. We partook of n frugal repast
Pipo was initiated into the use of TIN
fork. Then | offered for his considera
ton the first of series of lectures on thu
manly art of washing plates. Hitherto
the dogs had neatly polished them, and
had merely touched them up with tn
towel. This is the poetry of an artist
lie.
And yet, now that have made me
name, now that friends and honor an
fame are mine, | long with "a wistful sad
ness for those dear old days in far o
Venice. Something which | have los
which then made life glorious. II | coul,
only step out into my loggia at sunsc
after hard days work, and hear tn
rustic OF the trees in the garden, and TIN
roar OF the surf at Lido, in the vespe
bell sweeping over the lagoon. 9TH
world is an infinite possibility. Go fortl
in the might of thy genius and youth an,
conquer the realm"
Ipainted Pipo just as he was, in hi
rags and dirt and angelic impishncss.
wanted to paint him semi-nude, for tn
sake of that ripe, golden skin Of his. Blu
| felt that my picture was destined 70
American eyes and l merely enlarge
the holes in his garments.
Ppo began to manifest an alarming
iondness for my paints and eolors. i
it possible that may prove the Ciambu'
to this Giotto ?" | queried. "GiottC
tended sheep and Pipo fshed with pit
hook. Bett er that he should dredge muc
from the Venetian canals all his life. II,
shall never WELD the brush with m,
consent"
This model boy of mine had one vice
which all my efforts could not uproot from
his youthful breast. He had the face o
angel, but he used language that woulC
have brought blush to the cheeks Of I
ship-load of pirates.
Pipo soon settled to his own satisfaction
that when | went to America he was tC
go likewise. | encouraged the idea frou
educational motives.
"Pipo, how long is it since you WASHED
your face ?"
Pipo counted his fingers.
"a week."
"Well, when you go to America, Pipo
my boy, you'll have to wash your fac
every day, and your hands too, for there
my Venetian aristocrat, the people hav
plebelan prejudice in favor Of cleanli
ness"
Pipo went of and returning, said, will
confidential smile, 'me clean now IN
60 to America"
Pipo came to me shortly after and witt
graceful bow offered me cigarett
from package in which he had just in
vested. 1t was Saturday; our week
work was done we had squared account
and Ppo felt like a millionaire. | nc
cepted and lighted it. Look here
young man, when you go to Americi
you'll have to give up the use Of tn,
weed In the land Of the free, and S,
forth, my friend, little boys Of eight mr.
not expected to be as tar advanced in dis
sipation as old fellows Of twenty"
Thus did | administer moral nstruc
ton in small doses to my untutored savage
Things began to look black in the littl
old house on the lagoon. Pipo and ha
been subsisting for some time on ship
wreck rations. Never a foot crossed n
humble threshold with intent to orde
pictures. Robinson Crusoe and Frida
were not more entirely alone on the islam
than were Pipo and there in that waite
bound cottage with only our own brigh
dreams and the prophetic glory Of Sc
and sky To keep US from utter wretched
ness. / was up to cars in debt with Pip