The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1876-01-13
A FINE ART EXPERIENCE.
lBoston Commercial Bulletin. !

Into one of the large iewelry and fan
cy goods stores OF Boston walked, the
other day, one of those customers that
! the holiday season sometimes brings tc
town. He was hard-handed, loose
! jointed, broad shouldered individual,
carefully dressed in new s,lit of baggy,
ready made clothes, q home laundried
| shirt, and hat which, although perfect
| ~ new, was three seasons behind the
| present fashion.
Sauntering mp to one of the statesmen,
with very obvious attempt at being at
| home among the glittering splendor OF
the salesroom, and a general air of ''Not
to- be astonished or being done by you
Boston fellers,' he inquired
"Got any bronzes ?"
The clerk answered in the affirmative,
and led the way to bewildering stock
of bronze statnettes, clocks, etc The
visitor stared at them a moment as an
interior African might have at the first
white man he had ever seen, and then.
setting his hat little more firmly OIL his
head, asked
(Which o them fggers mout be the
Venus of high low 2"
The trained salesman, with placid
countenance, quietly replied
81 do not remember any by that title;
are you sure that was the name o.
The patron of the fine arts drew a
large yellow silk handkerchief from his
hat, and, mopping his face uneasily,
said
''ltmout ha' been ace high, but think
it was high low Marian sed that eff ]
thought Of seyen-up, [ shouldn't forget
the name. The fact is, said the puzzled
purchaser, with sudden burst of conf
dence, ''the fact is, cap, 1 hev Just put
up new tenement down to South Hig-
ginsboro', and Maria, lowed she'd like a
brunze i'll the keepin' room, suthin' like
what she seed once in cousin Sam Stiff
-ners parlor on Beacon street. Cousin
Sam he writ the names on card n
p'raps I've got it now" and, diving into
his breast pocket, as ifhe was to unsheath
a two-handed sword, he lugged out
long pocket-book, from the depths of
which he pluclzed card and handed it
to the salesman.
"Ah!" said the latter, "the Venus of
Milo. Yes, sir, here's fine copy, re-
production by Barbidienne. p"
The customer surveyed it earnestly
for moment, and then said:
''You hain't got perfert one, hev ye,
cap? This ere one has lost both hel
arms and got dents all over her back
The patient salesman explained that
the statuette was q copy of the original
that was found in that condition.
''Shoh y commented the other, and
then, hesitatingly, ''don't any of them
have any more clothes n that {? This ere
ones nightgown pears to have kind of
slipped off 81 her."
Again the shopman, despite his twitch-
ing muscles, explained to his attentive
lbdU IL was ttll lIlliGdilCu OF an
ancient statue. He, however, cooking
his head OH the side, inquired
"Wali, now, whatll you tax III for her
jess as she standsl' rapping his bony
knuckles on the bronze as if they were
buzz saw.
Gone hundred and fifty dollars for
that size, said the clerk.
"Wha-a-t.' almost shouted the aston
ished would-be patron of the arts; "a
hundred n fifty dollars fur brunze gal
'thout any arms, and skearce a rag on
her back Venus of Ny Lowl Venus
of Your High, I should say. a hundred
II fifty dollars ''Why, that's half the
mortgage on brother Jim's farm. Guess
Marian must thought my name was Will
liam 3. Astor instead of John Higgins"
and, fixing his hat little firmer, he
made hasty exit from the store and
struck straight line for the Eastern
railroad station