The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1876-04-06

Some young men were eoihS W 20!
10 "seek their fortune" Claud deter
mined to 90 too. But companies ofyoung
men who 90 rowing about seeking their
fortune, instead of working honestly ana
steadily for it, are quite likely to prove
yerv Improbable company, which truth
Claude discovered. After long journey,
during which they sometimes begged
their food and sometimes stole it, the
fortune-hunters came to the CITY OF He'
noa, and Claude was glad to leave ms
rough companions and go to seek work,
letting Fortune take her own time TO
come TO him. A French writer says:
"His good star made him enter the SER
vice Of Augustin Tassi;" but you may be
sure that he had a greater and better
Guide than any star. He soon learned
to love his master, who was an artist,
and took much pleasure in watching the
canvas, as life and beauty sprang IRON IL
under the wonderful touches ofthe Skill
full hand. Tassi could not help noticing
the attentive eyes of the boy, whose
hands-oh those awkward hands-Were
irving to put in order the studio, While
his thoughts wandered in their old, per
verse way, We are told that he offered,
in fun, to teach Claude the principles OF
hisart and that the servant accepted the
offer "without any enthusiasm" Yet,
day after day, he came for his Lessons,
working patiently, though, at hrst, IL
seemed that painting was as hard ior
him as school lessons and cookery had
been.
After while a change took place. As
if some pitying angel had touched the
dull, patient brain, it awoke and began
to work wonders. Imagine the aston,
ishment of the master when he found
that the pupil whom he had thought so
stupid was true genius, whose work
must by-and-by eclipse his own I'M
agine the Joy of Claude himself as ne
found that, under his hand, blue skies
would grow deep and clear; clouds bright
or threatening; flowers would bloom,
waters flow, trees spread their cooling
shade His genius, which had been
like the plant shut close within the seed,
tossed to and fro among rocks, had now
taken root l. good ground, and, no long
er prisoner, rose gladly into the light
and air of a new life. Not only qua ne
grow skilful with pencil and brush, but
in his humble work as a servant, also
And after the days work was done, in
his chamber he studied hard, and books
opened to him treasures long sealed, or
his pencil continued the studio work
How happy and busy he was And how
grateful to the kind master under whose
care his genius had burst its tast-c osed
| prison -,
Don't think that our artist made the
pictures that have been kept and ad-
mired two hundred years, without hdrd
aUork. We read that he sometimes spent
whole day upon one branch, or one
stone; that sometimes the work of a week
seemed to leave his canvas in no better
state than when the week began; but
when the picture was finished, ut was
veritable Jewel, worthy to be offered to
the greatest kings"
You will readily believe that he was
not long obliged to keep his place as
Tassi's servant, after he became known
as an artist. Friends and money and
fame were soon his. He could travel as
much as he chose, and watch the sky
that he loved so mucL, morning, noon
and night. Young artists were proud to
call him their teacher. The great and
the rich were glad to buy his pictures.
1t is said that Pope Clement Hl. offered
for one of them as much gold as would
cover its surface.
Did the happy, rich and famous Claude
Lorraine forget the poor little apprentice
of the pastry-cook, laughed at by his
companions and scolded by his master?
Never! Nor did he forget the go d
Tassi whose fun had proved so valuable
a Joke to him. In him the poor had an
earnest friend, and unknown genius an
eye quick to recognize it, and a heart
large and warm to encourage and help 1T.
Perhaps you have been wondering why |
called this artist Claude Gelee in the
first part of this story. That was his real
name. He was afterwards called Claude |
Lorraine, from the province of France in
which he was born. 1t would have been
thought small honor then, but the peo.
pie of that province are scarcel y prouder
of anything else now. :,
Claude Lorraine lived to good old
age. Almost to the last his brush was at
work on pictures as fine as those that he
made when he was young and strong;
and then he went away to see visions Of
beauty forever. =.
About two hundred years after his
death monument was built for him at
Rome. But he left better monument
in his works, many of which still remain
beautiful after so many years.