Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-03-09
A STORY OF MURlLLO'S Pupil.

Many years ago, on a beautiful sum-
mer morning, several young men who
emerged from the different streets press
ed their way towards the house of the
celebrated painter, Mur;lo. They all
arrived at th@ door at the same moment,
exchanged situations in q cordial man
ner and called each other by name. They
hurried up the flight of stairs and reach
ed the studio. The maestro had not vet
entered, and each artist approached his
easel to see if the coOrs were we'll dried.
"BY the holy St. James of Compostella p
exclaimed lsturez, (which of you remain
ed last in the studio yesterday?'
You have not yet recovered from the
effects OF your morning nap" replied at
the same time Fernandez and Cardova,
cor you would surely recollcct that we
all went home together.'
"There is a point beyond which for
bearance ceases to De virtue continued
1sturez, evidently in bad humor. Eyes
terday, before leaving the studio, ! con-
sumed IN hour at least in cleaning very
carefully my palette and brushes, and
this III orning Gnd them dripping with
paint"
See there! look!' cried Carlos; there
Is another little face just in the corner of
my picture, and It's by nc means bad
one, either. Cara 10! who can it be that
thus amuses himself every morning with
painting a figure first upon the wall and
then upon the canvas?'
yesterday, Fernandez, there was one
just above your EASEL
at must be Isturez; his palette is proof
positive against him. said Fernandez.
No By the holy madre, it was not IT.
replied Isturez.
SO not swear" said Carlos, "such a
face you Dever could have palnted.'
''Be that as it may, Don Carlos, have
never yet painted any quite SO indifferent
as yours
And my brushes, too, are moist!" ex~
claimed Gonz tlez. by the patron saint
OF Spain, something mysterious goes on
here at night!'
do you not think, with the creole
Gomez, that it is the z mbi who pays
these nocturnal visits TO our studiO?"
asked Isturez.
Certainly l believe it, returned Men
DEE, who had thus long remained silent
while examining attentively one of those
IL,
IN greater or lesser numbers, everv morn
ing from their canvas, as though called
into oxistance by the magic wand of
some supernatural visitant. 81 wish in
my Decent from the Cross he had had
the kindness to have sketched the head
OF the Holy Virgin; my conception may
be ever SO pure and chaste, but my pencil
obstinately refuses to obey the impulses
Of my imaginstion.'
At these words Mendez approached his
easel. An exclamation Of establishment
burst from his lips, and he stood petri-
fed at the spectical presented to his view.
A beautiful Madonna's head, merely
sketcaed, but OF wonderful expression,
stood out clear from the canvas, graceful
and pleasing, amid the other figures of
the picture, like an unearthly appara-
ton.
How now2 " hats the matter with
ysu'' demanded a stern, gruff voice,
which reused the youth from his msdita-
TONS who bowed respectfully before the
SPEAKER
Examine yourself, Senior Murillo!''
answered all the young men simulta-
neously, pointing to the easel of Mendez.
Whose work is this? Who painted
that heas9' asked Murillo, with eagerness
"Why DO you not answer? Whoever
sketcned that Madonna will one day or
other DE the master o. us all. Does no
one sFcak? should be proud to &C.
knowledge it as the production of nv
pencil, B? the soul Of my body, what
tenderness! what sweetness what deli
cacy !-lendez, my. dear pupil is it
yours2"
mo, maestro" replied Mendez, evi-
IDENTITY grieved
'Was it you, Esturez? or you Fernan
dez! or you Cordova?
"No, maestro" replied they simultan.
eously. "But," said Murillo, impatiently
sit could not have made it's APPEARANCE
here OF itself. Some one must have done
it."
"This is not the first nor only myster,
ious and inexplicable affair which has
trans ired in your studio" replied Cor,
dova, the youngest of the pupils. "Be.
lleve me, maestro, this place abounds in
spirits, who regularly Assem- bic here every
night and play off their pranks till the
dawn of day"
IL am by no meas so superstitious as
Cordova," said Fernandez; "but true it is
that events occur within these walls thai
surpass belief;'
And what are they?' demanded
Murl!lo, sternly, whose gaze was still
rlveted IN the head of the beautiful Ma.
donna.
In obedience to your orders, senior. we
never leave the studio without putting
everything IL the most perfect order,
cleaning our oalettes, washing our brus h.
es and arranging our easels; out every
morning we find all things in the great.
est confusion our paiettes loaded with
paint, and on all sides we behold the
most exquisite sketches, and are astonish-
ed at their lncom parable beauty. In one
place the head of an angel in another
that Of q demon, or the profile of love.
~ woman, or the head of an old man:
but all wonderfully beautiful and ad-
mirable in their com position, settiny imi
tation at defiance. We rejoice that this
day you have had an opportunity of wit
Messing these remarkable phenomena
yourself; and if the individual who thus
amuses himself mere ia the dead hour of
the night be not yourself, Senior, then ]
agree with Cordova Jhas it is is beyond
AL doubt the devil"
II wou, d to heaven il we're! Willing
II would avow myself the deli nator Of