Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1879-06-05
MistelIaueuns &eadiua.
PROVING THE LIKENESS.

There lived in Brussels a celebrated pain
ter, named Wiertz, whose eccentricities were
such as to give him the name of the crazy ar
tist. That there was method in his madness,
the following anecdote shows:
After having finished portrait of the old
aristocratic Countess de---, who pretended
to be only thirty when nearly sixty, she re.
fused to accept the painting, saying that it
did not look anything like herself, and that
her most intimate friends would not recognize
single feature of her on that piece of canvas.
Wiertz smiled kindly at the remark, and,
as true knight Of old, gallantly reconducted
the lady to her carriage
Next morning there was a grand dlstur-
bance in the Rue de Madeline A big crowd
was gathered before window, and the follow
ing words were whispered from ear to ear:
%'sIs the Countess de - really in jail for
her debts ?"
Wiertz had exercised little, vengeance to.
wards his noble but unfair customer As
soon as she had refused the portrait, he set to
work and painted few iron bars on the pic.
ture, with these words:
"In jail for debt p' .ti-i&s''
He exhibited the painting in a jewelers.
window, in the principal street of Brussels,
and the effect was instantaneous.
A few hours later, the countess, was back
at Wiertz's studio, pouring invectives on him
at high pressure-"to have exhibited her
Likeness under such scandalous" us"-etc., etc. a
"Most noble lady," was the artists reply,
ayou said the. painting did not look any thing
like yourself and that your most intimate
friends would not have recognized 9 single
one of your features in the picture. l wanted
to test the truth of your statement, that is all"
The portrait was taken away, the city laugh
ed, the artist charged double price, and gave
the amount to the: poor of the city. - :.
FIVE MINUTES.
AT the Commencement at Charlier Institute,
Dr.. S. Iren@us Prime spoke to the young men
as follows: is.1
am invited to speak to you FIVE minutes,
and only ive Little may be said, and much
may be done, in five minutes. In FIVE min
utes you may fire city, scuttle a ship or ruin
soul. The error Of a moment makes the sor-
row of life. Get that thought we'll into
your thoughts, and my work is done in min
Ute instead Of FIVE. : 80
Tempted to sin, rememb Der that in five min
utes you may destroy your good name, fill
your soul with undying remorse, and bring,
with sorrow, your fathers gray hair to the
grave. But if you can do SO much evil, you
may do mighty sum Of good in five minutes.
You may decide to live for usefulness and
honor. Everything hangs on that choice, and
it may be made in five minutes.
Take care of the pence and the pounds will
take care of themselves take care of the
minutes and the hours are safe. / made
little book in this way in the breakfast room
were pen, ink and paper; and. if, when the
hour for breakfast came, all was not ready, l
wrote few words or lines, rs time allowed.
The book was finished, and it had been pub
lished scarcely week before heard it had
saved soul it has saved many since. 1t
did not cost me one minute that would have
been used for anything else.
s Five minutes in,the morning, and as many
in the evening, will make you master of
new language in two or three years. Before
you are of middle age you may speak all the
modern tongues, if you will but improve the
spare moments Of the years now flying by.
Minutes are more than jewels they are
"the stuff that life is made Of; they are dia-
mond stepping-stones to wisdom, usefulness
and wealth the ladder to heaven.
1t will not take five minutes to do good
deed, and one day will make life of honor
and usefulness, with glory beyond.