The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1881-03-10
Vancouver Independent.
OFFICIAL PAPKR OF CRY AND COUNTY.
Vancouver. Clarke County, Washington
Territory.
A SCULPTOR'S LOVE STORY.

honor to one OF It's most lllustrlOus chill
dren. The sculptor David is to be COM
memorated by statue, the work of an
NJ. Noel, who obtained the first prize in
the competition organized by the town
of Anglers. Balthelemy Saint Hilaire
has been deputed to represent the Gov
eminent at the inaugural ceremony, and
the occasion will probably be seized to
put forward species of ministerial pro-
gramme. The life of David of Anglers
forms a fitting subject for republican
panegyric, as he suffered persecution and
Punishment for the good cause. POSTUM
nous reward has come at last, and on the
spot where the embryo artist solicited
the charity of passers-by to take homo a
few sous to his mother, the features of
the powerful genius as he developed in
after years will serve to remind future
generations of Angerins that the path of
glory, if it leads but to the grave, does
not always close there.
The story of the struggling sculptor's
privatiors, trials and ultimate success in
the great city whittier he betook himself,
will doubtless be retold once more. To
gain a scanty pittance he was obliged to
accept mason's work, in which capacity
he has left some marks of his powers in
stone in the front of the Tuileries. Hear
ing of the hardships of their young
townsman. the municipality in Anglers
voted him a moderate annuity of 800
francs, or 500. This sufficed to keep
David from actual want, and the force of
his character and aptitudes for art soon
enabled him not only to sustain his head
above water but also to emerge into
notoriety. He received commission to
execute an emblematic figure of France
on the portal of the Pantheon, which is
esteemed a masterpiece. The revolution
of 1S4S afforded him an opening to pub.
lie life, and the very decided way in
which he protested against the admission
of Prince Napoleon caused him to be
prescribed and very nearly cost him his
life in 1852. 1t may, perhaps, be an ex
aggeration to speak of David of Anglers
as the French Michael Angelo, but in his
chief work, which has been called ma
tional epopee, he certainly approached
that great master. The history of this
statue, :" La Juene Grecque," which was
designed to portray ayoung girl bending
over marble tomb and spelling the
hero's name of Marcos Botzair, the VIC
tim Of Nauphlie and savior OF Misso-
longhi, has been recounted by Jules Clar-
cite. The young artist, inspired by this
tale, burned with desire to raise monu-
ment to its hero. One day, when casting
about for subject of composition, he
perceived little girl in cemetery,
kneeling over tomb and spelling out
the letters of the inscription chiselled
there, by the aid Of her fingers. Moth
Iy,n rof111 no Sip,y,1a
touching:
Life deciphering with lip the secret of death
The next step was to seek model.
While on his way to dine with Victor
Hugo. at the house of Mere Saguet, in
the Rue du Montparnasse, he discovered
q maiden of fourteen, m rags, but charm
ing therein. $ Now | have my model,
David confded to his friend the poet,
after he had taken the address of the
girl. Slim and delicate, bearing in her
face the signs of precocious struggle
for existence. the child was nevertheless
beautiful, and seemed ut that moment to
incarnate Greece oppressed. Her frail
body was destined to live in the marble
of the statuary; but all that her I'M
worthy parent thought Of was the rota-
ton of brandy which her daughters pure
form procured her IN the present.
There was in David's atelier in the
Rue lie Fleurus crucltix in bronze that
attracted his models attention. One day
at the close of sitting, she ventured to
ask the sculptor if he would consent to
part with it, in return for her services,
until the debt was wiped out.
"A Christ like that in our loft would
be beautiful, and then it would console
me and might sustain me" entreated the
girl.
Without a moments hesitation, David
went and unhung the coveted object,
saying, in his curt but not unkindly
tones; "All right; you wish it; very we'll,
take it then; and if ever you are tempted
to do wrong, look at it and think of him
who gave it to you"
''For nothing?" demanded the child,
whose name was Clementine. Her JOY
was profound, and David went on with
feverish inspiration to complete his mar
BILE efigy of the young Grecian maiden
spelling the name of Botzaris. All his
posey passed into the representation of
this delicate creature, and all the feelings
of the patriot were expressed in its clay.
When he had finished, the author apos-
trophized his handiwork like Pygmalion
addressing Galatea, But as parent, not
as lover"
Thou art ended now, dear child, and
T. L.