Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-09-09

Paris Letter to Boston Herald.
Personally MeissOnier is a man whom it is diff
cult to describe. Picture to yourself as said
In one of my letters last spring, little bit of
fellow. pcs plus h0at que ca. as the song says,
and as brisk and as merry rs if he was listening
to some stimulating music to which all other
ears were deaf On this body of a dwarf is set
magnificent head-a head that is almost that Of
avisfonary-with long locks of waving and snowy
white hair ard with venerable long beard as
white as the hair. He reminds You of one of
those personlicatiOns of rivers in which the an
clients delighted. or rather OF ont of those musinp
fathers Of the earth that COyseyOx has carved
Tor Us under the thick linden trees of the park
at versailles. When one looks at this imposing
head and venerable beard. one entirely loses
sight OF the slender body that ends in pair of
trousers like those of an English horse trainer.
Learned and witty to the utmost limit and, like
true Partisan, fond of ridiculing everything.
with a sharp eye to his own glory, the great
painter is more interesting within the walls of
his studio and surrounded by the tokens of his
work.
The studio is an enormous one and fairly
flooded with light It is crowded with pictures.
with lnc0mpleted sketches and with precious
furniture arms and hangings. 1t is SO large
that even the Marriage Of Cana" could have
been painted in it with ease. and yet it is here
That Meiss0nier touches and retouches with
religious patience, those diminutive pictures
that the amateurs are SO glad to cover with gold
pieces ana bank notes. In spite OF its size. the
studio Is arranged with q coquettishness that is
almost feminine Here and there, on the arm
chairs and divans are negiigentiy cast
clothes OF richly-cOlOred yelvets, musketeer'S
hat with It's white trailing plume q
theatrical sword with an acknowledgement hilt.
and piles Of brilliantly -colored silks and eastern
stuifs. Everywhere, drawn zap in line, on easels,
hanging on the walls and even resting against
the tables. pictures aRd maIquettes which We
never grow tired of admiring. The work of the
artist that is now the furthest advanced repre-
sents two lovers singing duet The man, draped
In q purple simarre. is allowing his fingers to
wander over the keys of an organ, while his head
is thrown back toward her; who stands beside
MIN. The picture contains, all the charm OF a
mystic ode, all the tenderness of two hearts
which are filled with but one and the same feel
ing. The red and green colors in the picture are
as dazzling as oriental goods spread out in in
tense glare of an eastern sun.
The master chats pleasantly with such visitors
ana friends as may Come in. His voice il a clear
one but at the end of his sentences 1t becomes
weak and has some almost ohldike infections.
He laughs easily and readily, and, from force Of
i'abit, can listen grayelya end calmly to the
hyperD0iical praises that are SO prOdigally be-
slowed upon him and his work. MISSIONER does
not content himself with being one OF the great
contemporary masters. He is also as learned
collector OF rare old books as any bibliophilist of
the institute. 1t Is by udying these that he is
enabled to produce in his pictures such faithful
representations of the centuries that have van
ished and OF scenes of adventure and chivalry
that have been forgotten by the common herd.