Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1884-12-17

through the woods in search of some ne,
development in their form or color. Som
OF her most notable paintings, among ther
"St. Meinrad and his Grows" 'sThe Nom
Felix, and the large canvas which adorn
the walls Of the Carrollton Hotel al Balti
more, have been taken from the wood
around their atudio. All these pictures ar
master pieces, and cannot fail to live as ex
amples OF wood painting rarely, if ever, ex
ceiied. There is strength, poetry, beaut,
ana naturalness about every tree Miss Voi
Hliiern paints. She is now engaged on sew
eral large and important pictures which will
be exhibited this winter.
MISS Beckett, as usual thing, does no
attempt such massive treatment in her pic
lures as does Miss Won Hillern. All of he]
paintings afford delightfol glimpse of ma
ture. She is at present at work upon sew
eral wood scenes that give promise of beiue
gems when completed, and she has recent
ly finished a picture affording glimpse o.
one OF the most charming portions of the
picturesque Shenandoah Miss Beckett ha.
also been at work upon number of char
coal sketches, which will doubtless grace
some of the exhibitions this winter.
These Artists together accomplish as much
work, and paint as many pictures in year
as do any other dozen artists in the country
put together. The amount they manage tc
get through with is simply astonishing
Both are indefatigable. They attend to all
their own business affairs, their duties be.
ing about equally divided. They both pos
sess an aptitude for business very uncom-
mon among women, and especially among
artists. To this faculty as well as to their
genius for painting is due much of the graft
flying success with which they have met
during the four years they have been as
sociated together. The exhibitions which
they hold every year in Boston, Philadel-
phia, Baltimore and Washington, which
have been SO novel and successful, are en-
tirely managed by them. Every little de-
tail in all their busiaess arrangements is at
tended to with the greatest precision and
dispatch.
The room that they occupy at the farm
house is large and square and is situated on
the second story. 1t is simply and plainly
furnished in old-fashioned Virginia style, is
sunny and CHEEKY and contsins none of the
artistic litter usually seen in artists rooms.
Everything is kept wonderfully clean and
neat 1t has low, broad windows over
looking the lovely mountainous country or
one side, and the woods on the other. A
big fireplace, in which CHEEKY wood fire
burns and sparkles, makes the room home
like and inviting. The mantel-piece is the
object that strikes one most forcibly on en-
tering the room. It is covered with dozens
of medicine bottles of various sizes, and one
naturally wonders what two such women,
both the apparent embodiment of health
and strength, can want with so much medi-
cine. The wonder turns to surprise and ad-
miration when one learns that these artists
do the doctoring, gratuitously, of course,
among the poorer class of people for miles
and miles the country around.
Busy as their lives are with their own
work, they still find time to devote to help
ing others. Miss Beckett has given medi
cine thorough study, and has travelled so
extensively and has come in contact with so
many different classes of men and women
that her knowledge of the human body and
the human mind is very complete. 1t is
touching to see the confidence at her pa
tients have in her. Sunday is the day up
on which they come to be doctored They
come, sometimes, long distances on foot,
say from five to twelve miles, and fill the
broad hall and the portico of the farmhouse
Miss Beckett and Miss Won Hillern have both
hearty, healthful way of looking at their
poor peoples diseases and troubles, and
their influence for doing them good and for
helping them seems unbounded. Every
body knows them for miles around, and
they are called the doctors" the s'pain
ters," or the 'siadies," and are loved and
greatly respected.
Both artists are Roman Catholics. They
are very devout, and unlike the majority of
poor humanity. put into practice the noble
precepts of true religion. Every night they
have prayers together, and on Sundays when
they cannot attend mass, read mass and
vespers. There is no Catholic Church at
Strasburg, none nearer than Front Royal,
Va, distance of some twelve miles. But
mass is celebrated once month in farm
house about three miles from their studio
There is something very touching and un-
American in the celebration of mass in the
simple parlor Of this farmhouse down in
the wilds Of Virginia A kindly young
priest, Rev. Father Reilly, the assistant
of the Bishop Of Richmond, celebrates mass,
which Miss Beckett "answers" in the beau
tifnl Roman Latin with which she became
SO familiar while studying in Rome. Mass
is celebrated at half-past eight, the young
priest delivers plain sensible sermon, and
then, at its close, sits down with number
of his people to hearty and abundant
breakfast.
Miss Beckett and Miss Won Hillern close
their Virginia studio about the first Of JAN
uary, and go to Boston to exhibit the pic
lures they have painted during the year. 1t
is to be hoped that sometime soon they will
open an exhibition in New York, and so
give people hero an opportunity of seeing
some of the wild bits Of Virginia scenery
that glow on their canyases