Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1885-05-27
ANTON BLOCK.
A1Long Engagement and a Clio
rious Banquet.

Mr.. Block was bald-headed. Extreme
self-esteem had made him bald; for it
had prevented him selling his pictures,
except at prices which nobody would
pay, and compelled him to make etch-
ings and sketches in the small hours of
the night to keep soul and body to-
gcther, Such severe application and
the sleeplcssncss which il induced had
deprived Mr.. Block of his capillary
adornmcnts. No lotions or magical
compounds would restore to him the
crown of beauty which he had lost.
This was severe trial to Mr.. Block,
not because he was vain, but because
he was engaged. He had been engaged
to Miss Apollonia Schwinger for nearly
twenty years. and what is still more
remarkable, Apollonia had been en-
gagged to him for nearly twice that
period. For she dcvoutly believed that
she had been expressly made for Mr..
Block, and that Mr.. Block, from the
shining hour of his birth, had been ex-
pressly destined for her. Mr.. Block
declared himself in perfect accord with
this arrangement, although at times,
when he saw how gray Apollonia was
getting, he had his doubts. But he
was loyal man, Mr.. Block was, and
moreover he had gotten so accustomed
to being engaged to Apollonia that he
could not imagine how he should feel
ha AN LoI
her points; she had been decidedly
handsome in her day, and at home in
Switzerland she had been considered
quite a catch. After the death of both
her parents she had come to Rome,
and after few modest exploits in art
had opened clearinghouse. 1t was
generally understood that an Italian
Prince had proposed to her, but then
there are few ilourishing boarding
house keepers in Rome who have not
had the chance of becoming Processes;
that is, of course, on condition of
boarding the Prince free. Apollonia
could not afford to do this, and there
fore she declined. Her first considcra-
ton, however, was her tenderness for
Mr.. Block, from whose genius she cx-
pectcd n greater distinction than that
of worldly rank.
was trifle romantic. Art was to her
a sacred thing, in the presence of which
she would have taken off her hat il her
hat had been detachable. When she
visited Mr.. Blocks studio, as she often
did, in the company of chaperon, she
walked on tiptoe and talked in whis-
pers. She believed firmly that the
world would some day recognize Mr..
Blocks greatness, and then she would
be rewarded for her long and weary
waiting. In the meanwhile she could
only pity the world for its purblind
stupidity in not recognizing Mr.. Block.
Only think of the splendid gallery Mr..
Block had collected of his own works
gambling peasants, monks drinking
wine or pinching the cheeks of pretty
girls, shepherds from the Campagna
playing mora, etc.-think of all these
radiant works of genius, which might
be had for the paltry sum of fifty or
sixty thousand dollars! OF course Mr..
Block was perfectly right in refusing
to sell such gems for five hundred or a
thousand francs. She would rather
wait until the moment of recognition
came, when he would be able, perhaps,
to sell them all together to his native
city of Bcrnc, to be preserved forever
in a separate building, TO be called the
Block Museum. Apollonia wept for
very Joy when she thought of distant
generations deriving inspiration and
enjoyment, and blessing her name be-
cause she had upheld and strengthened
Mr.. Block in his defiance of the worlds
miserable disregard.
am sure that the reader will now
expect me to tell him that Mr.. Block
was q poor artist. No, my dear sir
Block was, on the whole, more than q
fair artist. He was not great and
shining light, perhaps; but he was faI
from being charlatan. He was q
little old bachelor. who, with conscien.
tious and painstaking industry and
respectable talent, had devoted hi:
life 10 art. If, however, you had
expressed such an estimate of him in hi,
hearing, he would probably have
Knocked you down. IL man who
came with the intention of purchasing
damned him with faint praise, for tho
purpose of getting a picture cheap
Mr.. Block, with extreme courtesy
showed him the door. He might b,
too poor to get his dinner, but he wa.
never poor enough to pocket a profit
able snub, or to descend from the loft,
pedestal of his official dignity. ",
never let Apollonia know that he come
times suffered want; and he nevsr con
descended to visit her i'm time TO-
dinner. Moreover, in the matter o
dress he was extremely particular
when he pawned his waistcoat, he onl,
brushed his coat the more carefully
buttoned IL close, aud allowed n frag
mentary tip of bright silk handker
chief to protrude slightly from tn
outer breast pocket, as fashion pre-
scribcd. He had bought this many
colored handkerchief twelve years ago
and had cut IL up into as many tips a
its size would allow, using only one a
time, managing by an artful division
Of the pattern to give to each tip tn
effect OF different handkerchief. II
spite Of all these precautions, however
the rnmor gradually spread In u