The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1885-11-26

made these commences, moreover
made them not. knew, from any wish
to increase his Importance in my eyes,
greatly impressed me. BY the time we
parted for the night had grown much
interested in my new ac9uaintance-an
interest not untinged by envy. Young.
handsome, rich, free to come or go,
work or play, as he listed! Happy Car
ristoni
am disposed to think that never be-
fore did sincere friendship. one which
was fated to last unbroken for years,
ripen so quickly as that between Car
riston and myself AS now look back
l find it hard to associate him with any.
even a brief, period of time subsequent
| to cur meeting during which he was
not my bosom-friend. forget whether
our meeting at the same picturesque
spot on the morning which followed
our Standardization was the result of
accident or arrangement. Any way,
we spent the day together, and that
day was the precursor of many passed
in each Others society. Morning after
morning we sailed forth to do our best
to transfer the same bits of scenery to
our sketching blocks. Evening after
evening we returned to dine side by
side, and afterward to talk and smoke
together, indoors. or outdoors rs the
temperature advised or our wishes in
cliDed.
Great friends we soon became i in
separable as long as my short holiday
lasted. 1t was, perhaps, pleasant for
each to work in company with an anna
teur like himself. We could ask each
the others opinion of the merits of the
work done. and feel happy at the APP
proval duly given. An artists standard
of excellence is too high for non-pro-
fessional. When he praises your work
he praises it but as Il e work of an out
slider. You feel that such commenda-
ton damns it and disheartens you.
However. had Carriston cared to do
So he might l think, have fearlessly
submitted his productions to any con-
scientious critic-his drawings were
UNNECESSARILY more artistic and power
full than mine. He had undoubtedly
great talent, and was much surprised
scape, he was even better at the figure.
He could. with firm, hold hand, draw
rapidly the most mar, elous likenesses.
So spirited and true were some of the
studies he showed me that l could
without tiattery advise him, provided
he could finish as he began, TO keep en-
tireiy to the higher branch of the art.
have now before ME series of out
line aces drawn by him-manv of them
from memory; and as look at them
the original of each comes at once be-
fore my eyes.
From the very first had been much
interested in the young man. and as
day by day went BY. and the peculiari-
ties of his character were revealed to
me, my interest grew deeper and deep
er. l flatter myself that l am q keen
observer and skillful analyst of per-
| sonal character, and until now fancied
that to write a description of its COM
ponent parts was an easy matter. Yet
now when am put to the proof find
it no simple task to convey in words a
proper idea of Charles Carriston's
mental organization.
soon discovered that he was, may
say, afflicted by a peculiarly sensitive
nature. Although strong. and appar-
entity in good health, the very changes
of the weather seemed to affect him al
most to the same extent as they affect
| flower. Sweet as his disposition al
ways was, the tone of his mind, his
spirits, his conversation. varied. as it
were. with the atmosphere. He was
full of Imagination, and that imagina-
ton. always rich, was at times weird,
even grotes9uely weird Not for one
moment did he seem to doubt the sta
bility of the wild theories he started. or
the possibility of the poetical dreams
he dreamed being realized. He had
his faults. of course; he was hasty and
impulsive; indeed, to me one of the
greatest charms about the boy was
tnat, right or wrong, each word he
spoke came straight from his heart
So far as l could Judge. the whole
organization of his mind was too high.
~ strung, too finely wrought, for every
day use. A ncte of JOY, of sorrow,
even of pity, vibrated through it too
strongly for his comfort and well-being.
As yet it had not been called upon to
bear the test of love; and fortunately
use the word advisedly-fortunately
he was not. according to the usual sg-
nificance of the word, a religious man.
or l should have thought it not unlike
ly that some day he would fall Il viciim
TO that religious mania so well known
to my professional brethren, and have
developed hvstera or melancholia. He
! might even have fancied himself 4 mes
sengcr sent from Heaven for the resen-
Grafton of mankind. From natures like
Carriston' are prophets made
In short, l may say that my exhaust
i've study of my new friends character
resulted in 9 certain amount of uneasi-
ness as to his future-an uneasiness not
entirely free from professional Curl
osity.
Although the smile came readily and
frequently to his lips. the general bent
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