Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1886-10-20

The atrocity of some of the drawings
makes it difficult sometimes for NJ. de
Professcur to find anything to say, but
| have only once seen master abso-
lutely silcnccd by bad work. On Mon
day morning, on arriving at the studio,
we were all much surprised to see a
very old woman in the heaviest widows
weeds, in the act of trying to arrange
an easel. We concluded that she was
making preparations for some grand
child, or, as her age could not have
been far short of 3d. some great grand
child even; but to our establishment it
soon became evident that she had not
been working in the interests of any
descendants, for she climbed nimbly
enough on her stool, produced carton
and Il sheet of common brown paper,
and began to draw. She made the
quaintest figure possible on the top Of
her high stool, in her poke bonnet and
long cloak, and with her rusty old UNI
brella hanging on the back of her easel.
Every one was longing to see her
work; the general rumor was that in
her day she had been "excessivcment
forte" and was coming TO amuse her.
self in her old age, as a veteran polishes
up the old sword which he will never
WELD again. For the first two days it
was impossible to find out what her
drawing was like. We could see moth
ing but the big bonnet nodding back
ward and forward, and n little knotted
claw in Il black mitten moving industri-
ously over the sheet of brown paper. If
any one approached the corner in
which she had established herself, a
long pallid nose would emerge from the
recesscs of the bonnet, and q pair of
bright eyes would be anxiously fixed
upon the intruder, while the little claw
would furtiyely draw piece of white
paper over the study on which it had
been so busily engaged. One day, how
ever, the opportunity came to me. The
old lady dropped her crayon holder, and
| picked it up before she had time to get
down for it. talked to her few
minutes, and at last plucked up heart to
remark that "doubtlcss Madame had al
read studied great dcal?" "But no,
mademoiselle," was the reply; 81 only
now begin. | wish to copy at the
Louvre, and it is always well to learn
to draw little before beginning at
this point my curiosity got the better OF
my politcness, and, stepping behind
her easel saw her work. She had
drawn in the figure with ordinary lead
pencil. She had picked out the nostrils
and lips with red chalk, and in the
center of each eye was dazzling pip OF
white. Every law of proportion had
been shamclessly violated; it was abso-
lutely bad, and she was waiting for my
criticism. was dumb; no words could
come TO my rescue; but at length
framed Il guileful compliment and was
beginning to stammer out in response to
her pathetic look of inquiry, when the
sudden arrival of the professor sent me
back to my own easel, and ! was spared
the utterancc. We all watched him as
he came up to the old lady. | knew
what he was suffering. Had | not en-.
dured it myself moment beforep He
gazed at the drawing, than at the bon.
net, then at the drawing again. He
was tender hearted young man and
reverenced old age, but the situation
was too much for him. He glared ab.
stractedly round the room for inspira'
ton, and, finding none, he managed to
gasp out q Wild Continue, madam, v