Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1888-11-30
THAT PRINCE ALBERT.
An Old Darky's Amusing Conduct
During an Emergency.

DurlUS Ill hIuoTSouCJ.
Mr.. Waldo Archer, the portrait
painter lived, about three years ago,
in one Of those pretty studio buildings
on Thirty-seventh street, in New York
City. If you have over been through
the street you must remember the
buildings philadelphia pressed brick,
each story set back further than the
one below, and with n sloping roof OF
ground glass rising back to the next
story.
Mr.. Archer was not as vol known
then rs he Is now. He had not as yet
painted that portrait of Leonard T..
jenkins, vice-president OF the O., F.
w. railroad which mado such IA stir at
the spring exhibition al the academy
In 1886. But he had already attained
reasonable success, and had pretty
wife who was "a painter, too-not of
portraits, but Of china-that dainty
sort you have seen ut the great china
stores, wild roses with the morning
dew on them and blackberry vines in
their autumn colors. You felt almost
certain you could see them stir little
in some passing breeze, us you looked
at them,
Mrs. Archer had herself done the
housework in the little flat for some
time she did not find it much of a
burden. And now, their only servant
was an old colorcd man who had
friends of theirs in the South. He had
come TO New York TO look up II child
he had lost after the war, but had only
found that the child was dead. The
Archers did not know what to do with
| the old man, at first. He used to come
| in in the afternoon to see if they had
found him place
Mr.. Archer would be painting away
at his easel on the blue coat perhaps
| of IL Gcner; |, or tho ball-dress of II
lady of fashion, and his wife would be
sitting in her low, rattan chair read
ing aloud to him from Robert Brown
ing or DR. Holmes, or some other oil
their favorite writers, when there
would come II knock at tho door, and
in would walk Row. Alexander Max
well st. Clair. bowling low and swing
ing back at arms length his high
whichever hat.
\ He was tall, gaunt old man, solemn
in appearance until he began to speak
when his face lighted up finely.
Mrs. Archer always laid her book
down at once, and asked him to be
seated, but he would only bow and
smile. aud remain standing, and say
bowling his head frequently while he
spolse
"Well. sir, any news for me to-day
sirP'
He always said "Sir," but he evi
IDENTIFY asked the question of both.
There never was any news. Mr.
Archer "loaned" him little money
now and then, "till he could find {
place" and finally they took him them
selves in self-delense, Mrs Archer
said-and he soon became an estab
lished member of the family.
He could cook, and wash and iron
and sweep, and scrub-not only could
but did. He "tended" the door will
much state and solemnity, made al
the purchases at the grocer's anC
butchers, and, in fact. rendered lif,
quite another thing for Mrs. Archer
She said that formerly, whom sh,
read to her husband from Whittier o.
Lowell, she was always seeing visions
of boiling potatoes aud baking breat
noating between the lines. Now sh,
turned all such visions over to Alex
ander
One day handsome carriage, witt
a faint red monogram on the panel
stopped before Mr. Archer's building
and in few moments gentleman wa
ushered in by Alexander-Mr. Win
ihrop.
MIR, Archer know the name. He ha,
seen it Ia the papers often, And h,
knew whore Mr.. Winthrop lived, in
great. double, brown-stone house witt
glittering plate-glass windows, ON Fiftl
avenue-u corner house with IL squar
oriel window projecting diagonall,
from the corner ON the second floor
MIR, Winthrop had seen some of Mr.
Areher's portraits at the Academy Ex
hibition. and recently had been especi
ally pleased with one he saw at
friends house ON Fifty-seventh street
He wanted TO have Mr.. Archer to pain
his portrait. and had come to arrang
for the sitting.
They agreed on Wednesday OF tn
following week for the time, and a
two o'clock On that day Mr.. Winthrop
carriage brought him agaia. He ha,
Alexander 30 down 10 the carriage an
bring up package containing Prime
Albert coat he was to wear during tn
sittings, SO he put it on, aud after mucl
discussion and many experiments a
to his position, he was finally seate
and Mr.. Archer was at work.
Now the coat was a handsome one
Alexander had seen handsome clothe
, in his day, at the South, and he nj
t ticed this one as soon as it appeared o
/ the scene. The material was rio
, diagonal, and it was lined and face
: with expensive silk, and fitted like