Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1888-12-07
THAT PRINCE ALBERT.
An Old Darky's Amusing Conduct
During an Emergency.


painter, lived. about three years ago,
in one Of those pretty studio buildings
on Thirty-seventh street, in New York
City. II You have ever been through
the street you must remember the
buildings -Phlladelphi pressed brick,
each story sot back further than tho
one below, and with sloping roof of
ground glass rising back to the next
story.
Mr.. Archer was not as well known
painted that portrait of Leonard p
Jenkins, vice-president OF the O., p. Il
w railroad, which made such stir ut
the spring exhibition at the academy
in 1886. But he had already attained
reasonable success, and had pretty
wife who was painter, too not of
portraits, but of china-that dainty
sort you have seen at the great china
stores. wild roses with tho morning
dew on them and black berry vines in
their autumn colors. You felt almost
certain you could see them stir IA little
in some passing breeze, as you looked
at them.
Mrs, Archer had herself done the
homework in the little fiat for some
time -she did not find it much of "A
was an old colored man who had
brought them u letter from some dear
friends of theirs in the South He had
come to New York to look up 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. Mt first. He used to come
in in the afternoon to SEQ if they had
found him IA place.
Mr.. Archer would be painting away
at his easel on the blue coat perhaps
of II GenerS |, or the ball-dress of u
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 of
their fuvorite writer's, when there
would come II knock at the door. and
in would walk Rev. Alexander Max
well st. Clair, bowling low and swing
ing back at arms length his high,
whitebeaver hat.
He was u 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, and remain standing, and say,
bowling his head frequently while he
spoke:
We'll, sir, any news for me to-day,
srp"
lie always said Sir but no evil
IDENTIFY asked the question of both.
There never was any news. Mr..
Archer loaned him little money
now and then, "tilI he could find IA
place, and finally they took him them
selves in self-defense Mrs Archer
said and he soon became an estab-
ltshed member of the family.
He could cook, and wash and iron,
and sweep, and scrub-not only could.
hut did. He tended" the door with
much state and solemnity, made all
the purchases at the grocer's and
butchers, and. in fact, rendered life
quite another thing for Mrs. Archer
She said that formerly. when she
read to her husband from Whittier or
Lowell, she was always seeing visions
OF boiling potatoes and baking bread
floating between the lines. Now she
Turned all such visions over to Alex
auder
One day handsome carriage, with
Il faint rcd monogram ON the panel.
stopped before Mr.. Archer's building.
ana in a few moments gentleman was
ushered in by AleNnnder-M Win
throp.
Mr.. Archer knew the name. He had
seen il in the papers often And he
knew where Mr.. Winthrop lived, in
great. double, brown-stone house with
gliuering plate-glass windows on Fifth
avenue "A corner house with square
oriel window projecting diagonally
from the corner on the second floor.
Mr. Winthrop had seen some OF Mr.
Archer's portraits vt the Academy Elk
hihltioH. 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 paint
his portrait, and had come to arrange
ior the sitting.
They agreed on Wednesday of the
following week for the time, and at
Two o'clock on that dag Mr.. Winthrop's
'arriaye brought him again. He had
AicNstader go dowa To the carriage and
bring up package containing Prince
Albert coat he was to wear during tbs
sittings. So he put it ON. and after much
discussion and many experiments as
10 his position. he was finally seated
and Mr.. Archer was at work
Now the coat was handsome one.
Alexander had seen handsome clothes
in his day, at the South, and he no.
ticed this one as soon as it appeared on
the scene. The material was rich
diagonal. and it was lined and faced
with expensive silk. and fitted like a
glove. When Mr.. Winthrop went
AWAY that dav he left the cDat