Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1889-06-07


polish I'D ike this. It's no wonder people
get polite and able in their manners living
here. They've got to be, and that's all
about it. If you took the biggest helI-firs
raker out of Texas, and kept him here a
year. and made him look at this"-indicat-
ing the landscape with swift wave of the
brush, which did not keep him from
his work a second-''two hours a day, you
might shave him, put him in petticoats,
and send him home to keep lady's school
ut the finish, and he'd do justice to the
situation"
After this, his work absorbed him, and
he went quiet for time, painting away
with an assiduity and enjoyment which
were delightful to look at. Then he began
to sing to tune of his own, and not a
particularly good one either. His singing
voice was as harsh and intractaDle as his
whistle was mellow and tuneful. By
and-Uy, words got into the lnutfied ditty,
and the millionaire overheard a version
of Youths smooth ocean, smiling to be-
tray.
''You read Shelley" he asked. He was
doubly ashamed of himself after the ques-
ton. for the tone sounded patronizing and
astOntshed in his own sensitive ears. why
could he not be like other men, easy and
unembarrassed with his kind? or why,
since that might not be, could he not at
least find the sense to hide himself and
hold his tongueS Perhaps, as matter OF
fact, neither the surprise nor the patron
age was there, except to his own fancy.
At any rate the young artist felt neither
of them but answered without touch of
the embarrassment his companion expert
enced.
Eyes, sir. There's nobody got more of
1t inside him than that young man, reck.
on. not since Shakspeare's time, anyhow.
/ don't paint the fgger, but if did there's
one thing of Shelley's I'd have on canvas
before year was over, and I'd just get re-
membered along with Michael and Peter
Paul, and the whole of that crowd"
What is the passage?" the little mill
Ionaire asked The artist turned solemnly
on his camp-stool, and acclaimed the i'm
mortal lines Wiley, waving his right hand
up and down to mark the metre he muir
dered in delivery
'IramplIng inc sFanJ wIuus nIgn,
With godensandalled feet that glow
Under plumes of purple dye
Like rose-ensanguined ivory,
shape comes nOw!
The accent of Marblehead nosed and
droned through the words, but the artist
was soIemnly and beautifully in earnest.
His handsome face beamed, and his blue
eyes looked at the splendid vision as if
they actually saw it speeding downward
over the translucent sea beyond the tree
stems
The listener wondered how he had come
to form so disparaging judgment of this
pleasing young man. He had a self-con-
scious habit of reading lessons to himself
continually, and he made memorandum
now to the effect that he was in future to
judge men less by mere manner than he
had done. He knew all the while that if
they were in any public place together he
would feel uncomfortable that he would
be vCariously guilty of the crimson tie
and the overGrOwn auburn name, the roar
ing voice and the Marbehead accent
For the time being, very little more was
said between them. The artist worked
away with love and vigOr, and the mill
lOnalre looked on Tor an nOur or more, I'M
til finally the worker put down his tools
upon the grass, and, after taking a re-
joicing stretch with his feet wide apart
and his hands in the air, he began to study
his picture from various distances, some
times with IA shade of dsparagement in his
face, but. on the whole, with pretty OBJ
yious contentment
al guess she'll do" he said at last. 81
shall find out by-and-by something don't
like, of course: but, for the time being,
she'll do. And now, SIR" he continued
beginning To pack up his effects, Pm go
ing to stoke the engine"
You stay at the hotel here?" asked the
millionaire.
AT the Chateau, as they call itp Yes"
perhaps you will be good enough to
show me the way. | have already been
directed, but am afraid l have lost my
bearings. Can | help you in carrying any
of your things
Lord, nol' said the other; we're only
three or four hundred yards away The
weights nothing"
They set out together, side by side, and
the young painter talked as he strobe
along. He had chosen, he said, scene
for his afternoons work which whipped
the other hollow.
There's some of the gaudiest kind of
cloud structure around here You ever saw,
SIR. I've only been here four or five DAYS,
and I've seen some effects that have Just
been real rippin' lovely. Pve got sort
of rapid study of one of 'em, and il you
care for that sort of thing I'll show it to
you. It's all as quiet rs slcep-dove greys,
silver greys; but it's rs pretty as any
thing"
The millionaire said he would have the
greatest pleasure in looking Mt the work if
he might be allowed; and when the artist
had conducted him to the hotel, and had
led him up stairs into "A bed room, he said
something about having begun to form
collection of pictures, and murmured of
the desire to add to it.
'Oh, if we've got n patron here" said
the painter, with h umorously simulated
hustle. 1--WE must move around. You're
one of the men that buy pictures, sir? |
have heard about the species, and I've
heard some men talk as if they ran in
shoals. You shall see the whole bag OF
tricks, sir, If you like. There's the thing |
spoke about. If you stand over here you'll
miss the glaze on the surface. It's a bit
rough, but it's just about where l meant
it, and it's just got the old lady's smile,
nice and tranquil and young motherly."
Paul, the painter, had no shyneSs, but
praised his own work where he thought
1t deserved it with as innocent an enthusi-
asm as he would have offered to the work
of another. The moneyed man stood
where he was placed, and looked at the
sketch-a mere eXpanse of pearly sky and
sea, the sky piled with soft clouds and the
sea fretted by catSpaw. 1t was absolute
ly simple, and very near to being absolute
ly true.
THAT is very beautiful" the little man
said shyly. 1T seems quite abominable,
TO ask what do you want for it; but l
should like to have that, If you are dis
posed to sell it?''
The artist pulled his beard. and looked
from the intending purchaser to his can
vas and back again. uncertain.
well, that" he said. Il do'no. What
10 you think it's worth2"
The bidder felt inclined to offer 3 some
what eXtravagant price for it; but he con-
trolled himself He had learned long ago
that it was easy to do so much damage
with his money. He was not absolutely
certain of his own Judgment. and if he
were to offer a great deal more than the
work was worth in the opinion of better
judges than himself he might spoil the
happiness of the artists life for years.
There could be few things bitterer, he
thought, than to find an enthusiastic be-
lever once, and never to discover him
again. In his anxiety not to spoil the
painter in that way, and not to offer
price which should seem an insult to the
delicate beauty of the work, he felt his
position to be almost painful
If you would fix price," he said, nerv-
ously
"Wellr' returned the artist lingering on