The morning call., 1890-06-15
ATRAMP'S MASTERPIECE
The Most Natural Picture of a
Hare That Ever Was Painted.

NIGER talking about material pietur's. but
W; reckon the one 1 once had beat
A anything you ever sat eyes on. or any
one else. But lost it. and it was the worst
slap ever had, KNOWN as l do about the
price some pietur's fetch.
In my young days l was mighty fond of
hunting, and l would let go the plow-tail
when my hounds wus yelpin' after fox,
and l could set under hickory tree watch
in fur a squirrel half a day without COM
plainin' One day l told Sally-that was
my wife-that [ believed I'd shoulder old
Tom and take hunt. But the only thing
I could get was hare. after half days
tramp. When l got home who should L see
but a long-haired crazy-looking coot of a
Teller sottin' on the grass eatin' what Sally
had given him for his dinner. She never
turned a beggar away, but l never took any
stock in tramps. AS / came up he said,
How de do" like a gentleman, and Ieould
tell by his way that he was nobody's fool,
if he did look craZy-like.
That's a fine hare y0u have" says he,
land ii wouldn't make bad picture. You'd
better let me paint likeness OF him.
You're Dictur' painter, beyP" says l.
Yes, sir, l am an animal painter"
Well" says |, 1--WE got pictur' of
game III the house that l don't reckon any
one can beat" and SO l went in and brought
it out ..,c
very Inferior work. If you should see what
l can do you will say L am right. Come,
now, what will you give me to paint pic
ture of the hare so natural that the dogs
will bark at it?"
81 amt got nothin' to spend on pictur's. !"
says |:
No, / wont give YOU q dollar.
"Wen," says he, Pm make bargain
with you. I'll paint it, and if it suits you.
you can have it for fifty cents. If it don't
suit you. I'll keep it"
He had some materials, and at il he went
The way te drawed off that hare and
slashed on the paint wus jest boys play.
He'd pick up little paint here and little
there off the board lie held on his thumb,
and almost before knOwed it he had a like
ness of that dead hare hung up by the heels
as true as very natur' itself.
AS soon as he got it done | said, Boss,
here's your money" He pocketed it and
away went he. After awhile Squire Skies
came in. The Squire was great man for
| pictur's, and when he sat eyes on it No
said. 81 declare! where did you get that"
"Why% says L,
well, sir, that's wonderful imitation"
says he.
"Whatl you give me for it, Squirrel" says
L. lie SluultQ lOT dWUlle-NQuiT6 was
sharp, he was-and finally said, I'm give
| you ten dollars"
Well, | was surprised, for / thought his
offer was big one. but | didn't let on that
| | thought so, for | kDOwrd he was good in
bargain and wouldn't offer morn it was
worth, so told him would think about it.
| After he had left Sally and | took supper
| off the hare had shot. and then sat down
| and looked at the pictur' till we got tired
| lookin'. She said, laughin', that if it wasn't
worth so much she might cook 1t for break
fast
Well, 1 went to bed, and hares and dol
Jars danced in my head all night. The first
thing in the morning l sat it up and looked
at it, and couldn't hardly get off to work.
1t was a mighty hot day. When L came
home at night there was an awful smell in
the house.
What on airth smells so, Sally ?" says !.
Il don't KNOW says she; 1--WE smelt
something all the afternoon, and have
hunted high and low. 1t must be dead
rat somewhere"
We'll" says l, "we've got to find out
what it is, fur l wont eat any supper till
we do"
So we looked and looked, but it was no
use. After a while my wife says: Maybe
something has got behind the pictuP, let
me see."
So she went to it as it sat on the floor
| lace to the wall, and would you believe me,
it was the pictnr' of that hare that had
spilled and wus all tly-blown. But wusn't |
sick! l never heerd of any pictur' painted
so material as to Spite in that way. Now if
that painter had painted the hare settin'
up as If he wus alive, and not hung him up
by the heels as dead as a door-nail, you
wouldn't see Ben Stokes here with his
breeches patched, but walkin' down Broad
way with Jay Gould and the FaDderbilts.
Talk about your 'tAngelus "-pshawl it
can't tech that hare pictuP fur material APP
pearance Forrest and Stream