The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-05-06
SOROSIS DISCUSSES ART.
rs 1T WORTH WoMAN'S WHILE TO
DABBLE WITH THE FAINT BRUSHp

naubIpn SAY Others-An IntereatInE
discussion Closes the Series or Debates.
Soross nut on its Sunday bonnet aud best
bib and tucker yesterday, for 1t was art day
and May day and rosebud day nil I'M one.
There Is always great festivity attendant upon
the coming out Of daughter, and 1t was not
one but six fair Soross debutantes who made
their first bow and read the result OF their
maiden meditations before the interested and
expectant Sorosls mothers In council assem-
bled There was In consequence less lingering
over the dainty luncheon, less lettering to chat
in the corridors, and fewer encores to the mu-
steal and decamatory preliminary pro
| gramme, since all were enger Tor the war OF
words between the now recruits. Uron the
round table was the silver loving cup ontwined
with national coors presented TO Sorosis by
the federation of clubs, and of which the Presi-
dent said: 1T is the Holy Grail so long sought
which has come 10 u.s." Mrs. Clymer presided
in a dress OF silvery brocade and n little bonnet
almost as close as Tudor cap, set round with
yellow roses.
To Mrs. Lucy Loo Hobrook, tho Chairman OF
tho Committee on Art is due the happy thought
| OF introducing tho young girls OF the society
which made tho closing social day OF tho
! Sorosis year memorable and distinctive in tho
annals of the club. In a few well chosen words
she presented the question ls 1t worth
| woman's while to dapble In Art, saying in
| substance:
| a womans life Is usually an uneventful
| one some play. some study.ssomelsorrow. some
pleasure. much love and therefore much pain.
more or less OF work usually morel, and the
story is told. What Is to be done with this life
she ATTEMPTS at tho outset to solve for her
SELF but later finds that fate orlProvidence has
solved 1t for her. She emergos from the
chrysais schoolgirl lie with the wings Of her
young soul futterng to try their power. She
rebels against the homely duties OF living and
refuses the commonplace. 80 she essays paint
| ing, music or writing, and eXpends thereon
her eager enthusiasm. Numberless parlors
testify to tho crudeness OF her work in paint
ing but persistent effort means growth. and
here we find the KEY OF our problem. for out of
this chaos Of beginning very often springs q
sure and steady growth OF power and talent
that produces something in the end which
proves that 1t il worth while to dabble In art"
Through some mistake me WORDING OF lues-
tlons a. received toy the bright bud OF promise
! who followed was, " Is 1t worth while to become
daubers ia art r But as daubers are usually
dHbhlers she proceeueu 10 say' Win charming
First, what is a dauber in art? Webster
gives, one who paints in course or unskiliul
manner but my definition is thai they are
superficial. uninspred blunderers. They never
know GnSthrs we" obers It matters 3 not wba
the pursuit for there are unfortunately daub-
ers in all occupations; ana II thcy must exist:
harmful of all OF course do not believe in
daubers OF any kind, and at this stage OF the
worlds deveomcnt in all arts and sciences.
they are Of little account. Whatever they
may have been in The the past There is
TO worthy service. Again. the dnubors
tics. s are a1aSs u OF advice and o1eranxioHs
to tell YOU how easy it Is TO succeed IN their
lue. even though they themselyes have failed
ln, in hiring Ipnlth nj
wealth: 1t does not stimulate the traln 1t is
not only exercise OF the poorest kind, but in
and vain when they might otherwise lnss as
fairly bright. Some of you may ask: From
daubers" You might rs well ask From
where do our trotting horses come; Wore they
the comparison, but think it applicable Real
artists show talent anu skill in their first
pencil sketches thai dh ha never have. You
nloy her time The answers are endless. All
the various pursuits are open; from the sales %
bar. to those possessing strength ability and
Mrs. Mnnde Tooker said in reply true artists
are born and not made. n artist is genius
and not one who has merely desire for alts-
or less extent Unless we have this Unborn
gift we should never expect to rank amons the
Gre@t mnSterS pT tns s NOV tb not deGmr us
artistic knowledge :r discourage US from
Leaders are few, followers are many. BY
dabGiing we learn something OF each art the
result OF which gives culture to the intellect,
Miss Grace Allen. in the negative. sad:
while it l. doubtless n pleas ant pastms to
skim tho surface of various studies. to dabble !
in a dozen different pursuits any, one of which
would take years to master, such SUPERFICIAL /
nes7 must weaken tho capacity t"r earnest 81;
without power of concentration. To plaster II /
little pAint over canvass or plush one day to
practice music half M hour the next, and Pinch !
II handful OF clay tho third Is only II waste of |
time and energy. Art Is a pretty playthinE to
psynE at "Tt to gain n he admraton Of her
friends, as ignorant as uerselt,lt sho lose tho |
Judges Effort is worthy only as It tends to tho !
welfare OF humanity. Let US then put our ,
near, into tho earnestneTS OF o our TorR' ana
selves and others
Mary A. Newton told tho pretty story OF a
brought back to a dying father the picture OF
tue olh home for glimpse Of which ,1 he had
faulty. and yet surely 1t had been worth that
Twomans while double in art, We cannot all
we can come it. Even great artists arc at
some time daubers Gioltus wonderful lamb
OF ES WIN we near o1r So es mT Mp a a
Gioto ever reached point much above that
cont mysei but then be TasI "a w"mHn i
content and made people nearly color blind in
the ,oueration that we know how near tho, top
that is good in this world is worth our while TO
look into, for with each now thought that
brings us n glimpse of som" new sphere comes
step to lead US on to more sympathetic and
noble womHnhuod."
Miss Evelyn Demorest advocated that tho
world hdd euough OF lmIeriection, and that
the way to avoid them was to lei those things
alone which we are not likely to ever DC well.
III illustration of the futilIty OF dabbling in
various branches OF art she gave review of
tho life OF Mani BRchkirsei, who she says,
left u marvollinG nj her abilities and sad
dcned by her unprot tablenes1. and concluded
that lit Is easy to dabhlc but unsatisfactory
ut the end and whatever is worth doing at all
Is worth doing we'll"
Miss Jessie Lozicr said that e dabbler In
Rrt was usually person with q love OF the
beautiful and an eye Tor artistic effect. but
whose circumstances were such that she could
not devote sufficient time TO make serious
study Of technique But because one cannot
make art tho principal beet In life the time
and labor devoted to /; are not wasted. II YOU
anayIe the charHcter and M tlNes OF n dau Der
you will generally find that either she possesses
an impulsiye nature. with M occasional geam
Of real genius; but in the interim has not sunl-
Client perseverance and aspiration 10 master
principles, 80 that when the muse takes pos
GHE n an atT ]