The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1890-05-18

chair, and, without false modesty,
placed himself before his canvas, "a
symphony in Azure.
/ He had long been haunted by Whist
ier'sideas- sym honies in gray, in black,
in pink, in white; symphonies in all sorts
Of things.
And he, Monteforte, seeing the gulf
whose azure had been sung by all the
poets, and observing the cloudless sky,
had formed an idea Of painting SYM
phonF, but in the blue gaInut
In the foreground two figures; a young
woman dressed in periwinkle blue and
young child dressed in turquois blue,
with sea and sky for background.
1t was as simple as that.
But he was very sure that no one, no
other artist, would think of it.
And, in fact, no one had thought of it,
Every one would have been careful to
avoid such subject, and especially such
III execution of it..
! Now, with rested eye, Monteforte
/ Judged it otherwise than in his studio.
This otherwise, moreover, did not seem
70 satisfy him, for he made up very
wry face.
Azurei There it was indeed, and plen-
~ Of it. But the symphony: The blues
Jared frightfully.
Decidedly his canvas lacked harmony.
a chrome, and a bad proof at that.
Monteforte did not believe in his ge-
MUS; but, like every one, he sometimes
aspired to something which, alasl did
not appear in his work.
Discouraged, with empty purse and
dropping head, he went away without
saying a word to any one, and encoun-
tered the aged Ferucci ON the stairs.
s'Ahl it is a timely meeting exclaim-
ed the latter; twill you so up again?a
''No, am going back to Portiei, an
swered Orlando, rather i'll humoredly.
VERY WELL" said Ferucci, simply, II
win walk along with YOU
They proceeded in silence for time.
At the Piazzi Dante, Ferucci opened the
conversation:
you do not ask me what I had to
,ay?"
"Ahi to be sureI you are right, MUIR
INJURED Monteforte, shaking off his
thoughts. II forgot. 1t is because-I
am in i'll humor, you see.
.'IndeedF' commented the other. ''Your
pictureg'
Eyes. It is very bad, isn't it?a
''Humi Well, l will not conceal my
opinion. No, it is not what one can call
good picture"
That's right, my old friend, be frank.
Tell me the whole truth
''You desire it? Sincerely"
Monteforte nodded acquiescence.
.Then SO be itf' said Ferucci. .'But
as it forms part of what wish to say
% you, let me begin at the beginning
He collected his thoughts for moment,
and then continued:
''This morning met NJ. Cardelli; his
daughter, Teresa, is very sick,
50 seriously sick that the parents know
not which way to turn; the doctor him
self declares that he can do nothing"
Poor little creatureg' exclaimed Mon
teforte, in a tone of commonplace COM
niseration.
Ferucci observed him out of the corner
Of his eye; his friends emotion was not
very deep; he sighed lightly:
'.Listen, Orlando; the poor child is very
III. Do you know the reason?"
Orlando knit his brow, while a smile
containing a suspicion of conceit played
over his lips.
II see you understand me-" said the
Did painter, translating the expression of
l,;e foao stfThara Sc no ,ooca,, 40 e,,,;1o
9r TO grieve, for that matter; for, being the
cause of the sickness, you can furnish the
cure.n
"Ohi no, nor interrupted Orlando,
quickly. ''The cure! Are you going to
advise me to marry her? You toow
"Why mott" said Ferucci. TRANQUILITY.
"Why? Why not? And you ask me
hat? Because, in the first place, l am
entirely satisfied as bachelor, and be-
cause, again, if should decide to take a
wife, should want an agreeable girl,
plump, pretty, healthy, appetizing and
rosy as peach-one of those enticing
creatures that love. And yet prefer
not to marry
ftI.et us reason" said Ferucci
Very serious and with a deep wrinkle
crossing his forehead, he asked:
/ sMy dear boy, are you well acquainted
with yourselff'
+ Never mind that. said Orlando. "Act
! as if / were not.
"You are young, agreeable, sincere,
/ capable of very kind acts, and even of
realizations, provided they do not re-
quire continuous effort. You have but
few needs, good digestion. and passions
I or tastes that are easy to satisfy. When
you do not sell your paintings, as you
usually do not, your parents lodge you,
feed you and clothe you"
'.Well, and what then" said Orlando,
seeing that his companion was silent.
Ferucci then continued:
81 have been all that you are, minus a
/ family. But, in place of family, had
the habit of persistent labor, the labor of
those who have been poor from birth,
and this re-established the equilibrium.
AS long as was young all went we'll. 1t
Is because I know the future that awaits
men like ourselves that desire to talk to
you about it. Things go well until the
age Of thirty; less gayly from then until
thirty-ive; at forty it is dismal!'