Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-08-31

faithfully and successfully endeayored TO
embody in his work. He is acknowledged
and applauded by the thinking few as q
prophet and apostle OF artistic truth. But.
like some other prophets and apostles. he
was not able to make very abundant living
by his lofty labors. He had the blessed
inner consciousness of success; but the visible
and material rewards of success went some
where else. He needed them, but they were
not at his disposal. So be did a dreadful
thing. He designed and executed some
pictures for an advertising firm which had
something to sell. The pictures were good
pictures, embodying in a small way all the
high artistic principles OF this mans artistic
code; and he got better pay for them prob
ably than he had got or all his other work
put together. But therein Law bis offense
according to the critic whose reproaches I
read. The artist had cheapened his art. He
had degraded his high mission. Providence
had iutrusted him with the work Of teaching
to the world lofty lesson, and be had made
bis great talent a matter of vulgar mer-
chandise.
The Stern Necessities.
Well. why did the artist make a trade Of
his art? Simply because he had not OBJ.
tanned the due reward for his legitimate sue
cess. He was entitled to that as part Of his
wages for being a prophet and an apostle.
II 1t had been forthcoming the advertising
nrm might have sued to him in vain. But
the plaIntlve critic moans, he should have
sacrificed himself to his art and to the well
fare of the world. The world was entitled
to his highest effort in its behalf Is the
world mendicant then, to take the best
that man has and not pay him tor it? Il
gave this man fame; but that was only the
acknowledgment of its debt to him. So long
as 1t did not pay that debt the success OF that
eminent artist was failure.
Perhaps there is little profit in dwelling
on all this. Perhaps, on the other hand,
there may be a good deal of profit in it.
Pefnaps the time is never wasted which We
give to thinking over a wrong state Of
things which may be righted. In that way
reform begins. And common honesty will
bear great deal Of thinking upon. This
particular branch Of the subject has much to
do with the least as we'll as the greatest OF
Us. 1t is small matter. perhaps; a matter
remote from all our interests, that an artist
OF genius could not get proper pay for his
proper work, and so did interior work which
ne could get pay for. But it is a different
affair when some Of its results are consid-
cred. 1t is a still smaller matter that the
humble Pittsburger spoke of at first should
be denied the manly award OF Just COM
mendation when he has triumphed after .
life OF bitter struggle. But that also has its
logical relations which make it an affair Of
some importance to all of US.
Worthy of Thought,
Human nature has its weaknesses; and
among these is a full appreciation of the
prizes which belong of right to successful
effort. In the minds Of many men the
prizes are the main thing; in the minds Of
all men they are well worth considering,
Those who are content to work through life
with only the consciousness of well-doin9
for reward are lew indeed. Those who
would work faithfully for that reward added
to the more substantial prizes are very
many. 1t is pity that all of these should
not be able to see just what they would like
to see-and ought to see-when they look
into the future; but some of them are not
satisfied with the outlook. In one direction
they see an eminent man of genius, who put
the best o his genius into work which did
not bring him quite enough bread to eat. In
another they see an obscure man who put all
the energy of his life into a struggle against
adversely, and when he had won the fight
did not get word of credit for it. Else
where they see men who have succeeded in
living upright lives OF honest hard work,
without a dollar to show for it. And still
elsewhere they see men-and plenty Of them
who have large share oil the prizes in re-
.urn for the slightest possible amount Of
hard and earnest work.
These are not wholesome things to see.
Now and then a man who sees them decides
hat success is a failure. The prize is what
lie wants. The hard work of success may
lot win it for him; and he stands just as
,ood chance to get it without the work, he
relieves. So be will try for it the easiest
way.
The results of this rather frequent deter
nlnation are oi some moment to the most
houghtless among US. Without them there
would not be so many people in the peni-
or SO many more outside OF them
Who ought to be in. JAMES G. PURDY.