Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1890-10-02

A glen was selected through which q tiny
stream twirled, twisted and tumbled.
The engineer explained that the size of the
stream was immaterial, as any damned up
Hundreds of Italians were imported and
mighty dam was constructed. The whole
country was upturned to receive the aque-
duct. Plumbers from as far away as Wa
terbury focked vulturelike. Fierce rival
ry for the first drop filed the breasts of
the villagers. Suddenly the veil fell from
their faces. Their eyes were opened and
they saw clearly the spirit that had been
leading them on. That spirit was art, and
her full, distinct, clear, resonant call was
was to be the initial work of the school;
this the form in which were to be embod
led the vague longings and desires with
which their hearts had been aching All
that happened between the understanding
of the divine afaatus and the unwilling Of
the monument erected in obedience to its
mandate will never be published. The
name of the artist is unknown and will
ever be kept secret. AS many of the
most beautiful statues of antiquity are by
unknown artists, and as comparisons with
the antique are sure to be made, the COM
mittee were of the opinion that compari-
sons would be more easy if the name of
their artist were withheld. Moreover, to
be by an unknown artist is q species of
handicap to which the committee did not
deem that antiquity should be allowed to
possess the exclusive right. 1t has leaked
out that the selection of the site was pre-
ceded by animated discussion and by a
display of the nearest possible Ltchfeld
approach to temper. The bank as a mat
ter of right claimed that the monument
should be erected in front of its doors.
So 81, av,l all &ln e..
water works and for the monument had
passed through its hands. The voice of
the bank prevailed, but not without oppo-
sition. Next door to the bank is the post
Office. The postmaster claimed that the
bank is only for the rich; art is for the
many. The many come to the postoffice;
only the few go to the bank The post
master would have been victorious had it
not been for unexpected opposition. The
postofice is in drug store. Even in q
itchfeld drug store there is an out-of-
the-way and retired corner to which re-
spectacle Litchfeiders occasionally wink
protested, alleging that Il its rival had the
thirst provoking monument IN front of it
it would have q monopoly of the large and
profitable wink business. !. That killed off
the postmaster, Another and q feeble
claim was put in by the sheriff He
claimed that in front of the Jail was the
place for the statue, SO that all who failed
to admire might be instantly and conven-
iently incarcerated. As the committee
could not entertain the possibility of a
failure to admire, his plea was treated as
| it deserved. He is not a full blooded
Litchfelder any way. As to the unyeiling
itself, the crowds that poured in, the
speeches that were made and the banquet
that was held, the local press must be con-
| suited. To repeat were invidious. Nor
should an attempt be made to describe the
work. Works of art must be seen. Their
| impression must be felt Immediately.
Their beauties must impinge directly upon
| the soul without passing through the me-
dunn of verbiage. A description of q
work of art by Taine or a Ruskin will
thrill, but the thrill is literary, not an
artistic, thrill. We are thrilled by the
/ writer, not by the work of art. On the
other hand q bald and bare description
conveys no artistic emotion, however accu
rate it may be. To say that the Venus oi
Milo is woman with her arms amputated
| and her clothes falling off, is of no artis
tic value. Nor would there be artistic
force in describing the Larcoon as a mar
and two boys wrestling with snakes
Equally vacuous would it be to describ,
the Litchfield monument as the statue of {
small boy; life size, though-sman boy
generally are of life size; with his trouser
| turned up to his knees; his right boo
off; his left boot on; his right hand hold
ing his right boot high-up in front of him
while precious drops of Litchfield waite
from the far away reservoir trickl
through the interstices of the boots wei
worn SOLE MOI Come and see it. ST
down in front of it. Draw it. The yer,
| best way to imbibe the essence of a worl
of art is to copy it on paper or canvass; ol
to model its likeness in clay. The season
is about over, but next year the committed
propose having every convenience for tn,
reception of art students An amphithe
| atrical edifice will be erected about the
monument, and professors from the Yale
school of the fine arts will be engaged tc
superintend practical work and to lecture
on the art epochs preceding and leading
up to the new Litchfield epoch. And now
good bye to Litchfield. Soon winter will
cover her with virgin sheet of snow, be
meath which may her sleep be as sweet a:
that of a baby tucked up in its crib. Mex
summer, with her reservoir, her art schoo
and her increased railroad facilities, what
may not be expected! May we all live tc
enjoy her hospitality again, to breathe the
wonderfully invigorating air of her higf
hills, to catch and eat bass at Bantam, t.
have supplies of Goshen cheeses, to shake
hands together on top of Mt. Tom. Her,
is to the dear old soul in spite of herself
| PERIANDER.