, 1890-04-02
A BETTER PICTURE
Cnci" Jere Potter Sees "rhe AnreJus," but
Prefers His Copy of THE Last Supper"

Shtlb orrG FOlter sees Tie AnReluB,' but
PreIers His Copy of The Last Supper"
Old Uncle Jere Potter, a well known
justice of the peace living in southern
Missouri, came to Chicago, and while
here went 10 see The Angelus."
When he returned TO the hotel the
clerk asked him if he liked the famous
picture.
''Oh, yes, liked it weli enough, but
Idhave to be mighty flush with money
and care mighty little for it before /
would give $40, 900 for it. Put a sas
safras frame round it and hang it up
in a barn where there was a dance go
in on, and | low that not one man in
fifty would take any notice of it. Oh,
the paint is well laid on-smooth and
all that-but it amt worth the money.
that's all. I've seen many a picture
tina l wouldn't swap for it-Rot one
myself that l wouldn't give for it
without a good deal of boot
What is the name of your picturel'
" The Last Supper 1t is a power
fully interestin' piece of work, l can
tell you. There sits the Saviour and
his disciples, with Judas a-soppin' in
the dish and there is John, with love
and tenderness writ all over his face;
and there is Peter, good and true, but
withal a little shaky, as the vote after
ward shows. There is Thomas, with a
sort of shrewd expression of doubt on
his face. The table amt none too fine
looks like two t~restles with some
plank put across EN-, but when you
come down to the paint you'll find il
right there. There amt no mincin'
matters; no stinginess. The man that
painted 1t jest snatched up his bresh
and went to work. He didn't slight one
part by maxim some other a leetle
redder or a little bluer, but he was fair
an honest an treated EN- all alike.
He was what l call a honest man.
Some painters, sign painters, mostly,
have sighted their work, but this man
didn't. He understood his obligation
N followed it out. He was a man of
the people-an honest citizen"
The picture you speak of, F" said the
clerk, is a mere daub. The bread is
blue, the meat is black and the hash is
purple"
Yes, that may be true, but the
work is there, just the same. | know
all about that. The work is mighty
inclined to make fun of the art that
held forth in them days, but natur' is
natur' and art KANT help itself. As |
tell you, this picture of mine is a beau
tiful thing. 1t don't stand back for
nothin'. Me and my wife and my lit
tie people set round the fire at night
and watch the fire light as it falls on
hat ar picture, and immijitly there
m up before us that old garden
with its scrubby trees and spring
branch that went tricklin' among the
rocks. We see the Saviour with his
sad and beautiful face and we hearthe
low words of reproach that he speaks
to his apostles. That picture is hung
in u dinin' room, and whenever we
go in there it makes us happy, for
when VT look at it we know we have
a friend in the world to come. My lit
tie boy, the sweetest little Teller that
ever lived, lay there on his bed, day
after day, and looked at that picture
his mother told him that it was the
picture of the great Christ, and one
time when | didn't think he was goin'
to get well, | came into the room sud
denly and saw him holdin' out his
arms toward it. The last thing he
saw in this life was Christ settin' there
talkln love to the nan that afterwards
betrayed him. | reckon | would be
put down as a fool, but | KANT help
lovin that ole picture. Oh, of course
nobody would want to buy it-nobody
would want it i'll the house-~but some
how | wouldn't swap it for no pic
ture that ever was painted. Yes, | adj
init that Peters face is blue and that
Johns face is green, but no paint has
hid the beautiful smile on the face of
the Saviour. Wall, reckon | must 90
up to my room. '-Arkansaw Traveller.