The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-02-22

cuse for it. Oh, my Godp' The last three
words burst from him in o sudden passion
ate aWg ass al, 60, saw is. II 70, as.,rov ,h,,
figure, you're raving maniac. You'll re-
greet it to the last day of your life. il you
ever recover your reason, and understand
what you have done. Look at it. mani
Look at the action Of it Why it's aliveI'
'All right, it will be dead enough in about
five minutes" he rejoined.
He went to corner of the room and
brought back a crowbar; the sight of il
gave me q shivrr, as If it had been murder
GUS weapon. Then he stood still for little.
leaning on his erowbar, and appeared to be
looking the statue over, from cap to toe
Two years work." he said. finallv.
And good Lord. how I've worked at It'll I
hate the thing, and yet-well, love it. 1t
represents two years of my intensest life,
DO you remember the supper gave here in
my studio two years ago, just after I'd got
the order to celebrate my luck? Who'd have
thought then that it would come to thisv'
For minute or two longer he looked at it in
silence. Ah. well, it's got to co. he cried
in the end. If it were done, when 'twere
done, 'twere well it were done quickly! Yon
stand over there, out of the way. Now
thenV He advanced toward the statue.
with his crOwbar raised.
But suddenly he let the bar drop with a
resounding clang-clang to the floor; and fall
ing back few steps, s. No, can't do ft.''
he cried. - haven't got the sand. i mist
have something more to drink. Go into the
anteroom and fetch me a decanter of
whisky, you'll find on the shelf in the cup
board"
Look here. More - began.
For God sake, do what ask you to. and
don't dispute with me, u the poor fellow cried
passionately.
went off and fetched the whisky. He
drank stiff glass of 1t at one swallow.
There! l feel less like a woman now"
he announced. He picked up his croWbar
and again advanced upon the statue.
''Good-by, Maj GeneralP' he called out.
IN grim comedy, and he ran the point of the
crowbar through the soft clay Of the Gen
erals feet, until it struck upon the iro n
support within. At that he stood off for a
moment and drew deep breath IN ow.
then! A long pull and a strong pull p' he
shouted, and he threw his whole weight
upon the free end of the bar. The statue
di d not move, but we could hear dull.
crunehing sound within it, whereby we
knew that the iron support was loosened.
1t was rather blood-curdling sound, l
confess. Poor More turned pale and fell
back again. "Oh, merciful heavens, merci-
full heayensP' he groaned.
He turned his face away, ana [ could see
that his body was shaken by sobs.
I'm surprised at my weakness" he said.
by and by. in calmer voice, but / can't
seem to overcome il. The thing is as good
as done already; the back bone of 1t is
broken; it can't stand long; its own weight
must bring 1t down sooner or later. The
sooner the better; only [ can't do il. Pye
Throw yourself upon the crowbar, old
man. and finish what I've begun"
81? Neverw l cried
''Oh, come! Don't refuse me that The
mischief is done, tell you. All ask you
to do is to hasten the end, and put me out
of my agony. You know as wei! as do
that it can't stand now. Come the General
is mortally wounded; be merciful ana dis
patch him. Ny courage is used mp. l can't
even look at the thing. Go onI One good
push, aud it will fall
He kept his back turned towards it and
ms.
After all, he was right. The figure could
not stand, now that its interior support
was broken. Its downfall was only cues
ton of time. And for his own sake, as he
said, the sooner it fell, and the tragedy
was played out perhaps the better.
You're sure" L asked.
Sure !" he answered.
threw my weight upon the crowbar, the
next instant Nore's statue fattened itself
out upon the floor with a shock that shook
the house.
''Thank you," he said quietly. Now
let's go and have some supper. l feel
rather faint"
For some six weeks after this More Law
violently Ill IN my rooms, and 1t was three
months before he was strong enough to 90
TO work again. Meanwhile the committee
Hau II dut6u MIN all extension OF time: the
newspapers had reported the sad accident
In seulptor'S studio, and all the art world
had shaken its head aud said, poor fell
low" After which. for the most part, it
had added, "but what an inspired IDIOT he
must have been in rigging up his skeleton,
not TO make 1t stout enough TO support the
clay"
Ills Second statue of Major General Smith
was unveiled on Decoration day in the fol-
lowing year. He had done it In less than
eight months. l can't deny that it was i'm
measurably better than its predecessor.
VIII it add anything To the interest OF this
story If ! say that it is no invention of
mine. but plain narrative OF facts? Such
is the truth. l have altered the dates lit
tie, and my scuptor's name was not Alvin
More, and the General whose memory he
had been commissioned 10 perpstuate in
bronze was not MAJ or-General Smith; but
otherwise the story is an unvarnlshed record
oil what actually happened Art is an exact
Ing mistress. and 1 think this episode illus
trates in way the sort of devotion her lov-
ers must be prepared to give her.
Copyright 1891 By the z1utiorS alliance: all rights
reserved.
The story for Sunday, March 1 st, will be
"a sePulcher of the Living" by Count
Leo Tolstoi.