The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1891-02-16

citing than talk, but still he kept them
in the studio.
Some one called to see Scott He ex-
cused himself and was gone some min
utes. When he came back he was pro-
fuse in his apologies for his long alb
sence, but he made up for the absence
by unlocking the door which, as he said,
led into his work room
1t was a large room, totally unfur-
nished, into which he led them. The
sunlight streamed in through open win
dows and fell in streaks across the
stained floor. Near the center of the
room stood the half finished statue, upon
which his work had really been done.
There were tools and chips of marble
lying about the stone as though work
had just been suspended. Extending
across the extreme end of the room hung
a heavy, dark plush curtain.
81 suppose I should apologize, gentle
men," Clement began, ''for bringing you
here to see work that is as yet SO far
from completion; still, since it is by
your own request that you come, hard
ly see what apology can offer"
There was a chorus of pray, no apol-
ogies," and Scott went on, pointing to
the statue in the center of the room.
''This is the first study of the work you
have come to sec, gentlemen. Even it
is quite incomplete: but still no apollo
gies.''
2 And so saying Scott went to the open
windows, drew down the shades and
shut out the sunlight. There was an
uncertain glimmer in the room, which
he soon steadied by lighting some re-
hector lamps. Then he stopped mo-
ment before the plush curtain.
81 almost fear to show you this work,
it is SO imperfect" he said.
There was no reply.
He waited moment and it grew op-
pressively still. He stepped to the cur
tains, pushed them aside, looked at his
work a moment, and then Joined his
guests. They stood in a group at the
other end of the room.
There was not sound, not an excla-
nation of surprise; hardly breath.
There before them, from what ap-
peared to be a solid block of white
marble, rose the magnificent head and
full shapely bust of a. goddess. 1t was
indeed the Venus of Milo. The stone
was placed SO as to give but profile
view of the face, but the profile was di-
vine. The left arm of the figure was
broken quite off, while on the right side
the work had not progressed far enough
to disclose the broken member.
So strong was the contrast between
finished and unfinished stone; so perfect,
so human the finished portion of the
work seemed that it was almost painful
to see the rough, uncut edges of the
marble press into the smooth surface of
the finished breast. There was an ex-
preston about the face which seemed to
say to those lockers on, when shall /
ever be taken from this cold stone?' And
because they could not answer that ques-
ton they were silent.
The guests glanced from one to an
other, then hurriedly back again to the
statue, lest it should have vanished be-
fore them.
Scott stood by the side of his stone
study of the Venus and noted their as
tonish1nent. Still no one spoke.
He was growing fearful of what this
silence might mean, and he ventured:
"Well, is it good?" His voice sounded
queerly.
There was an audible whisper
'Marvelousi MarvelousI" breathed the
guests. They said no more.
1t was enough. The silent spell had
been broken. They had not detected the
difference in clay.
And drawing the curtain before the
image of his heart Clement Scott threw
up the shades, letting burst of blind
ing sunshine into the room.
That fall the most noticeable work of
art at the exhibition of the Society of
American Sculptors was study in mar
BILE of the Venus of Milo.
1t was by Clement Scott.
And society, when it learned that this
same Scott, whom the winter before it
had so petted, had gone to little sea
town to get him wife, brought itself
to be forgiven for once when it saw who
that wife was, while the president Of
the sculptors said to Clement one day as
he studied the face of Mildred Boday:
well, 1 see, my boy, there is differ
ence in Philadelphia Press.