The morning call., 1891-04-26

possible for a costume to transform this
dainty creature in part only. To her fingers
tips she was Partisan IN expression. EX-
qustely natty and cOquettish, she yet had
something OF the wildness and righteousness
of nympb. She was study as tantallZlngly
beautiful and unanalyzabe as Hawthorne'S
Faun. Her small head was set with match
less nicely upon the prettiest of shoulders;
her bust was delcately maidenly and her
arms and legs slender. but beautifully mold
ed. She was formed TO make sculptor
think he had found perfection; but in color
ing she was so delicate that the painters de-
clared 1t was impossible 10 approach her
shell-like transparency of complexion. Her
skin was like that OF an infant and her hair
had the sivery blonde hue and waviness of
the silk, which makes tassels on the ripe
corn.
Not more than IS years of age was Lilli,
and yet she had been model since she was
or years old. She loved her profession,
as she called her vocation, and she took no
small pride in the reputation of the paint
ings for which she had posed. and for the
art of which she ingenuOuSly claimed no
small share of credit. Everybody tire ated
Lilli like child, and she was one, indeed
spoiled child, and yet in every mood cap
tivating. She loved flowers passionately, and
she would weave of them, with inimitable deX-
terlty, garlandS to decorate herself. Thus
adorned, she became the most ravishing of
Ophelias. But to see her sit at table, her
plate surrounded with fresh blossoms
none more delicate and lovely than her
self - with a silver cigarette-case on
one side and a volume of lola on
the other, was to be convinced, as L have
said, that she was being neither to be
wholly understood nor classified in the
ordinary way. She was a vesioH of all
sufficient loneliness to the artists, while
to the less engrossed spectator her
evident delight in herself and her work went
far to allay any uneastnesS OF conscience or
reflection as TO her probable unhappy
future. In her sunny face and merry
teligence beyond the quickness of her
years Her highest development was the
esthetic instinct; while she gave pleas
ure by her beauty, she took pleasure
herself in a charninGly naive manner by
consciousness of this fact. Cruel fate, that
so pretty a creature should be doomed to
pass the period Of ideal maidenly freshness
The artists came down to Gree at all sea-
sons of the year. Made I'll from the bad air
of the crowded class-rooms. anxious to put
into practice the theories imbibed from their
masters, or DESTROYS of secluding them
selves for serious work upon some
canvas destined for the Salon-for one
reason or another they come to Gree
and stay months, or years even,
as mood and money permit In the early
spring the place is said to be Incompatible.
1t is then that a silvery mist pervades the
| landscape. and those delicate luminous tones,
| like coDWeDDy wells over the grass IN the
| early morning, give an exquisite sOttneSs and
| mystery to the earth that the poetic artist
| loves 1t is then, too, that the river imparts
| rheumatic chills to the unwary, and that the
| rural roads exact the wearing of sabotS after
! the sensible custom of the peasants. Even
| the artists wives wade about in these
| clumsy wooden shoes, and, having acquired
| the knaek, confess that they return rather
| reluctantly to more civilized fOOt-gear. The
stone floors and heavily paved streets make
! stout boot an absolute necessity, even
after the dampness has disappeared. The
| winter is not so severe that sketching cannot
be done out OF doors most of the time.
For year or two Gree has been given up
| to a craze for ''impressionism," and Monet
is the god of the young landscapists. The
| strongest Of these followers of purple
| shadows" achieve some really wonder
| full results in color and light. 10
| stay long in their company, listening
| to their enthusiastic talk and watch
ing with them for the effects they love,
is to become half converted to their views
| at least, so far converted as to see a COM
menda6le reaction from the style of the
"tonistS," who have certainly carried
their own tendencies to extreme heavi-
| ness and blacknesS. The landscapists
| of the present tine do all that is
| possible TO their sketches out of doors.
| They keep a variety of canvaSes under way.
| Thus, If the day is gray. they are prepared
| to take advantage Of that; if bright, they
| are ready to seize an hour or two of this
| joyous mood, and early morning and the last
| CLEANS have qualities so evanescent that
! they must be seized by the watchful, wait
| ing painter, who is ready to catch nature
ION the fly" as it were.