Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-04-29
THE GIFT OF LIFE

On dreary November afternoon was
having tea wisi one Of the most successful
artists Of the day. Ills studio was large,
richly furnished room, with profuslon of
beautiful things about H. There were
heavy curtains, long lnwdivans, aud siuiis
aud scents from the east, and nowhere y
tlgn Of hard work or struggle. Even the
palettas and the half finished portraits
seemed TO exist merely for the sake oi aid
ing an extra dash oi color 70 The whole
eject.
Ny host, tall. handsome man Of genial
manner bad that air Of boundlcss leisure
which belongs sometime h the most Cnor-
rotic nature. The world aid that he bad
sold himself for money, that bis earlier
works promised richness Of feeling and
fancy which could hardly flnd expression
IN highly paid reproductions u fashionable
women. | was never sure n he realized.
this. for no one was apparently lnss trou'
hled b. regrets than he. On this particu'
lar cyenine-fowcycr, we had branchcd Into
discussion on the possible strength and
depth Of artistic feeling, and maintained.
perhaps too bitterly. that the true fire was
stuffed by money and luxury. forgot for
the moment how much of what I said
might apply directly 10 tho man lounglnR
near me, and ~ he remained silent, aud
yet 10 some intangible way insured me
that he was listening, I grew more aud
more eloquent, and In the heat Of my feel.
ing began to walk mp and down the room.
With morn emphasis than originality,
exclaimed that II was the love " art for
her own sake which was the true lnspifa-
ton OF the artist, not love " tho gold she
brought him. "Nowadayx," declared
bitterly. mo one loves hercnough TO make
any sacrifice"
stopped short In front Of a small bronze
fgur which / had nevor noticed Ia his
room before. II stood upon table In a
dark recess, and | could scarcely ace Il, hut
with that sudden Instinct which warns ua
now aud then that we are close 20 some
thing grrat, ! carried my prize quickly into
the light IL wis the figure u girl young
and strong, like fresh green shoot sha
was almost naked, and she was dancing
evidently because she could not help it
there was an irresistible gayety aud Joyous.
ness about her which made ono long 20
danoe too. Her delicate head wns thrown
hack ~ II laugh were rippllng from her
Hips. and one arm wns dung out with q
grace that WINS almost insclent. The other
arm WIS gone.
rs this an antlquepI cried, impatient
for nm answer.
ut Is curious you should have taken up
TINT thing at this moment" my friend rc.
turned thoughtfully. "I.ook al Il aaain.
think you will say II Is not Greek in spite
OF the inscription"
Icxainined the enchanting creation once
more, and noticed that on the base wAs
written. In Greek characters, THE Spirit
OF JOY"
That figure was modelled hardly year
ago In Paris" my friend continued, land
the man who Imagined II gave his life for
u. Would you like 10 hear tho storyip
And before had time 20 answer no 10
gan the following narrativei
None OF the other artists who lived In
tho same street, or even those Ia the same
house. know much Of the young sculptor
Leroy. He wnA from the south aud had
come to study In Paris. but. unlike all the
rest, he never would make any friend, or
JOIN In the Wild pleasures OF his fellow
workers, IL was rumored that he was
dreadfully poor, but then no many others
We're poor, and yet led pleasant eonylvlai
lives.
NO; something else Il wrong with IL.
roy" the artists used TO say. ale Il either
mad or IN love" lie never asked any one
inside Ills room, and Indeed there wa.
nothing much TO sce, except very bare
garrett and lot Of white clay, with here
and there some lamp beginning TO take
hnmhn shhpe. leroys pale, quiet iaco aid
not attract people, and ho was very soon
leit 10 go on his own way. Tho concierge
used TO hhrug her shoulders when she
reached the top story In her gossip over tie
inherent Inmates Of tho houss. and wonder
how the thin, dark haired fellow lived
Leroy, Tor all Ills melancholy looks and
hh poverty, morc stringent than any one
Imagined, was happy. His mind was
thfongrd with shapes be ionged 10 put into
marble, and this bars gnrret formed the
background 10 many wonderful droama
sometimes, when he shut the door upon
Tho dark, ugly staircase, aud rested a ma,
ment In bis chair with his eyes closed. tl,s
room seemed TO illl with beautiful form.
which moved and swayed before him. and
be would lean back, watching intontiv
tlll az last ono above al the rest would ,n,
trance bis eyes. Then he would striye 10
imprint every line and curve upon nj,
memory, In q foyer Lost ANYTHING sbonl
tscape him before that sudden stllincs, IN
the air, which always woke bin with a
shudder 10 the ugly realities OF his lifc.
over ana over again he was disappulnted
IN the attempt 10 reproduce his vision. and
often IN despair he broke what he had mod.
elel. But he could not BE- unhappy while
he iyedin the world OF hs dreams. and be
never thought Of the future. Even MR.
his lint shock Of finding hla little .torc of
money exhausted, be- began without mia.
giving 10 pawn his little possessions. md
worked on In the same unhgmpcrrl way a,
before, hut after q time, when hi. watch
aud his clothes, and, finally. even his hi.
Stead had gone, hc found himself craving
uncertain aud restless. lie wasnt work IN
ahgure Of Justice, but the tail. calm ,yop,'
an opposed HIN, and she seemed 10 grow
iess aud less Ike the majestic shape which
hAa once moved ucross his hlght. Incs,.
sanity he tried TO couture her up beiore
hlln' but In this time Of his greatest nod
nus vision seemed 60 have deserted him
ne could think Of nothing but poverty md
misery, and ~ he looked bitterly round I'M
smpv room h. Wondered why 10 linda
ma come 20 bis love aud enthusiasm
fherr wa nothing % show Tor h.s dra,In',
-hoinlns bot saapsir'a c.ois Of CLAY. nul
~ 1.T n-- ~ r.a.l sn9s what they
"HfH NHHHN
AZ i4li. ent csl, VS. -strln-. Al tls
aafk Wa L. .1lstT b. ~ Oh. I.r5y IN nm
.ofhils li.is lss- f1l ~ l..,n.I 49,
Va us O. r.-f ~. alb.seJe, I'M wear,,
ul.p@if Faa-E aIs MN asre Vg.r,.,.,
tnn That p aad asael.as bs..le. breaj
'0' 'A9f-f' FA'n gtdtaIy through Inc
alm sarre: danced ne mst eueban,in,
beng DO Ind ever imagiued-a alr "
fgahg she iaight almost b. called a anna
ia v, nNr W. hound with flowers AID 4
,alsn was In her eyes; she sccmed tbe yc.v
UNI OF youth aud 10y lie did not know
hnM lnng ho MninnDL Lnr - wv