Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-04-03

reluctant to mention that they desired any
| thing so gross as to be represented on can
vas; but the scruples of my new friends ap-
peared almost insurmountable. Yet the
gentleman might have said, 81 should like
portrait of my wife" and the lady might
husband.' Perhaps they were not husband
and wife. This naturally would make the
matter more delicate. Perhaps they wished
to be done together, in which case they
ought to have brought third person to
break the news.
"We come from Mr.. Rivet," the lady
said at last, with dim smile, which had
the effect of moist sponge passed over a
"sunk" piece of painting, as we'll as of a
| vague allusion to vanished beauty. She
| wys as tall and straight, in her degree, as
| her companion, and with ten years less to
carry. She looked as sad as q woman could
look whose face was not charged with eI-
preston; that is, her tinted oval mask
showed friction. as an exposed surface
| shows it. The hand Of time had played
over her freely, but only to simplify. She
was slim and stiff, and so we'll dressed in
dark blue cloth, with lappets and pockets
and buttons, that it was clear she employed
the same tailor as her husband The couple
had an indefnable air of prosperous thrift
they evidently got a good deal of luxury
for their money. If I was to be one of
their luxuries it would behoove me to con-
slider my terms. -
"Ah, Claude Rivet recommended me ?"
I inquired; and I added that it was very
kind of him, though could reflect that, as
he only painted landscape, this was not a
sacrifice.
The lady looked very hard at the gentle
man, and the gentleman looked round the
room. Then staring at the floor moment
and stroking bis mustache, he rested his
pleasant eyes on me with the remark: He
said you were the right one"
81 try to be, when people want to sit
'sYes, we should like to" said the lady,
anxiously.
"Do you mean together"
NV visitors exchanged q glance. '1f
you could do anything with me, suppose
it would be double" the gentleman stan-
mered.
s'Oh, yes, YOU naturally make higher
charge tor two figures than for one.
eve should like 10 make it pay" the
husband confessed.
CHATS very good of you," returned,
appreciating so unwonted asympathy-tor
supposed he meant to pay the artist.
A sense of strangeness seemed to dawn on
the lady. eve mean for the illustrations
Mr.. Rivet said you might put one in"
''Put one in-an illustration ?" I was
equally confused.
"Sketch her of, you know. said the gen.
tleman, coloring.
1t was only then that 1 understood the
service Claude RNet had rendered me; he
had told them that worked in black and
white for magazines. for story books, for
sketches of contemporary life, and conse-
quently had frequent employment for
models These things were true, but it was
not less true that Il may confess it now
whether because the aspiration was to lead
to everything or to nothing / leave tho
reader to guess) couldn't get the honors,
to say nothing of the emoluments, of great |
painter of portraits out of nv head. My |
illustrations" were my pot boilers; I looked |
to different branch of art (far and away |
the most interesting it had always seemed |
to me) to perpetuate my fame. There was |
no shame in looking to it also to make my |
fortune; but that fortune was by so much |
further from being made, from the moment
my visitors wished to be ''done" for moth
ing. was disappointed; for, in the picto-
rial sense, had Immediately seen them.
1 had seized their type-I had already set
tied what would do with it. Something |
that wouldn't absolutely have pleased
them. But that's nothing; portrait is al
most always bad in direct proportion as it
gratifes the original or his friends. He
himself can please his friends, the triumph
of the painter is to please his enemies; they |
can't get over that. At any rate, the de-
light OF the sitter is in general bad note.
'.Ah, you're-you' 're-a-" began, as
soon as I had mastered my surprise