St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1893-09-16
md female, invariably stared apprecia-

now began to give himself airs. He
staggered about the shop, he exhibited
himself in the doorway, he posed and at
titudinized all day long, and then we be.
gan to make it rather warm for JOHN
ard.
"Ah, NJ. Jobinard, if you were only q
poor man, what thing it would be for
Art! All, if we only had you to sit to
us in the nude. We are going to do
Ajax defying the lightning next week.
What an Ajax you would make, Jo-
binardr'
"You really ought to sacrifice yourself
in the interests of Art,' another would
remark. you'd ruin the professional
model. You would indeed
"Gentlemen, gentlemen" Jobinard
would reply, his hairy, baboonlike face
grinning with delight, "a too benevolent
heaven has made me the man l am, - and
then he struck an attitude.
"What legs" we all cried in sort Of
chorus.
"Ah, M. Jobinard," I said pleadingly,
eff you would only permit us to photo
graph your lower extremities."
"Never, gentlemen, never' replied
the infatuated Jobinard; II care moth
ing for Art. Besides, it would be al
most indecent; could never look into
print shop without coming face to face
with the evidences of my too fatal
beauty"
From that day Jobinard ceased to
wear his professional apron.
II ohnnt rUooly offpF fhio that
Daburon, and another man presented
ourselves at Jobinard's establishment.
We raised our hats to Jobinard as one
man, we smiled, and then we bowed.
The hairy little grocer seemed consid
erably astonished at our performance.
I'M. Jobinard." said Daburon, who
was our spokesman, 'you see before you
a deputation of three, representing the
Art students of Paris, some 500 in mum.
Der. We have come to beg favor. We
know, alas too we'll, that it would be
absolutely impossible to induce man OF
your position in society to sit to us; but,
NJ. Jobinard, e man possessing the lower
extremities of a Hercules, Farnese
Hercules, NJ. Jobinard-and need hard
ly remind you that Hercules was dehii-
god-has his duties as we'll as his priv
ileges. Those magnificent lower extrem-
tiles of his are not his own-they belong
to the public.
Such lower extremities as yours,
monsieur, are not for an age, but for all
time. They must be handed down il
marble to posterity.. The legs of Jobi
nard must becor1e a household word in
Art. To refuse our request, monsieur,
would be q crime. You weuld retain
the copyright Of your own legs of course.
They would be multiplied in plaster of
paris and become a marketable comrnoa-
ity over the whole civilized world. Such
q. these" said Daburon, respect
fully prodding and patting the unfor.
tunate Jobinard, unjust not, lie lest to
the artistic world. What a biceps, what
a de1tcid, ny friends!" he continued.
"What a magnificent development of the
observation-disclosures
"You will not refuse us!'' we cried in
chorus.
"You will not dare to refuse u.s." added
Daburon.
''Gentleuen, 1 yieldl / see that Art
cannot get on without me- When would
you like to begin?" said poor Jobipard,
Tomorrow at noon, snswared Dabu-
ron as he shook hands with the little
grocer reverentially, and then we took
our leave.
Next day long procession filed into
the shop.
"This way, gentlemen, this way, if
you please" said NJ. Jobinard as he in
aicated the way to his bag ok yard.
We must have been e. least thirty.
Everybody brought something; there
t*ere four sacks of plaster. some paving
stones, bits of broken iron, bricks, and
enough material to have walled up tol,i-
nard alive. A great r,as5 Ct moist plas-
ter was prepared, the limbs that had
become necessary to the world of Art
we're denuded of their covering and
placed in the moist mass, then large
quantities of the liquid plaster WAS poured
IN them, then the scraps OF old iron, the
,ars, tie paving stones and the bricks
we're carefully inserted and built up into
he still soft mass which was at least
Yard high and yard thick.
"Don't move, dear NJ. Jobinard,"
,ried Daburon, the plaster is about to
et. We shall return In half an hour,
" which time the molds will be com
,lete.n
Nj. jobin ard, seated in The center of his
Jack yard, bel. upright, bowed to each
# Us as we passed out.
In about quarter of an hour Jobi,
ard began to feel distinctly uncom-
ortable. 1.-THE molds seem getting
erribly heavy" he said to one Of
is assistants who kept him com
ANY. ''They seem Oh fire, aid cant i
aove.'
At that moment the procession, headed
y DabIron, filed once more Into the !
ouftyard. /
Ills getting painful, gentlemen, " said
obinerd. Il feel as though l were be.
1g turned to stone"
"Try and bear 1t bravely. Nothing is J
ttained Ii this world, dear monsieur,
7ithout a certain amount of physical
offering. 1t will be set as hard as marble !
/ a few minutes. We will obtain the |
ecessary appliances for your telease at !
nee; Joblhafd. Remain perfectly quiet |
IL our return" said Daburon, rather
lavely.
And then we each Of us kissed our fin
er tips solemnly to poor Jobinard, and
e filed out once more. 1t was the last
ay of the term at the Art school, and we
ere all off for our holidays.
For two hours Jobinard waited for us
/ an agony Of fear; then he sent for d
onemason, who dug him out. They had
get the plaster off with hammer.
Re had, by the direction of the Demon
aburon. omitted to oil the shapely limbs
our victim.
Poor Jobinard. Bits. !