The morning call., 1893-10-08

nees and quaint relief. His first glimpse
of what he deemed great bustling. traffic
roaring city impressed Tom with feeling
OF bewilderment. Dreams he had had
OF what the capital of Scotland might be,
but the reality transcribed his most
imaginative flights. For weeks he was
thrilled with excitement when abroad in
the New Town LOOKING up at the
Old. with its hoary castle perched on its
precipice, and its many-gabled and deeply
corbied edifices diZZiy looming up from
the Castle Hill to the CanOngate. The
Calton Hill, Holyrood, Arthur's Seat and
| Salisbury Crags had destinations for his
impulsive, wonder-excited disposition.
Andrew Purvis in morning and evening
ramb bles delighted to arouse the reflective
susceptibiities of the lad, and to prime
him with stories about the history of the
city, its sieges and Instructions. its regal
days, its parliamentary and church strug-
| giles, the legends of the great houses and
| gloomy closes off the High Street and
Canongate, the annals OF turbulent and
lawless times now happily vanished. Tom
stored his mind with the stories and their
associations. and delighted to explore and
muse over the tale of city. every foot OF
which has historic renown.
In the studio of Puryis he had the fag-
ging common to beginner, who can wash
brushes and scrape canvases better than
use them. His master installed him, as
| was the custom with old lime apprentices,
| In bis own house, and saw that he had en-
| cOuragement to study both books and art.
! The boy had now an opportunity to enter
the classes of one of the evening schools
| In city where education has ALWAYS been
| specially priced, and he made rapid head
way in general knowledge. and in the ap-
| plicaions of geometry which are tribu-
| tary to art, and without the assistance of
which art Is blind volltion. He had
| ability and earnestDess. and had no prank
ish playfulness overwrought TO lead him
into idleness. Toll early begun inures TO
| thrift.
| A few years went by and Tom had
| passed his examination tests for the Acad-
emy. Seven years of drill under the ,ead-
emicians and their teachers, seven years
of hard application to fidelity Of drawing,
cropping after the secrets OF color, copying
masterpieces. study of the antique and the
modern schools, now and then winning
prize, frequently commended for conscien-
| tious effort, but never lifted into vanity.
or thinking lightly of art as pastime and
trickery and not the highest vehicle for
| its own range of thought-and Tom
emerged from the pupa stage Of artistic
| grubbing and shook out his wings for
| flight into world of lovellness to the
adOring eye, yet often blank IN the recep-
tlon which it bestows on genius, as a
quality, which comes and goes. but is not
Purvis was proud of him as he emerged
from the schools in good rank, both in
figure and landscape, with kDack OF
getting vibration in color and story
out of composition. He was handsome,
too, with strong crop of mustache and
pensive face, well developed chest and
tall figure. His voice was deep and
musical and his manner brusQue but
CHEEKY and sympathetic.
Tom had now his career to make and
had the whet of poverty to goad him
out of fastidiOusneSS into Industry. Long
before his Academy sessions were over
he had betaken himself from the seclu-
sive quiet of Purvis' Mornngside garden
inclosed villa to the Old Town in one of
the lodging dens near the university. Here
he had the variety OF LIE which comes
from romscuOus budding and rubbing
shoulders with many grades of character;
and here also he had the registering fell
lowship OF students and companions In
the art classes. The j0ustS Of students
when they turn from the hard
driving of the classics and mathematics or
of any Of the professional courses which
may be dragged in for degree, are
feature of university adolescence in search
of amusement, and Tom perforce had his
share of suppeTs at the Ralnb bow and pawl-
ing Qualifications in the narrow streets. lie
would have been a mllksop and speckled
tabby for practical jokes had be not devel-
Oped some OF the propensitles OF youth.
But he did not regard baggng imself
with ale as manly, and he had no money to
throw away on amusements, whether
so bar or extravagaDt To sustain himself
at cost of about pound week-four
shillings for his room and the remainder
for p0rrldge and broth and beef. leaving a
mite of pocket money-he had to toll over
drawings for the book engravers-minute,
careful. nlggling, which kept his hand in
steady training and his eye straight but
does not satisfy a painters longing for
breadth and freedom.
One night in shiyering spring. when the
raw east wind cuts across Edln nburgh from
the Forth and nips the aged with cold.
devIl-may-care group OF young artists was
ensconced in one CT the underground al
coves of the Rainbow with tankards of
foaming porter on the rough deal table
and smoking supper OF stewed tripe and
onions in process of serving from a
trundling barrow pushed along Oh rails.
Between the pulls at the tanKards art In
the terse slang of the profession was
under discussion.
Il hear Waugh's in!' shouted new
arrival, with twist 10 his nose and
gimlet eye of great pene tratiOn at that mo-
ment on the bread and tripe, "and they've
put him on the line"
'On the line? He's no Academician nor
Associate. They've hung him over weel.
The deevil's in his luck"
did you hear anything about me?
ken I'm somwhere, for my twa hae ma
come back"
"Oh, you'll be a. richt as usual, ahint
the door or among the speeders. The
heavier yer work the lichter it is for the
porIers"
We'll, Pm glad TO hear that about
Waugh. He digs ava hard, and he's no
scunHerSome tae ony fellow he can help
Oot with thocht or a squirt o color. L
got In ance wi ane o. his touches. for the
picture cam back like shot the first time
/ sent it in, and | was gae weel laughed at.
Tam's health. / say"
'What was it he painted? Have ye ony
notion? Vast the shepherds farewell to
his glen-the man wi the Glengarry and
the plaid. and his lassie WI the tears IN her
cen. and the collie whimperin' as it
gowers at them. Pm no surprised if it's
that ane. 1t had the stamp O. ability ont,
and touches ye WI sympathy. And, mind
ye. he mad texture in the plaid and the
lassie's homespun; ye could feelit; but he
put the strongest work into the faces. sac
that the rest didna glare at We, like some
painters Draws WI Law figures beeds.