Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-09-21
JObinard as though he was the glass of

nard now began to give himself airs.
He staggered about the shop, he ex-
hibited himself in the doorway, he pos
ed and attitudinized all day long, and
then we began to make it rather warm
for Jobinard.
''Ah. VI. Jobinard. if you We're only
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, Jobi-
nardr'
You really ought to sacrifice your
self in the interests of Art" another
would remark. You'd ruin the pro-
fessional model; you would, indeed"
Gentlemen, gentlemen Jobinard
would reply, his hairy. baboOn-like
face glinning with delight. IA too be-
nevolent heaven has made me the man
| am and then he struck an attitude
What legs Ill cried IN a sort
Of chorus.
'Ah, NJ. JObinard.'' I said. plead
ingly, 'if YOU would only permit us to
photograph your lower eXtremities''
the infatuated Jobinard: ''[ care moth
ing for Art. Besides, it would be almost
indecent; | could never look into a
print shop without coming face to face
with the evidt nee; Of my too fatal
beauty"
From that day Jobinard ceased to
wear his professional apron.
1t was about week after this that
Daburon, I and another man presented
ourselves at Jobinard's esta.,--.1ment.
We raised our hats to Jobinard as one
man; we smiled and then we bowed.
The hairy little grocer seemed con-
siderably astOnished at our perform
ance.
IN. Jobinard,' said Daburon. who
was our spokesman, you see before
YOU deputation of three, represent
ing the Art students of Paris, some 500
in number. We have come to beg
favor. We know, alasl too well, that
it would be absolutely impossible to in
duce a man of your position in society
to sit to us; but, M. Jobinard. a man
possessing the lower eXtremtieS of a
Hercules, a Farnese Hercules. NJ. Jobi-
nard-and / need hardly remind you
that Hercules was a demigOd-has his
duties as well as his privileges. Those
magnificent lower extremities 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
in marble to posterity. The legs of
JObinard must become a household
word in art. To refuse our request,
monsieur, would be crime. You will
retain the copyright of your own legs.
of course. They will be multiplied in
plaster of paris and become market
able commodity over the whole civil
LIED world. Such muscles as these"
said Daburon, respectfully prodding
and patting the unfortunate JObinard
must not be lost to the artistic world
What biceps, what deltoid, my
friends" he continued. "What Il mag
nificent development of the sternoclido-
mastoideuS.''
The wretched JObinarl, blown out
with pride, seemed like the frog in the
fable. ready to burst. And then he
proudly drew up the leg of his neither
You will rot refuse u.s." we cried in
chorus.
You will not dare to refuse u.s."
added Daburon.
Gentlemen, I yield. I see that art
cannot get on without me- n,r
would you like to Begin" said poor
Jobinard.
"TOmOTow at noon,' answered
DaburOn, as he shook hands with the
little grocer, reverentially, and then we
took our leave.
Next day Il long procession filed into
the shop.
This way, gentlemen, this way. if
you please said NJ Jobinard, as he in
Dictated the way to his back yard
We must have at least thirty. Every
body brought something; there We're
four sacks of plaster, some paving
stones, bits Of broken iron, bricks and
enough material to have walled up
JObinard alive. A great mass Of moist
/ plaster was prepared, the limbs that
( had become necessary to the world of
art were denuded of their covering
and placed i'll the moist mass, then
large quantities of the liquid plaster
was poured on them, then the scraps
of old iron, the bars, the paving stones
and the bricks were carefully inserted
and built up into the still soft mass,
which was at last a yard high and a
yard thick.
DON'T move, dear NJ. Jobinard,''
| cried Dabu"on the plaster is about to
set. We shall return in half an hour,
by which time the moulds will be COM
plete.'
Nj. Jobinad, seated in the center of
his back yard, bold upright, bowed to
each Of us as we passed out.
In about a quarter of an hour Jobi-
nard began to feel distinctly uncOm-
Portable. THE moulds seem getting
terrible heavy" he said to one Of his
assistants, who kept him company.
They seem on fire. and can't move"
! At that moment the procession, head
ed by Daburon, filed once more into
the courtyard.
Its getting painful, gentlemen"
said Jobinard. Il feel as though
We're being turned to stone"
TRY and bear it bravely. Nothing
is attained in this world, dear monsieur,
without a certain amount of physical
suffering. 1t will be set as hard as
marble in a few minutes. We will
obtain the necessary appliances for
your release at once, Jobinard. Remain