The herald., 1893-07-23

"Ah, M. Jobinard," said pleadingly,
'if you would only permit us to photo
graph your lower extremities."
"Never, gentlemen, neveri" replied the
infatuated Jobinard; 81 care nothing for
Art. Besides, it would be almost inde-
cent; I could never look into a 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.
1t was about a week after this that
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.
"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 number.
We have come to beg favor. Weknow,
alasl too well, that it would be absolute
ly impossible to induce man of your
position in society to sit to us; but, M.
Jobinard, a man possessing the lower
extremities of Hercules, Farnese
Hercules, M. Jobinard-and need hard
ly remind you that Hercules was a deni-
god-has his duties as well as his priv
ileges. Those magnificent ntlower extrem-
tiles of his are not his own-they belong
to the public.
"Sueh 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 Jobi-
nard must become o household word in
Art. To refuse our request, monsieur,
would be o crime. You would retain
the copyright of your own legs Of course
They would be multiplied in plaster Of
paris and become marketable commod-
ity over the whole civilized world. Such
muscles as these, said Daburon, respect
fully prodding and patting the unfor-
tunate Jobinard, "must not be lost to
the artistic world. What biceps, what
deltoid, my friends!' he continued.
"What magnificent development Of the
sternoclidomastoideusr'
The wretched Jobinard, 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
garment to the knee and exhibited a
muscular brown limb as hairy as that of
an ape.
"You will not refuse us?' we cried in
chorus.
"You will not dare to refuse U.S." added
Daburon.
Gentlemen, yield! see that Art
cannot get on without me. When would
you like to begins" said poor Jobinard.
Tomorrow at noon, answered Dabu-
ron as he shook hands with the little
grocer reverentially, and then we took
our leave.
Next day long procession fled into
the shop.
"This way, gentlemen, this way, if you
please" said M. Jobinard as he indicated
the way to his back yard.
We must have been at least 80. Every
body brought something; there were four
sacks of plaster, some paving. stones, bits
of broken iron, bricks, and enough ma
terial to have walled up Jobinard alive.
A great mass of moist plaster was pre-
pared, the limbs that had become nec-
essary to the world of Art were denuded
of their covering and placed in 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 in
serted and built up into the still soft
mass which was at least yard high and
q yard thick.
"Don't move, dear M. Jobinard, (" cried
Daburon, "the plaster is about to set.
We shall return in half an hour, by
which time the molds will be COM
plete."
M. Jobinard, seated in the center of
his back yard, bolt upright, bowed to
each Of us as we passed out.
In about quarter Of an hour Jobi-
nard began to feel distinctly uncomfort-
able. "The molds seem getting terri
bly, heavy" he said to one Of his assist
ants, who kept him company. "They
seem on fire, and can't move"
At that moment the procession, headed
by Dahuron, filed once more into the
courtyard.
"It's getting painful, gentlemen" said
Jobinard. II feel as though were be-
ing 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 mar
BILE in few minutes. We will obtain
the necessary appliances for your re-
lease at once. Jobinard. Remain per-
fectly quiet till our return" said Dabu-
ron rather suavely.
And then we each of us kissed our fin
ger tips solemnly to poor Jobinard, and
we filed out once more. It was the last
day Of the term at the Art school, and we
were all off for our holidays.
For two hours Jobinard waited for us
In an agony of fear; then he sent for a
who dug him out. They
had to get ths plaster off with ham,
mer. We had. by the direction of the
Demon Daburon, omitted to oil the
shspeiy limbs of our victim.
Poor Jobinardl-Tit-Bits.