The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1893-07-29
AN ARTISTS STORY.

Of besides Art now. have to think of
painting what the public will buy.
have to make it pay-I have made it
pay.
But It is not about myself / want TO
talk; 1t Is of Orson-of Orson the Hir-
suite, Orson the Unrelenting, Orson the |
Hater Of Art. OF course his name
wasn't Orson. His real name was
Jobinard, and he lived at the corner Of |
the Rue de l'Ancienne Coincide, did this
uncompromising grocer, this well to do
Esau of the QUARTER Latin, this man
who hated Art, artists, and, above all,
Art students with peculiar ferocity.
Alcibiade Jobinard had reason to dis
like Art students. They had a nasty
way Of getting into his debt. but Jobi-
nard took the bull by the horns-he gave
no more credit.
'Ma foil" he would say, with super
cilious sneer, Credit is dead, my good !
young sir. He doesn'tlive here any long |
en-. He is dead and buried"
And then one had to go empty away.
II had been so handy in the good old
days lust TO run into Jobinard's for
whatever one wanted, and-well, ''stick
1t up" You see, you could get an entire
meal at Jobinard's, one of those little
sham boneless hams; they've quite
enough on them for four. Timed pro-
visions in inexhaustible variety, wines
from 70 centimes upward, liquors, des-
sert, even in the shape Of cheeses of all
sorts, almonds and raisins grapes and
peaches. It was excessively convenient. |
When one was hard up, one dealt with
Jobinard, and it was put down to the ac-
count When one was in funds, one
dined and breakfasted at restaurant
and left Jobinard's severely alone.
But now all was changed. Mile. Am
enaide was an uncommonly pretty girl,
and we were all desperately head over
heels in love with her. By 1--WE" mean
the Art students, but of all the Art stu
dents that were desperately in love with
Mile, Amenaide, Daburon, the sculptor,
was the most demonstrative. Jobinard
hated Daburon with deadly hatred be-
cause Daburon never expended more
than 10 centimes at a time. 1t was the
society of Nile. Amenaide that Daburon
hungered for, and he got it because he
was entitled to it, being purchaser.
Mile. Amenaide was Jobinard's CASH
fer. 1t was large shop, and there were
several assistants, but all moneys were
paid to Mile. Amenaide, the cashier, who
sat In a glass box underneath the great
Ginning clock.
Daburon, the sculptor, would enter
the shop, nod in a cavalier manner to
Jobinard, as though he were the very
dust beneath his feet; then he would
look at Mile. Amenaide, raise his hat
with his right hand, place his left upon
his heart and make her low bow; then
he would pretend to blow her a kiss
from the tips of his fingers, as though he
were a circus rider; then he would take
up q box of matches or some other pc
culiarly inexpensive article.
"Have the kindness to wrap that up
carefully for me in paper" he would re-
mark in patronizing manner. Then he
would march up to Mile. Amenaide with
the air Of an Alexander-you could al
most hear the tune of "See the Conquer !
ing Hero Comes" playing as you saw him |
do 1t. He would pay his 10 centimes |
and whisper some compliment into the |
ear of Mile. Amenaide. Then he would !
receive his purchase from the hand Of NJ. |
Jobinard In a magnificent and CON
descending manner. Then he would |
strike ridiculous attitude of exagger- |
ated admiration and stare at the un-
happy grocer as though he were one of |
the seven wonders of the world.
"What bustP' OF what armsr' or |
What muscularity" he would say, and |
then he would heave sigh and swagger
out of the shop.
Jobinard, who was particularly ugly, |
thickset, hairy little man, used at first |
rather to resent these references to his |
personal advantages. His four assist |
ants and his cashier would litter, and |
Jobinard used to blush, but at length !
the poor fellow fell into the snare laid !
for him by the villain Daburon.
He got to believe himself the perfect |
type of manly beauty. When French |
man has once come TO this conclusion,
there is no folly Of which he is not ready |
to be guilty.
The fact is. Daburon had passed the |
word round. The Art students, male |
and female, invariably stared apprecia-
lively at the little, hairy, thickset Jo-
binard as though he were the glass of
fashion and the mold of form. Jobinard |
now began to give himself airs. He
swaggered 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 Jobi- !
nRrd.
''Ah, NJ. Jobinard, if you were only a
poor man, what thing it would be for
Arti All, If we only had you to sit to us
In the nude. We are going TO do Ajax
detying the lightning next week. What |
an Ajax you would make, JobinardP
"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 am, and |
then he struck an attitude.
What legsl" we all cried in a sort Of 4
chorus.
"Ah, M. Jobinard, l said pleadingly, |
''f you would only permit us to photo |
graph your lower extremities."
Never, gentlemen, neverl' replied the |
infatuated Jobinard; Il care nothing for |
Art. Besides, 1t would be almost inde- |
cent l 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.
Il was about a week after this 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.
M. Jobinard, )" said Daburon, who was |
our spokesman, you see before you a /
deputation Of three, representing the Art |
students Of Paris, some 600 in number. !
We have come TO beg a favor. Wemow,
alasi too we'll, that il would be absolute |
ly impossible TO induce man of your
position In society 10 ait 20 US; but. n.
Jobinard, a man possessing the lower
extreDlities of a Hercules, a Farnese
Hercules, NJ. Jobinard-and need hard
~ remind you that Hercules was a demi-
god-has bis duties as well as his priv
ileges. Those magnihcentlower eXtrem-
tiles Of his are not his own-they belong
20 the public.
such lower eXtremites as yours
monsieur, are not for an age, but for all
time They must be handed down In
marble 10 posterity. The legs Of Jobi-
nard must become a household word In
AIT To refuse our request, monsieur,
would be a crime. You would retain
the copyright Of your own legs Of course
They would be multiplied In plaster Of
pGria and become a marketable conmod-
ity ever the whole civilized world. such