Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1895-04-21

Thus originated his road to his success; ] the road which was labelled Fad" and which was full of powders
 Beardsley had up to this time been the most unimportant youth in London. He had no position, no standing, no money, no anything, except such edu- cation as he had gathered in simple schooling and from omnivorous read ing. His family, as I have said, was very poor. He speaks as if it was the kind of poverty which makes folk sour and resentful. 1 asked him one day why he never chose the picturesque side of poverty for his pictures. 'Oh!" said he, poverty is never artistic. 1t may be picturesquely horrible, but it can never be artistic" Then he added ''I have had too much of it in my own life to permit me to feel for it. could never sympathize with it enough to do it well. It horrifes and disgusts me. !" He says this very earnestly, in his queer little way, and it is reasonably certain that it really pains him to talk about it.
 During his youth, and while he was surrounded by this poverty, he had no pleasures except what he got from books. When he was twelve he read French easily, and long before most bright boys have really mastered much of anything he had achieved ancient French and even Spanish blank letter. He drew pictures sometimes for fun, but looked forward to writing. Several very long and very elaborate novels were built in few years only to be thrown into the fire because he felt cer- tain that they were very bad. As they doubtless were.
 This sort of life was not, however, entirely practicable in the midst of his family's poverty. Beardsley had to go to work. He was fifteen when this necessity arose, and he accepted it re- bel1iously. Five shillings week was what the architect who employed him valued his services at, and the five shil- lings were a part of the poverty. It was the work in the architects office which made Beardsley think seri- ously of picture-making as career. The fantastic forms in stone which are part of architectural art pleased him. He forgave the T square for the gargoyle's sake. But in ]. the meantime he was not permitted to forget the T square. The architect drilled accuracy into him mercilessly and valuably. It is doubtless that training to which Beardsley is indebted for his correct drawing. The architect made d careful draughtsman of him. He could not make him abandon his love of strange and uncanny forms, but he did force him into recognition of the valIe of exactness.
 By and by his wages were increased from five shillings to seven shillings. The two extra shillings were unexpec- ted. Beardsley argued that they would be useless in alleviating his poverty, and that they might be useful in help ing him learn to draw So he went to an artist of some note and told him that he wanted to tudy with him once week. 'sI can pfiy you two shillings for your trouble. said he quietly The artist tested him sad saw that there was something in him. He laughed at the two shilling md offered to teach the boy for nothing. But Beardsley would not consent to that. T must pay you my two shillings," he persist ed. So that arrangement was made.
 Thus Beardsley began to study art in the conventional way. He drew from casts and worked in life class and did in all things as other art students did. But one night after he had gone home he sat idly down and made a sketch. If