The free press., 1895-09-19

/ "h' iiul iHles, InOeDe sometimes In
dulglng In animal painting, for which
she had passion, but which appeared
to us both like dissipation, because no
one could be induced to buy our pict-
ures. The landscapes and sea bits we
placed in the book stores for sale to
the summer visitors at prices varying
from 81. so to $40. When we received
$50, which was very rarely indeed, we
felt that we were on the high road to
wealth.
Three years after ors fathers death
we were still very poor, but we had
saved trifing sum and felt safe I'M
less sickness or some extraordinary
misfortune should overtake us. One
evening Phoebe was reading the paper
aloud when she stumbled upon para
graph announcing the extraordinary
success of Sidney Herbert, our poor
artist friend in New York. He was
now rich and famous, it appeared, and
a member of the Academy. 'Why
not write to him, said I, land send
some of our best works. You have
three or tour excellent animal pieces,
and we con both send two or three
marines and landscapes. He was al-
ways very kind and grateful to us and
perhaps might do us a good turn. L
am perfectly certain that our work is
worth ten times the price we are re-
ceiving here, but. we can never do
better unless we are SO fortunate
as to be appreciated at some great art
center" That was the first daring sug-
gestion. 1t was long before we could
gather courage sufficient to carry it
into execution. Finally we forwarded
six pictures 10 Mr.. Sidney Herbert,
accompanied. by along letter, telling
him of the dlenth of dear father and
mother, and. the sad fate of poor Ed
mund. We requested him to sell the
pictures for us, if possible, at the best
price ottaig glable, telling him at the
same time the poor prices we received
at home, and our modest confidence
that we ought to realize something
more for our conscientious work.
1t was month before we received
any reply, and we had almost given
up all hope of ever hearing from Sid
ney Herbert. "Why should an acade-
mic1an care to interest himself in the
fate of two poor women?" we said
again and again; when one afternoon
we rece ived letter bearing the New
York postmark, which for long time
we hadsnot the courage to open. Then
Phoebe, with trembling hand, ex-
tracted the letter from the envelope,
and, onsopeningait, check fell to the
ground, folded. am constitutionally
coward, but was the first to seize
that check, andiunfold it. 1t was for
5000. Nine hun dred dollars, think of
it, for two poor women, who had been
glad to get ten dollars apiece for con-
scientious effod,ts But the letter
Blessed be the name of'Sidney Her
bert, and of the august academicians
forever A large number of them had
passed Judgment upon our work, he
said, good, critical, intelligent judg-
ment, calculated NOT only to help but
to encourage us. The picture deal
ers, whose names he inclosed, would
gladly receive our work, he wrote,
and we could rely absolutely upon
their integrity and best efforts in our
behalf.
That was sthe foundation of our
pretty "Artist's Cottage" We do
not call it the Artists Cottage; it was
our townspeople, who are now very
proud of us. They cannot afford to
buy any more of our pictures, but
much of our early work is still here,
not to be bought lat any price-so at
least they declare.
Edmund tu1ned about two years
ago, his dreams of fortune faded, but
he is still the same dear bright en-
thusiast. Heihas settled down to the
study of law, and living with us our
happiness is oomplete-New York Adj
vertiser.