Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1895-02-07
HIS MASTERPIEtE.
GNFNFIH y y 7 v
u Why Grimes Never Finished r1,s
4 Picture Of Christ >


4 fioOure of Christ. =
t'nies we called him, although
II 4zzthe fppr ohhis studio,n tint rav old
y. building OH Washinaton. souSrs ya .
N I, Gupmidge-- fancy a painter with
: Ia ramc such as thatl5 portro1ts pnt
- "in,reality he painted reiigidus sub.
'a'' gects' such as Moses Smiuing the Rock,
+ !; Noah Contemplating the Ark, lazarus
In the Tomb things black with umber
Rand bitumen and dreadful in drawing.
ltwasa curious and pathetib figure
that prevehted itself every morning
and mounted the stairs to the upper
.jleors where were'thc studios lin that
fr Rortfpn ot the Old University building
g :, which had previously served as the
ii chapel A. figure In long, well-worn
:, gray coat, with pail Of water in one
> hand and a parcel'wrapped in yellow
grocer's paper in the other A figure
Z ! 'SuTmoQntcd by patriarchal head,
covered with q silk hat of ancient
model tat. had evidently been recent
ly.Yiped. with a wet cloth-sol disrep-
utably shiny was its luster
9::,,t Beneath its faded brim shon4 kindly
youthful eyes His manners we're those
Al OF the old school. Unfailingly polite
and copsiderate even to the kll-man-
nered janitor, who never lost the op.
=" 'portunity ofbullying him. From laugh.
II, ~ iagathhn strugglingup the sted dp stairs
i with HIS pail of water, we fin billy got
/, to, helping him by turns, and sd gained
his confidence and friendship.
'Ypu young fellows" he wohld saw
as some one of us assumed his burden
at the bottom of the stairb-'you
= young fellows are away ahead of me.
Lcan't understand your rainbow col,
ii 'ors. can't do it. / am trying tc
catchup to you-but it's like chasing
the will-o'- -the-wisp. My thingb are SC
dark. Yours are SO light and fresh
light with Sunlight and fresh as air
But all the same l don't lilld them
they are. too dazzling. i can't see old
Mother Nature in that light-dut an
at something now that will astonish
you, think Mol won't show it un
til carry out my idea, then perhaps
4 the worlu-'but wait-I'n show you my
LAZARUS if you like. Come in and see
it.'''I like it. !. I've got something in il
;, that is fihc,"
Then the. pathetic figure, with its
one shoulder higher than the other
would lead us into the studio thick
with dust, Uttered with his cooking
utensils, 6rnshes pans, bottles and
imruense canvases = would bid us be
"a seated with old-fashoned courtesy,
apologizing for the state of his apart
:nent and 'cxcnsing its disorder by dig.
nifcd imprecations upon certain
;:tnythical person who had not arrived
that morning to put his place in order.
Ft,was both ludicrcus and pathetic
to see him take up his palette and
brushes, and strike an attitude before
his wrctchel studies, which we're both
. out of drawing and OF, atrocioua color.
"yyhat do you think of that lbtt Of
color, gentlemen? Don't you think
that pretty good, eli? That bhnek,
now; T. find something indescrf baby
beautiful in that--its freshness, if you
E lflse4and in the quiver of MarE's lip;
:, =; that's Mary-no, no, not that one
here, that others the Magflnlen.
4 !. Now. Il think that bit of color,
eh? ,quivers, don't it, eh? q
master stroke Now where would
YOU send it,. eh? To the s. a. A,
:or the N. A. DIP You know that
have not sent anything in SO long that
!; perhaps they have forgotten mel" SC
he would stand, wagging his head
from side TO side, making all the time
a smacking noise with his lips, aS ii he
4 tasted the, fancied delicious qualities
of the colors he had laid on.
a'But my figure of Christi hP, ha
None of you young fellows have seer
that. There it stands behind that
drnpery. No. no one shall see IL until
/ have completed it. All want hs the
face-the face--all else Is finished
want model for the face. Grand and
beautiful It's But | want the face
Whei that is finished I'll shdw At
twill be Gummidge's masterpiece
Twill be as famous-well, never mind
YOU young fellows cannotunderStano
enthusiasm as / understand 1t. for
X are content; and, mind youyl feel to'
I, Twhatayou are doing-your ligli
and brightness and all that; but fee
also that YOU want largeness o.
thouoht. SO we'll not quarrel You1
90 vour effects, your impressions, anc
{ pll admire them and stick to my owr
methods. Now, must finish my st
peter for YOUR exhibition; SO get along
with you all, and God bless you
&, The last day for the collection o.
nfctures for the. exhibition would ar
rive and find Old Grimes in state O.
fevcrish excitement walking up ane
!: - down the hall. He would accompany
ts,e;perters down; the long stairs witt
onn hand on the frame & '1Fwfu
daub of a picture, brus nv
ingiy, now and then
particle of. Dust and
the men arou2t t4some 81
= the stairs f6ri fSar that u
would be Injured, And fnal
inc its course with
as .itj was placed in
others bound for the q
Poor Old Grimesi
- ways came back to
the jury. "Great
here-Aanother
heard at II
- black canv
steps. "a,
stopped
low wits
chalk.
And 81