The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1895-04-07
HIS MASTERPIECE.
Why Crimes Never Finished His
Picture Of Christ.

tHe uoor OF lis SUuulO III tnat gray ola
building on Washington square was
N. p. Gummidge-fancy painter with
Il name such as that!-Portraits. But
in reality he painted religious sub.
jects, such us Moses Shifting the Rock,
Noah Contemplating the Ark. Lazarus
in the Tomb-things black with lumber
and bitumen and dreadful in drawing
1t was q curious and pathetic figure
that presented itself every morning
and mounted the stairs to the upper
floor, where were the studios in that
portion of the Old University building
which had previously served us the
chapel A figure in long, we1l-worn
gray coat, with pail of water in one
hand and parcel wrapped in yellow
grocer's paper in the other. A figure
surmounted by patriarchal head,
covered with silk hat of ancient
model that had evidently been recent
ly wiped with wet cloth-so disrep-
utably shiny was its luster.
Beneath its faded brim shone kindly
youthful eyes. His manners were those
of the old school Unfailingly polite
and considerate even to the ill-man-
nered janitor, who never lost the op-
portunity of bullying him. From laugh
ing at him struggling up the steep stairs
with his pail of water, we finally got
to helping him by turns, and so gained
his confidence and friendship.
you young fellows" he would say,
as some one of US assumed his burden
at the bottom of the stairs-''you
young fellows are away ahead of me.
I can't understand your rainbow col
ors. I can't do it l am trying to
catch up to you-but it's like chasing
the will-o'-the-wisp. My things are SO
dark. Yours are SO light and fresh;
light with sunlight and fresh as air
But all the same I don't like them;
they are too dazzling. can't see old
Mother Nature in that iight-but am
at something now that will astonish
you, think. Mol 1 won't show it I'M
til carry out my idea, then perhaps
the world-but wait-I'll show you my
Lazarus, if you like. Come in and see
it. like it. I've got some thing in it
that is fine"
Then the pathetic figure, with it's
one shoulder higher than the other,
would lead us into the studio, thick
with dust, Uttered with his cooking
utensils, brushes, pans, bottles and
seated with old-fashioned courtesy,
apologizing for the state of his apart
ment and excusing it's disorder by dig
nifed imprecations upon certain
my thical person who had not arrived
that morning to put his place in order.
1t was both ludicrous and pathetic
to see him take up his palette and
brushes, and strike an attitude before
his wrctched studies, which were both
out of drawing and of atrocious color.
what do you think of that bit OF
color, gentlemen? Don't you think
that pretty good, eh? That check,
now; / find something indescribably
beautiful in that-its freshness, if you
like-and in the culver of Mary's lip
that's Mary-no, no, not that one
| here, that others the Nagdalen.
Now, l think that bit of color,
Ell? quivers, don't it, eh? a
master stroke. Now where would
you send it, eh? To the S. A. a..
or tho n. A. DIP You know that 1
have not sent anything in SO long that
! perhaps they have forgotten me-" So
he would stand, wagging his head
from side to side, making all the time
a snacking noise with his lips, as if he
tasted the fancied delicious qualities
| Of the colors he had laid on.
"But my figure of Christ, ha, hal
None of you young fellows have seen
that. There it stands behind that
drapery. No, no one shall see it until
have completed it All want is the
| face-the facial else is finished I
want model for the face. Grand and
| beautiful it is. But I want the face.
When that is finished I'll show it;
twill be Gummidge's masterpiece.
Twill be as famous-well, never mind
you young fellows cannot understand
| enthusiasm Us I understand it. You
what you are doing-your lightness
and brightness, and all that; but feel
| also that you want largeness of
| thought, SO we'll not quarrel You'll
do your effects, your impressions. and
I'll admire them and stick to my own
methods Now, must finish my St
Peter for your exhibitions; so get along
with you all, and God bless you"
The last day for the collection Of
| pictures for the exhibition would ar
rive and find Old Grimes in state Of
feverish excitement, walking up and
down the hall. He would accompany
the porters down the long stairs with
one hand on the frame Of his awful
daub of picture, brushing away low
ingly, now and then, some fancied
particle of dust, and again guiding
the men around some sharp turn Of
the stairs for fear that the frame
would be injured, and finally follow
Ing it's course with eager eyes
! as 1t was placed in the van with
others bound for The acadernu