The San Francisco call., 1896-11-01
Az EXCURSION DOWN The ROMANTIC RIVER

COLOGNE, HOLLAND. Oct. Ia. 1885,
When the attractive lady, whose move
ments have been so veracious;y chronicled
appeared one morning in the little Dutch
village till that moment sacred to paint
ers she was greeted by her friends with
what she felt was but tempered enthusi-
asm. She had taken run" up from
Paris, she informed them genially, and had
thought to give them jolly surprise. If
bird of paradise had walked into the
chlcken-coop in the back garden and had
wished to fraterniZe with the decrepit
birds who brooded over their wrongs and
their eggs with an expression OF the deep
est melancholy, the establishment could
not have been more complete.
why in the world did you comeY' de-
manded Miss Verdantina Grey. whose de-
votion TO her work was as intense as il
was new. you'll be so uncomfortable.
and you have not the compen sations of
art"
'"Can't l get 'em?" asked Mrs White
hat, anxiously. What shall 1 do to be
saved?"
Q "1ts not disease" said Miss Yer
.dantina' with suspicion of temper in her
voices Il warn you, you'll be miserable.
We haven't time to notice little discom-
forts. We can't entertain you. There's
nothing to do. There are only three or
four men. They all paint -"
II used TO paint when / was a child, f"
interrupted Mrs. Whitehall. II used to
love it. l used to paint all the pictures in
my geography with coiored chalk. DO
you know I've always thought 1 had a
talent for it. 1 was thinking about it in
Paris. That's why camev'
This brilliant conclusion seemed to
afford Mrs. Whitehall as much diversion
as it did US.
'Do you always have to have smudges
on your face TO be a real artist ?" she ques-
toned with that eager and serious look
which made her thirst for knowledge a
"And Pm really ashamed to ask, but-but
-must-you-have all that magoo on tie
front of your skirt?"
81 don't know what you call 'magoo, ,"
said Miss Grey, with even more tartness
IN her voice. III you mean that l have
paint spots on my dress, know it. You
can't be thinking of the beauties of nature
and try to render them and keep consider.
ing whether you've got little paint
on your hands or skirts. I suppose you'd
go OUT anu paint just as you are dressed
now, because you'd be afraid to put on
unbecoming ciothesl Why, you'd be
laughed at, all the little boys would run
after you
Mrs. Whitehall was picture to behold
as she glanced down with dismay at hel
tailor-made gown, new and immaculate
with flashes OF silk in the lining. She re-
covered in an instant, however, and rose
with dignity from the trunk on which she
had been sitting. She removed her pic
ture-hat, the chiffon scarf that foated
under her demure chin. and asked to be
shown to her room at once. She had an
air of joyous determination about her that
made even Miss Grey pause and wonder.
an hour later she reappeared, and for
an instant we failed 10 recognize her. She
would have passed unnoticed any artistic
neigh borhood in the world: she might
have walked into the Hopkins Home un-
challen .ed. She had grasped, with won
. derful accuracy, the salient points of the
artistic wardrabe. From what mysterious
% corners OF that Dutch peasants house she