The San Francisco call., 1897-03-14

TI4oNDoN, March L.-"Please. do you
A&k want snodel?"
49, The question is not maddening
when ii is asked for the first time in the
early morning before work has begun. 1t
Is almost with gentleness, with sympathy
and regret that it is answered in the mega
tive. When it has been demanded three
times in critical moments the anxious
painter has descended to the lowest level
OF civility, but when for the fifth time
when genius burns and the hand trem-
bles over peculiarly delicate problem
there comes bang at the door, loud and
peremptory as Sheriff's knock, then it is
with rage that defes description that
something between a snarl and howl is
shouted into the face of the bold petit
TONER without.
The London models are OF all ages, of all
ranks, OF all sizes-actually of ali colors.
There are Turks and Armenians and Arabs
In all stages OF faded and ragged gorgeous
ness; there are Roman women with faces
that suggest Limerick or Cork; there is a
small boy with skin like black velvet,
who says he is from Dahomey, and tall
girl, MS hated rival in popularity. who
wears headdress of yellow silk with ears
OF corn and bedraggled red poppies, who
claims to be from Sou Car'lina.
The studios of this particular kind are
peculiarly at The mercy of the passerby.
There are no steps TO climb, the lodge
keeper and his wife in little close den at
the broad gate are the reverse of argus
eyed. Two long rows OF green doors with
highly polished brass knockers are ar
ranged like a modern almshouse around
long and narrow courtyard, paved with
\ sunken gray stones and ornamented by a
2 strip OF garden, little ribbon of green.
TO pass the lodge unchallenged it is only
necessary to adopt an air of great haste
and expression of one who is already late
for positive engagement.
On day when the atmosphere could Re
cut with knife il occurred TO me that it
might not be unprofi table to bring than
In from the wet and chill air and to sketch
them, one after the other; at least, they
could dry themselves at the studio fire
and I'LL the studio with the steam from
their soaked garments and the converse
ton with which, hardly with an excep
ton, they are only too ready and glad to
honor you. Some OF them are sometimes
grotesque, coarse caricatures, done by a
pitiless hand; others are only absurd, and
few are tragic.
Accordingly, 1 removed sign that
was in no need of models. The first who
disturbed the silence of the impossibly
gloomy morning Knocked sharply, like
postman. He was rather short man,
with his hat tilted on one side; with
prominent, bold eyes and heavy brows
and small mustache, turned up at the
ends. The tip of his nose looked sus-
piciouslY cold. He wore a dirty tie and a
crumpled collar, and his overcoat was
green with age and spattered with mud
He carried a bundle under one arm and
looked like particularly disteputanIe
"old Clio" man from WhitechapeI Or
Shoreditch. He spoke in a sullen and
monotonous voice.
" ave costoom," he remarked. 1--WE
posed as King Jymes the Secondi"
He was much astonished at the wish l
expressed to make a quick sketch of him
- in costoom." He shuffled in and disap-
peared into the inner room TO change
The change was more aston ishing and
almost as rapid as any "Iightnlng-change'' 1
artist could have desired. II l had had
hitherto any doubt that the ''clothes
make the man " l dismissed it on the
spot. HIS costume was rather the worse