The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-01-19
The Rat Among the Rushes and II
= 1NaE Eject.


The late SIR john Millafs was. as every
body knows, exceedingly fond of the
'Perthshire Highlands, and painted or drew
inspiration for many of his finest pictures
there. A contributor to the Dundee "Ad-
vertiser.'a who has been following the ar
tist's footsteps in that charming region,
tells that the first picture he painted in
Perthshire was 1.-THE Fringe of the Moor"
The painter was then living at st. Mary's
Tower. The scene of the picture was on
the hill hebiHdsi Kennacoil, a bold gray
rock which rises abruptly on the north side
Of ~Strauhbfaan, Immediately over the
Rambling Bridge. There the painter d.
rected his hut to be erected, a. substan-
tial wooden structure with a large sky
light in the roof open to the west. Mil
Lads, big pictures usually occupied six
weeks to a day or two. He always anne
during the first week of October and went
away about the middle of November.
This was of course the time of year that
the autumn tirts were in their glory, and
the painter grudged to lose an hour, so
evanescent were their hues. This was
probably one of the reasons why he paint
ed on Sunday, a fact which rather scam
dalized the Scottish country folk Once
the man who was carrying his painting
paraphernalia ventured to demonstrate
with rim.
do We not think it's sinful, Mr.. Millais.
for me to carry yer picture and Things on
the Sabbath day?"
The artist laughed and assured him
promptly that whatever guilt attached to
the act he would take on, his own Snoul-
ders. Over the Hills and Far Away was
painted on the moor above the deserted
hamlet of T~orngarroW, an old weavllig VII
lage- The spot where his hut was pitched
commanded a magnificent view of the Vade
of Athol, with the Tay winding through
it's fertile haughs. 1t was a magnificent
panorama. Of dark wood n golden corn
field, with the GrampianS wrapped IN mist
towering on the sky line.
The writer of the article tells a little
anecdote which illustrates the painters
quick eye for effects. Miitals Mas Stop
the Hills and Far Away" and he used to
walk up daily through Birnam Glen. The
attendant was there before him w1tk the
arrived he told him how he had seen a
rat swimming across the pool. Mflals
was most eager to see the same sight, and
was sorry he had missed It, Next time
the picture was seen there was a rat
among the rushes. And you wouldn't be-
lieve the difference it made" added the
delighted observer. 1t gave a touch OF
solitariness which nothing else could have
done. Mfllais had mo thought ror anytn1ng
but his art white he was painting. II
work harder than any plough1nan,' he
would saw sometimes. He read a little,
but wrote many letters, and smoked IN
cessantly. In fact, it was said more than
once by those who knew M qlais in the
Highlands that they believed the begin
ming of his throat trouble was due TO his
heavy smoking. He was forever pulling
al the short black pipe.
AnIeseptfc Qualities of Coins.
1t is a well known fact that paper
money is liable to transfer bacteria from
one person to another, and thus to spread
posed that coins, which are more IN
circulation than notes, might similarly
act as agents for spreading disease, ana
investigations in that direction were
made at the Vienna University. when
Austria changed its currency to the gold
basis. A report about his observation
was recently published by pr. Vincent IN
he states that metals act. so to speak, as
a~ntiseptics in regard to bacteria or mi
crobes the fact being that these mi
croscopic organisms have but a very
short lease Of life while on metals. The
destroying influences of metals increases
with their temperature, n also with
the close touch of the micr~o-organislns
with the metal. At a temperature of 95
to 100 degrees Fahrenheit, which is COM
mon in the pockets, where money is car
ried. the destruction of microbes occurs
within three hours. h various metals
used for coins are somewhat different in
his respect, silver being the most anti
bronze hold about the middle between
the two more precious metals,
Couldn't Judge.
Mrs. MoultdA4soh, how did you like
fhn NAV laStf week Pr Mrs Flinders