Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-03-24

the manner in which Munkacsv aanicta
the child's ingenious delight at the no.
ton OF having things to white and
pane But he was very soon undecelved
ROOD was coarse and scantv. the an
prentices sat on the ground and ate all
out OF one great bowl Ills work was
chiely heating glue, and, what was far
worse grinding paints Iangi neglected
MS contract and did nothing 20 make
carpenter OF him, though the boy was
eager Tor that business, and proud. In
deed. OF the day when he accomplished
a table all by himself.
The apprenticeship began in summer
out mo hard time came IN winter. 1t
was torture 10 get up az or the straw
mattresses tossed down on narrow
piahK' where the men slept. two to a mat
reSs, eight or nine people IN a room s
rect by IL Often sleep was broken when
TAP would come In the night ana a
peasant appear with n long reed in his
hand' the measure for coffin. Once
cholera came. and there was no sleep 10
oe got. All this time. OF course. the child
went on drawing when he could get a
pencil me freshly-planed boards always
tempted MIN. He was a painter. too, but
painter on the grand scale, gates. and
eapie-ends. Whiiewashng was his special
torment either I'm the great heat or in the
great cold; and as the child grew older
ne began 10 realize the hardship Of his
position. 10 Is Daudets story Of Jack"
over again The tastes Of his upbrnglug
remained with him. and he could not con-
.ehteuly SINK into the ranks; and his Sun
Gays az the Nidowsl;is kept the contrast
present with him. once he and three other
apprentices We're sent off out OF the town
70 big bridge which had TO be painted.
lie was walking with the rest. barefoot.
oarehead, aproned. short breeched, and
short-sieeved, when they passed q little
girl, the idol OF his young heart. lie
turned round to greet her; and
the young lady. with the in
stnct o. hcr sex, cut the dis
reputable acquaintance It was a sore mo-
ment All these feelings increased I'm the
child, till out Of misery the man I'm him
came 20 birth. Re dates the change def
nitely from the one night Of passionate
weeping in the miserable dormitory Next
day me ran away. II was I'm the great
heat. and by the time he reached his
uncie's house he was nearly dead with
exhaustion and hunger. His uncle ordered
him back. and he staggered out; but his
relations relented. and he was brought
home again. After six weeks he was sent
back 20 LanP and completed his appren-
was a qualified workman. His uncle sent
him out on the world with five forms IN
HIS pocket and in the town 90 Arad he
spent two years, keeping himself. HIS
friends were AT college here and he saw
them in the evenings. but IL was with nj
most as much pain as pleasure. Still his
brain was working There were no draw
ings now; that fancy had dropped; but he
scrubbed and rhymed. as many another
has done. in the bitterness Of his heart
Finally, insufficient food and unhappiness
combined weakened his health; intormit-
tent-fever came on. and he was obliged 20
go back to his uncle's house Here the
sight Of ongravings set him copying them
and the taste returned on him Ike a pas
sion But he was haunted by the fear
that he might get well, and be driven back
TO the workshop. and he deliberately did
his best to keep up the ague which al
least left him every second day TO work.
Finally HIS uncle CHANGED to look over
his shoulder at the drawing you might
possibly become a painter
IL was Ike n ray Of light. and the hope
kept him awake ell night repeating TO
himself: "Tu pourrais devenir peintre."
As the ague continued. his uncle sug-
gested drawing lessons TO utilize the time.
Drawing is useful 10 a joiner" he said,
and sent him 10 a German called Fischer,
I'm whose studio another artist Szamossy,
lift on the lad. and invited him TO come
and work with him. you may be some
thing better than Joiner" he said.
The boy-for he was barely 17-worked
with a kind Of fury, painting all day I'm
Szamossy's studio. composing drawings
by himself in the evening. Finally heroic
treatment put an end 10 the ague. Tho
choice had TO be made. Youth carried
the day. HIS uncle consented 10 the new
career and he followed the fortunes Of
gzqmossy They took him back TO Arad
where he had been carpenter. Munkacsy.
not having other means 10 pay insisted
on being SZamossy's charwOman, and,
says he proudly 81 was a good ono.' His
friend taught him other things beside
paiutlng-literature science. history; in
short, the pupil owed him his entire edu-
cation lie could go back now with un-
mixed delight into the society of his
friends. the young Nidowskis. and they
lived together the life of students; but
of frugal. Woodworking students, whose
chief designations were talk, to-
bacco. and noisy slylarking. Mean
while the boy was beginning TO earn his
living. SZamossy found him pupils, whose
pareuts paid him I'm kinda dinner daily.
He taught them after his own method,
unorthodox enough: for Munkacsy has
peen at no academy, and works without
models or studies painting direct on 10
his canvas he taught his pupils first TO
COPY and then 10 draw by memory what
they had copied. and so TO compose by
heart For his other needs beside dinner
he also began TO provide Coats were
easily come by; tailOrs have natural
delight in pOTtraiture. and he painted q
whole family OF them for a dress coat
Another furnished the breechcs on the
same terms. But shoes were a difficulty
ehocrnqkers are race OF philosophers
and he never found one willing TO give a
GOOD pair Of boots for his own image.
All things end, and after eighteen
months the pupil felt strong enough ia
strike out for himself. He returned 90
| his uncle's home with twenty horins in
| his pocket. and after an economic pur-
chase Of colors began TO paint-a com
position with Hfe-size figures; that is the
/ end of the autobiography. But In q
preface NJ. Boyer d'Agen will tell you
/ how a young Hungarian arrived in Paris,
/ not knowing a word Of French, with a
plcture that he carried 10 the Salon with
/ his own hands. 1t was the success OF
1 rhe wear in 1870. "Le dernier jour dun
! condamne." Since then fortune has never
/ failed Munkacsy.
4 PANTHER DROPS on QUAY.