The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-03-28

that his model was an American girl
from Nevada. L. S. A, who posed for
several OF her countrymen also, he was
not believed. Finally. upon wager,
lie produced the young lady and cigar
cites We're passed around.
In the discussion which followed it
came out that the great majority OF
art students i'm Paris are painting from
American mOdcls-yes, from real Amer
team girls, who keep house for them
selves on the Rue Boissenade or live In
the pensions. They are good. clever.
nice girls, with friends at home. to
whom they write daily; but they live in
Paris because here is the money which
they want. They are better paid than
in their own country. because the de-
mand for them is greater, and they can
make enough In year TO Keep them
and lay up good deal besides. They
are witty and clever and immensely
pretty, of course.
They are hired by French, German
Italian and American artists, each one
of whom, thinking he has a prize, keeps
the name and address Of his model
secret; and thus it happened that none
knew that the other had an American
model until the cat jumped out of the
bag in plain sight Of everybody.
The first American model In Paris was
Minnie Hastings. n young newspaper
woman OF Nevada. She came here two
years ago TO study French journalism.
Her idea was to translate the French
papers. gather the news Of Paris and
write or cable It home daily 20 her
newspapers. This worked well, but it
was hard. and when one day Miss
Hastings was requested by an artist
whom she was interviewing to pose for
his Madonna she threw a white shawl
around her head. cast her eyes heaven
ward and sat down for an hours con-
temptation of the froscoes. thinking all
the time what a jolly STORY 1t would
make 10 write home.
The picture was such q success that
the artist insisted upon paying for the
sitting. and SO urgently did he beseech
Miss Hastings TO pose again that before
she knew II she was giving up four
mornings a week TO the artist and TO
friend who was painting a cherub
frieze in which a sweet pink baby face
was needed Finding that her % irons
were disposed 10 keep the matter
secret. the Nevada girl soon drifted
into the Trilby business. from which
she has never emerged. She Is the
queen OF models OF the best class.
Another girl who poses for a select
few artists Is a Miss Kraft. Of New
NOlk. his RHl came 10 IdilS 10 DE an
artist herself But no sooner had her
sketch class seen her beautiful blue
black hair and her vivid red cheeks
than they began TO coax her for sittings
AT first she made the arrangement that
they were 20 purchase her art materials
in return for short sittings daily. But
the sittings heightened until the brush
and palette were laid aside and the sit
tings taken up In earnest Miss Krafrt
has been a gypsy so many times that
she doubts now whether her veins run
free from Moorish blood. and the num-
Der OF occasions In which she has been a
Spanish lady got beyond count year
ago She IS rather high priced and poses
only two hours a day She keeps house
on the top floor OF nice little street in
the Latin QUARTER and receives her
patrons in jovial assemblage every Mon
day evening.
American girls make capital alto
eether" models. They catch the pecu-
Harry pure look which a model must
wear upon her face or lose the point OF
the picture Virginia on the beach with
no clothes on is very touching II Vir-
elnia's expression he sweet and pure
But II Virginia has self-conscious look
you think the picture suggestive.