The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1898-08-17
THE APPLE TR EE.


IHE \ ppI II YR EE
one evening noticed 10y Monssia $
photograph winch Away stood covered
win white Grape ven ON II small Ia
hie, three red checked apples. lhese
piehtlah fruits seemed out oil place III
the arlsteerauc Partisan drawing room.
crowded with rare knlekkhaeks and
WORKS OF art. Moussla ! mother, obServ-
ing my questioning glance, SAID point
ing Ia Il picture at the end OF the room,
lhehe fruits were picked ON the apple
tree winch You see III TINS picture, the
last ono painted 10y Moussla Then the
Borrowing woman told me the story of
the apple tree so intimately connected
with that of the young artist, Marie
Bashkirtseif, who died when only p
years old.
In the spring Of lSS-- Moussia WINS
planning to paint Il peasant woman in
the open country for the salon Of the
following year. She spent DAYS locking
in the outskirts Of Paris for a suitable
landscape in which tn place her model.
Ono morning she found near Seyres II
field inclused by fence palings, bcyond
which walk oyererown with grass lest
itself under willows. through whose
young shoots the sun shane brightly.
Half way up the walk, on II background
Of grayish green bushes, with iii outline
almost as soft ms that of smoke. stood II
pnhnst ufy,ia I.-.a,ll.t I.
iiowery branches. The whole scene was
filled with tender, fresh stirring har
mony, with spring itself Moussia WAS
moved. She felt that this was the look
ed for spot Opening the gate, she walk
ed toward the house, which WAS sepa-
rated from the ufuiInIa by garden MI
CT with beehiNes lhe proprietor hap
pehed To De one oil thosc hall bourgeois,
nan peasant hortlcultnrlstsw who provide
the Parlslah markets with hoWels and
fruits. Inc request lhade by the enthu-
slastIc looking young giri with the cX-
pleshlVe blue eyes hattered MN Ike
I"Ved ms tree7' ana the admiration OF Il
painter Tor them pleased INN extremely
MouAsla was readily gwen permission
10 WORK III the measure ana she began
the very next day
Early Ill the morning she arrived on
me tianway, with her model, who
carried theif luhch III IL basket Mous-
sia understood her art she was no
longer peeliihef' Tor some 81 hef PIC
lures had alfeuay peen lhueh talked OF
he the saioh. lhoukh Leiohelhg 10
rieh family, winch occupied a nigh pc
sltioh among the afistocfary OF her
country, she worked not nv AN anna
teuf' but Us an aitlst anxious 10 WIN
rant Iler WORK showed me melancholy
me ana poetry which belong to those
born III Little Russia. The sketch Of
her painting absorbed her entirely She
was irSih 10 put on inc canvas some OF
the ehefVescent spring about her she
painted rapidly, al If afraid not to be
hbie 10 iihlsh the task she hnd under
taken. Every morning the CAME LACK
IN spite oil the April showers ana the
rawhess OF the air, which often made
her cough Inc owners OF the place al
mlred her pluck, and as they saw her
painting, bareheaded, standing III me
deW, with blouse over her gray diess,
'hey believed her 70 belong I" thor sta
lion III me and thought she WIS work
ing ior hef dally blead'
Inc housewife brought her W'tlm
mix, the children played near her
whlic she rested, and the hortculturist'
learning that some young trees Interior
cd win the perspective, had not hesl-
tated To cut them down. 1t was touch
ing TO see TINS man, usually 50 careful
Oh ms possessions Willingly sacrifice
them to crafty the wish of the young
ARTIST. By degrees touching intimacy
began between them AZ noon Mouasih
a,,d 49, 80" w. ''''''' '"' '''"""h'
Tho niotn,o ,.a, o.ai NJ, 80
ant eoa,,d a. a., 81 ~ 49,.
Iooked ,nost Efo1;I,o o,,i,. f'..l n,.,'t,
inc toncbos ,goro naaI9,I Gatharaa
aronnd the oaea, ,ha Ell, I'll,
a. an,,1, 80 ,,,,., -: re, -
seemed 40 - by otrot,.hi,,, a,t ano,s
hand tho nro,+y frash ~ o,,I lit
blossoms ccnId bo ,TnoInd on"n,,',ino
Monsaia ca,r;od bo, ,,;,,,,r,. .,,...,, 20
sbo,v II ~ son,o ,rio,,d., -; 49,, 80
ret,rn With !, u, 81. - e.,;','
details ia ,ho Iandsaa,.o nj, I'll
for her in vain ono It, tL.iIo.ea,,,.,
an the ,raa ,,,ara narriad -. -, ,hn