The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-07-15
water color would bel. Electricity win

water color would be. Electricity will
never take the place OF moonlight In the
heart of poet or painter. The most no.
ticeable time when electric lights are en-
gaging and one longs to paint them is
on rainy nights when the wet pavements
reflect back the glare in most appealing
fashion. Blum, Lungren and Brennan won
fame at stroke by doing" Madison
Square New York. on wet nights when
electricity was first introduced in that
city. Beautiful as these pictures were.
and enthusiastic as the public was over
them, they are nowadays little painted,
while interest In moonlight pictures goes
on. There is q charm. fascination. about
that light, and the mysterious tones and
more mysterious shadows which artists
and public alike never tire OF.
Ny companion follows me vaguely but
with sympathetic interest in these refec-
tons. A most interesting man is my friend.
The Model. Something of an artist and
above ali & man of such excellent habits
and high character. not without learning
OF practical kind. and wise from expe-
rience and wide observation OF people and
things. for he has been a great traveller.
His stock in trade is "a nose that rests
upon his chin like staff" but there is no
melancholy crack In his laugh"
Never for he Is the cheeriest and most
companionable soul alive. A bookbinder
by trade and handy man from necessity.
his ingenuity In everything from mending
chair to cleaning picture Is wonderful
He is delightfully."- poor, but this of course
he does not know. for he is visionary
happy soul. sometimes think / am one
myself. but feel like hard-headed pros
porous note broker when alone with him.
There is a romance somewhere In his life
hidden away that he has not yet disclosed
un sssta T..
would not give up his pipe. but am not
at all satisfied with that
Determined not to let the week with its
moon pass by without revcrent homage
somewhere undisturbed by artificial lights,
my friend. The Model. and took the cars
for Chain Bridge. where down a leafy lane
that was one continuous silver tipped and
shimmering bower We groped our way to
Lock No. 5, where We crossed to the tow
path. There was moonlight as 1t used to
be. unbroken. unified. full of color and
silence. After our first ordinations of
surprise we stood for a time in silent meii-
tation. the Joy Of which no words could
tell Cooled and refreshed by the deli
cious night air which had in 1t no hint
OF baking tar We walked and chatted of
moonlight. places. people. and things. My
friend, The Model. said the finest moon
lights he ever .ew were in Denmark and
Swecen-they were go much lighter there.
At High Island, altogether the most
beautiful and thoroughly picturesque poin.
on the river between Georgetown and Glen
Echo. the wooded banks were aglow with
the dancing phospnorescent lights of fire.
tiies. The Model said 1t was like n Ger
man Christmas tree" And so II was. 1t
seemed to me there vas q touch OF senti-
ment in this and asked my friend. The
Model, II after his quarter OF a century's
absence from the fatherland he did rot
get homesick for the little DART where his
people live. To this he replied: Only
a. Christmas time; never during the rest
OF the year" And so We trudged along
making an occasional pencil note Of IN
effect. and now and then clambering down
the baak through the thick tangle OF
brushes TO get wider glimpse OF the river.
How beautiful il was at Little Falls on
that still night: There the river. after
a succession of shoals. widens out into g
broad lake and on its placid surface like
Cmbago. Of which Whittier said:
No ripries shake
The mirror which its waters make
The Virginia shore was reflected In the F!
water so exactly that together they seemed |
to be suspended in the air. Tho moon |
above II through an opening In the clouds |
was clear and sharp, while the repeated |
Image In the water wavered some. but |
that was all. Otherwise the reproduction |
Of sky and land note lower In key was |
perfect. On and on We walked obliyious |
10 time and distance till the strains of |
Sousas march told of the approach to the |
lp-river resorts. At Cabin John we went