The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-04-15

you Will confer the taVor-not l. VIII
you hear the proposition
Yes. What is it,"
There has been committee appoint
ed of which | am chairman, to have
painted life-size portrait of the Master.
| It is to hang yonder, over the chancel.
| Will you accept the commission? VIII
you paint the picture? / have the au-
| thority to give the order, and 1T is ex-
oected that will make payment in
advance. There is no one in all this
city as competent as yourself to do the
work. VIII you do it?'
The artist was silent for a moment
md when he replied there was dreamy
retrospective expression in his eyes, and
his voice was so low that the words he
uttered were almost inaudible.
eff you had asked those questions an
hour ago." he said, Il should have an
swered, no. Now, i answer, yes. Then
was aimless, hopeless, passionless. I
drifted into this church as chip drifts
into an eddy of the stream it follows.
| believed that l had lost the ability to
be emotional, but there was something
in the sermon I'VE heard today which
opened within me window that has
been shattered and barred since l was
child. / hate cant, Roderick; do don't
misunderstood me. 1t was the logic. the
good sense that your minister uttered,
and the manhood to which he appealed,
that affected me. Somehow he made me
feel that for three years / have been
dead. and that even | might rise again
to new and better manhood
"WiH you, Phil?" questioned Rod
erick eagerly, and placing his hands
upon the shoulders of his friend, ''Will
you?Y
81 will try, old man"
"Will you let me help you? 1t will be
a greater favor to me than to you. Will
you paint the picture?"
The artist hesitated and turned his
head away. fixing his eyes upon the
stained glass window over the chancel.
Presently his friend continued:
How much, Phil, did you receive for
a life-size portrait when you first re-
turned from Paris and took up your
work here? Approximately $4,000, was it
not?'
Yes; at least that much"
Every we'll. For the execution of this
order, provided it is completed and de-
livered to me one year from today, I
will pay you $1,000, in monthly payments
of 500 each, i'll advance. Will you ac-
cept the order?''
Again the artist hesitated, but at last
he raised his head, and said slowly:
'If you will accept condition that S
will make, yes 1t is that during the
year you make no effort to see me or
my work, nor communicate with me
other than to forward the monthly re-
mittance."
Agreed. Phil" said his friend, gladly,
''if you will accept the first payment
now" and without waiting for reply
he took the money from his pocket and
thrust it into the artists hand.
They left the church together and
went out upon the street, silently. But
there the artist paused, and turning,
faced his friend.
1--WE part here, Roderick,' he said
tentatively, "and we part for year
Tell me; Shall 1 paint my own ideal of
the perfect man, or shall l follow the
accepted models
'As you will, but I prefer your own
IDEAL your idea of what perfect man
should be, in body, soul, mind and
strength. Do you not recall your own
youthful ambition? How many times
have i heard you say, Some day l will
paint Christi This is your opportu-
nifty. Do it, my friend. Make it the
work OF your life. Put your heart your
best energy and your whole soul into the
work"
81 will paint it Roderick,' replied the
artist slowly Il will not disappoint you.
Within the month | will send you my
address. 1t will be somewhere in the
country. GCodby God bless you. You
have done more for me today than words
can tell Goodby."
Philip Switzerland did not totter when
he walked away from the church that
he had SO reluctantly entered scarcely
more than an hour before. There was no
| more cringng in his attitude, no SLOUGH
ing dependency in his gait. He forgot
that he was collarless that his hair was