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

themselves up for lost, in the violence of
a storm took them safely to shore; of the
man who when the mob threatened him,
faced it unhinchingly, demanding that he
who was without sin should cast the first
stone: of the man who, alone and with
out human aid, drove the money chang
ers from the temple to the street; of the
man who, facing starving multitude,
| compelled 1t to silence and to patience
until the hungry could be fed; of the
man, who in the humility that is engend-
| cred by strength of mind and power of
physique, could forgive Peter for his
| treachery, and of the manrwho possessed
the fortitude the courage and the muscle
| to bear the rude cross from the place of
| condemnation to the place of execution.
| He had studied carefully every initial
| incident in the life of that one perfect
| man, and had made his study of each
| incident distinct from every other. Now
with the canvas before him and his pig
| ments prepared he sought to reproduce
| composite of those ideas.
AS he became more ard more absorbed
| by his work, he never left it while there
was light sufficient to continue his la
bor and all the while his own eyes be-
fervor of his task. AS the stalwart mas
culine figure on the canvas achieved pro:
| portions. his own physique seemed to
grow and expand with it, and he painted
with an intense energy that he did not
know he possessed
It was not until the new year had come
and gone that he began to portray upon
the canvas the features of this more than
:re. IL Of oil 10
after time he painted it out and began
anew, for it was not the accepted IDEA Oh
Christ. as depicted by the old masters,
that fulfilled his ideal. He wanted the
likeness without the humility, the sad
ness and the despair which make up the
legacy that the artists of today inherit
from their predecessors of medieval times.
He wanted the humility of strength, not
of weakness; the charity which is part
of conscious power; the forbearance OF
| latent strength of mind and body; the
| intensity of purpose and tenaclty or ell
| fort which is born of the determination
| to accomplish, and the knowledge that
success is certain and at last he &C
complished it. That was about the be-
ginning of Lent.
When he realized that the picture was
completed he covered it with sheet
and spent his days in long walks upon
the country roads so that during four
weeks or more he did not again look
upon his work; and those who had
known Philip Switzerland in the past
could scarce have recognized him now.
One week before the fulfilment of his
contract was due, on the morning OF the
Sunday before Easter, he uncovered the
painting for the first time since its COM
pletion. He studied it critically. and
then with sigh of regret that MS
work was done, he telegraphed to ms
friend:
Come on Easter morning. The paint
ing is completed" and on Easter morn
ing Roderick Douglas arrived
The early morning bells were ringing
ont merrily from the steeple of the lit
STORY THREE e. 6 ..6 90 o. $50
tle country church near by, when they
entered the studio together.
..Stand here" said the artist placing
I his friend on the spot where he himself
had passed so many hours studying the
work Then he removed the screen.
| what do you think of it, Roderick?''
tho artist asked after long silence.
II see more than you meant that any
man should see" replied Douglas, dream
ily Il see your own salvation in the
work that you have done. 1t is the Christ
that has risen within you, Phil, that has
PAINTED this picture, not your talents
alone. They never could have accom-
plished such work as this. You have