Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-07-05

beginning to be a sad life.
/ You see visitors TO the old garrett
on the top floor OF the city hall were
rare indeed. and fes persons saw Bob's
pictures. None bought them-not that
they were nesIectfui. buf that they
were simply th~onghtiss. Il did not oc-
cur TO them that artists have stomachs
which must be fed. and that. Ike ether
mortals. artists mus. eat II they are
| to 1--we. Hbb was beginning 70 expert
ence more than one eaxry day. There
were hnn1reds Of good people in town
who. had they known Of his condition
would gladly have bought a picture.
But Bob was too proud TO let them
| know II. BESIDES. an artist values aps
, probation more than money. and when
he sells a picture he wants ne buyer 10
| buy Il for his own sake. mat Is why an
artist will sell 10 a genuine lover OF
\ pictures AZ a much lower figure than
he will sell to a mere dezer. II is part
| OF his life 10 have the children Of his
brain appreciated.
The world became little. Visitors
! seldom entered the bleak old barracks
where the studio was located. and Bon
| could not send his pictures to eastern
exhibitions where people might see
them. He had no money for freight
| bills. Years OF disappointment and ne
elect began to tell on him. and be be
! came %sullen. morose and detected. IT'S
| soul had begun 70 wither. II manifest
| ed itself In a curious way. he began
| to borrow money from bis acquaint-
| ances, pititil little dribbles. sufficient
to buy food AZ first. and later. as nature
| sought surcease from sorrow. drink.
I In the haleyen. days he would have DIS
\ dained TO borrow a sou from his closest
| friend, but It is different when one is
hungry. And when one has had no
| food all day a single glass OF liquor
bis so stimulating-it will even intoNl-
| cate-anu 10 intoxication there Is obliy-
Dion. So Bob was not infrequently
drunk.
He lived upon the dribbles which his
! friends bestowed upon him and II
| should be said to their credit that 30
one of them ever gave reluctantly. The
lmetamcrphosis OF Bob was becoming
complete. Having lost interest in his
work he lost interest in himself. His
soul was fast perishing. He merely
puttered at painting. The great hungry
eyes has a wistfu1 look in them, some
times a far away look as though he
were viewing the sights that never
were. To those who saw him day after
day it was clear that the end was near.
Bob seemed to have a vague sense OF 1t
himself, for he spoke about going south
for his health. He painted at feverish
haste numerous little insanities in color
in an endeavor to obtain money, not
seeming to realize that if he could not
sell his good paintings he certainly
could not sell his bad ones. 1t was
pitiful to contemplate In the rubbish
which he produced the. dissipation OF
his splendid talents.
The physical dissolution which was
taking place in him was appalling. He
faded away perceptibly and became
only the shadow of what he was. And
with the lessening of his mental and
physical faculties came the breaking of
his almost imperious pride. He con
sented to listen to a plan proposed by
a few earnest friends to sell all his pic
lures at a public drawing. He was
sitting in his studio at the time a shrun-
ken. shriveled form. He swept his gaunt
hands about the room and laughed.
Il am content said he.
And the fall of the voice into a whls-
per at the word content" showed that
the heart Of him was breaking. He
rose 10 his feet and his clothes hung
upon him like the discarded garments
upon a scarecrow. He started to walk
but he could not walk across the studio
without staggering. He gave up his
pictures md the remnant OF his
strength together.
He was taken to the hospital and
tenderly cared for. The sale of his
pictures at the drawing was an I'M
mense success. Indeed they were all
sold In a single day. When the town
learned that Bob was destitute the
folks simply galloped to buy his pic
lures. Bob's face Frightened at the
news of the sale. Hope quickened in
his heart and he became enthusiastic
His mind filled with the most prodig-
ious plans and he ordered his palette
brought to him. He would paint great