The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-02-13
MUST HAVE MONEY.
CONTINUED from Tenth Page)

remit. a Venetian painter of great repu
tation. The painting represents the life
OF a girl child from little child hood 10 the
end of life as an old woman with one
foot in the grave. Her career is ended.
This world is for her no more, the ex-
preston of her face says piainly, I live
for another. Il contains some thirty fig
ures half the size of life The picture has
a beautiful tone very airy in color. and
extremely broadly painted; the technique
is fine and the effect most pleasing. 1t is
larger than any picture we have in the
Telfalr gallery, about twenty-five feet in
length II is divided into two panels, but
in one frame of ornamental character. 1t
is covered with plate glass Of superb
quality and great weight The arrival OF
this fine work in Savannah will probably
be contemporaneous with the return Of
Director Brandt in April.
THE last letter received by your Presi-
dent from our director bears date Jan.
IS, 1901. 1t is written from Cairo, IN
Egypt. The director describes himself as
sitting under a la ge umbrella fixed in tn
yellow sand of the desert, under the bras
sy sky, almost within the shadow of the
pyramids, and seeking to solve upon his
canvas the worldwide riddle of the great
Egyptian Sphinx. He dec.ares that sew
eral competent judges have assured him
that he has achieved the most perfect
likeness of this oriental wonder they have
ever seen.
Can we doubt that through the artis-
tic genius of our director weird and mys-
ferrous memories of old Father Nile and
his Lotus-land will take Judgment in our
grand hall Of casts, and VIII hereafter
fill 1t with novel and seductive echoes?
Mr., Brandt declares that If he had
nothing else to bring home with him than
his picture of the Sphinx he would feel
contented with this alone for all his
trouble and the necessary outlay.
Director Brandt further says that he
has visited Rome, Naples. Paest m and
Athens, and he has in each taken the
proper preliminary studies for his pro-
posed panel pictures; and he expresses
the hope that he may be spared, and re
tain his present health, for the com letion
of the long wished-for work. Our sculp-
ture hall will be un que, he says, when
these scenes shall be added to it's fine
collection of casts. From each of thes
great cradles of art, Director Brandt will
transplant strong and living growths to
Sour preserves. Director Brandt while at
Rome was touched by the tainted finger
of the old Pontine marshes, and aid uDon
a bed of Illness; but he had recovered his
health when he wrote, and with the ardor
of the true artist had resumed his labors
For my own part 1 must express my
profound appreciation Of the long, faith
full and generous service of our director.
He is the true artistic builder of our
academy; and 1 believe that sufficient
continuance of his liberal life would en-
able us to place the capstone upon our
IMPOSING pedestal.
AT our January meeting last, quite
radical step was taken by the So
cta ri af
mended that warning be given to
all delinquents of long standing that they
would be dropped from the roll at this
meeting, unless their dues We're paid.
substitute was offered that they be drop
ped at once; and this was passed by al
most unanimous vote. / cannot question
the wisdom of this action. All repre-
senung more than two years dues. were
erased from the roll; but they were only
empty names like swordless scabbards
that burden without benefit, and promise
but do not perform.
1T sometimes becomes necessary for a
society, like an army to throw away
all its useless and superfiouous baggage.
and to strip itself for struggle.
This large loss of memberhip will,
however, necessitate some radical change
in the schedule Of the society. We can
not continue to maintain it upon existing
plans. 1t is for the society 10 say and
to say at once, by what methods 1t can
secure, either increased membership or
more liberal patronage. Long continued
efforts to increase the number of sub
scribers have proved futile 1t therefore
seems to me that some system of CLASH
fed membership in which some members
will consent TO contribute more literally
than others, suggests the most practicable
solution of a difficult and delicate prob
EN-. During the past year 1887 visited
the library rooms as readers of our books
and pamphlets. Consider the far reach
ing and potent influence for good so large
a contract and communion with literary
thought and suggestion must have exert.
ed. The society has become an essential
adjunct TO our system of public education
WIN a liberal community permit this be-
nign influence TO perish? I cannot believe
that those who represent the reflective
and public spirited class in Savannah will
stand supiney by. without lifting a help
Ing hand. and watch our suffering society
gradually starve to death. Win not some
of our generous-hearted people give us
the encouragement we so sorely need by
promptly stepping to the front as volun-
teers. and not waiting, as it were, to be
drafted?
Some of us, at least. can enjoy the
~SASpid Aipi VI IplAS anu III service.
The Bible tells us that of the virgins who
were commissioned to attend the we'd
din feast, only half proved wise and faith
full and that the other half were foolish
and failed to fill their lamps.
"Of the few faithful survivors
who have done and are doing.
so much for this ancient society, and who
have so steadfastly maintained it's quo
rum, may we not hope that they. at least.
will continue TO keep their lamps filled
and burning ! freely admit that in the
Indifference of the public there is much
to depress, and but little to encourage.
But those of us, who have thus far re-
fused TO abandon a sometimes seemingly
sinking ship, will surely not desert the
vessel now in this, its sorest period, OF
stress
THE winds at times have howled most
doefully, engulfing seas have threatened.
and on the black horizon no saving light
has glimmered. Yet the old listed mar
liners must still stick to the ship and
strive to keep her on her chartered course,
trusting that until our city shall grow in
substance and in sentiment we may still