The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1901-06-18
The Editor in Art.

/ We live in a townful of editors, We
can scarcely meet Il man on the street
who has not the blessed inward assur-
ance that he could do the job thous-
and times better than we can. and
sometimes the assurance is not entirely
inward and we have been told to our
faces by justly indignant subscribers
4 With whom we have not sympathized
! deeply enough on the loss of a pet dog
that we did not know two concern
ing journalism.
/ Nevertheless We have always be-
lieved in sticking to our trade and leu
ting others stick to theirs with what
aid we can give them with our superior
advice 1t was thus rather repellent
to Us when the editress suggested that
we might paint the cupboard. We
have always despised the amateur in
art. ard we hated the idea of DOMINIC
o she-apron, and the smell. With the
gentle yet firm insistence with which
good women are wont TO work their
willard their husbands, it was point
led out that all great men had artistic
instincts, that Mrs. So-and-So's hus-
band painted their entire kitchen and
that If we did not paint it she would
hire it done and painters charged about
Boo an hour and further and finally if
we did not do it she would herself.
| II was the thirty-fve cent argument
which led to our fall. We commenced
| figuring how much time it would take
US to earn thirty-fve cents an hour in
the newspaper business. That started
US. Then we figured how much we
would save if we painted the house
ourselves. That hoore,. us. We fig
ured that if we painted the house our
selves at odd times, and did it often
enough, we would soon be independ-
emily rich, provided we could pay for
the paint.
We went to work on the cupboard
door. Painting is easy. Wife has
painted for years and she told us it was
easy. First we laid in the background
with few bold strokes. Certain large
drops fell on the floor but they we're
mere incidents and can be erased with
chisel.
After laying in the background we
proceeded with the second coat. This
was done crossways on the door and |
gave fine effect of interlacing lines. a
sort of delicate lacey design which was
pleasing. One trouble was that we
did the job at the wrong season of the
year. We have discovered remark.
able fact in natural history. The
brush was shedding. We have since
laughed to ourselves as we have seen
painters at work seemingly unconscious
that this is the moulting season for
paint brushes.
The third coat was more successful
except that the paint was thin and ran
in tender, graceful rivuIets down that
cupboard door. This was hardly
noticeable at night when the work was
done but the bright morning sun re-
vealed these serious defects. We shall
however, name these riyulets and use
them in giving the boy his first lessons
in geography, thus: The Boyer rises
just north of the door knob, flows in
southeasterly direction to the first nail
head, thence south and west and emp.
ties into the large crack. There is
nothing like utilizing the little things
of life.
We consider our first effort in art
success. The changing committee
has given US choice position where it
cannot but attract attention. We pre-
fer painting still life' at present.
We should hate to paint q cat 1t
might scratch and thus mar the per-
spective of our massive brow. Ii we
ever paint the town now we shall re-
mind our wife that she urged us TO the
first step. Painting is nice. easy,
pleasant work. SO attractive is it in
fact that it makes US feel selfish to en-
JOY it all by ourselves and hereafter we
yield our part of its joys to the men
who charge 35c an hour