The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1902-03-29

eff 1 only could, if 1 only couldP'
"You can if you will"
"How?"
''You say you have lost your man.
hood. Have you also sacrificed your
talents"
''No; l can paint as well as ever
when my nerves are not unstrung, but
1 have prostituted them shamefully.
Do you know how 1 keep body and
soul together now? By decorating sa-
loon mirrors and taking my pay in
drinks and luncheons over the bars.
You find me in this condition because
I have ceased to be man, because /
have degenerated to thing"
Nonsense, Phil. Did you ever have
a better friend than 1 was in the old
daysW
Never"
evil you put aside your false pride
and let me be that same friend now?"
"If you wish to lend me money-no."
"That is not what mean. want to
help you, just as you would help me If
the conditions were reversed. If you
will consent to what have to propose,
you will confer the favor, not l. Will
you hear the proposition"
Eyes. What is itT'
There has been a committee ap-
pointed, of which l am chairman, to
have painted a life size portrait Of the
Master. 1t is to hang yonder, over the
chancel. Will you accept the commits
sion? Will you paint the picture? l
have the authority to give the order,
and it is expected that will make a
payment in advance. There Is no one
in all this city as competent as your
self to do the work. Will you do itT'
The artist was silent for a moment,
and when he replied there was
dreamy, retrospective expression in his
eyes, and his voice was so low that the
words he uttered were almost inaudi-
BILE.
'If you had asked those questions an
hour ago." he said, 81 should have an
swered no. Now / answer yes. Then
was aimless, hopeless, passionless
drifted into this church as a chip drifts
into an eddy of the stream it follows
believed that had lost all the abil-
ity to be emotional, but there was
something in the sermon we heard to-
day which opened within me window
that has been suffered and barred
since l was a child. / hate cant, Rod
erick; so 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 l might rise again to a new and
better manhood"
"Will you try, Phil?" asked Roderick
eagerly, placing his hands upon the
shoulders of his friend. "Will your"
81 will try, old man."
"Will you let me help you? 1t will
be 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
life size portrait when you first re
turned from Paris and took up your
work here? Approximately $4,000. was
| it not?"
Eyes, 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,
will pay you $1,000, in monthly pay
ments of 500 each in advance Will
you accept the order?"
Again the artist hesitated, but at last
he raised his head and said slowly:
eff you will accept condition that
will make, yes. 1t is that during the
year you make no effort to see me OF
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 a re
ply 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.
tentatively. land we part for year
Tell me. shall paint my own ideal OF
the perfect man. or shall follow the
accepted models?"
"As you will, but prefer your owr
ideal, your idea of what perfect mar
should be in body, soul, mind and
strength. Do you not recall your owr
youthful ambition? How many times
have heard you say, Some day viii
paint Christ! This is your oppor
tunity. Do it, my friend. Make it tht
work OF your life. Put your heart
your best energy and your whole sou
in the work"
81 will paint it, Roderick," replied
the artist slowly II will not disap
point you. Within the month | will
send you my address. 1t will be some
where in the country. Goodby. Goo