Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1903-05-07
Art or
Sentiment :?
BY ZAIDA.

] AI uEN MT. John Winston, the new
wv ly engaged art teacher Of the
high school, talked over his new field
with Mrs. Almira Parsons, at whose
beautiful home he had been fortunate
enough to hire room, Mrs. Parsons
said:
Stella Paving viii be in your class
She is a real artist. She can model
draw and carve, and has painted some
pictures that are hanging in their par.
Tor at home. Her people are in very
moderate circumstances. Her father
and brother are carpenters and heI
mother keeps house for them an. Stella
is said to be very ordinary scholar
in other things, but nobody can come
| anywhere near her in the drawing
class. There is big publishing house
in $, ten miles from here, that gives
her orders, and sometimes sends things
for her TO pass on"
1t was no wonder that, after such a
eulogy, Mr.. John Winston should COW
ertly take good deal Of notice Of
Stella. In fact, he did not have a very
high opinion Of his own art talent. and
while he could earse some, he could not
model at ALL So he closely inspected
all stella's work in class, also some
of the modelling and carving that he
found in some of his pupils homes,
gifts Of Stella to her friends. He was
anxious to see the paintings in her own
home parlor at home. He imagined
that parlor would be quite dainty,
artistic affair.
lie was quite surprised, when he
found an opportunity TO go there, 10
md il quite an ordinary parlor indeed,
with stuffed furniture, plush albums
and cheap lace curtains at the win
dows. At his request Stella quietly and
reluctantly showed him her paintings.
which be recognized as very creditable
productions. Then, also at his request.
she ran mp 10 her room and brought
down other pieces Of work IN modelling
and carving. Not only had she talent.
but she had been well taught. 1t de-
yeloped that, while a waitress two
years before, at a summer hotel, an
artist, 10 whose children she had done
some little favor, taught her and
started her in the right way to develop
herself.
There was a picture on the parlor
wall that puzzled him more than the
cheap, snowy furniture and curtains.
1T was a very large picture and occu-
pied the place Of honor between the
TWO front windows. II was one of the
large snowy landscapes, in impossible
eolors, that a travelling artist, some
times with his fingers, sometimes with
a coarse brush, paints while YOU
wait" Such artists" are often tenn
porarily employed by country and town
stores, and the pictures sell, in large
SNOWY frames, for two dollars apiece,
being usually considered a bargain.
Mr. Winston could hardly keep his
eyes off that picture. Its incongruities
fascinated his attention. He finally
looked at il attentively, without know
ing what he was doing. He was stand
ing up az the time, ready to leave. The
girl suddenly raised the curtain higher.
''You can see better now" she said,
quite composed.
For a moment he wasn't thinking Of
her as being near him He was uncon-
sciously recollecting that she had been
said to have fine taste" in art, and |
her evident respect for this coarse pie
ture caused superior. sarcastic ex-
preston in his eyes and mouth.
"Ah, favorite of yours, ! see?" he
aid, lightly.
There was a moments silence and |
he looked up quickly at her,
"Yes. Mr.. Winston" she said, in a
ow, quiet tone, 1T is one Of my ia
forites."
With the superior light still shining |
n his eyes, he bade her good-by. And
that same expression
showed itself when he would ask her
in ordinary class question that in
,mded in its answer original judgment
,r taste. The girl seemed to pay no
attention. but he remembered after
ward that she had been very reserved
With him. never speaking to him in
lass or elsewhere unless he first spoke
o her, or unless il was really neces-
airy.
One day the teacher had been led 20
peak of the value of art in the public
chools. In moment Of real earnest
less 10 him he gave expression TO the
IDEAS that he held Of great moment.
'Children who are taught early the
principles Of true art, how
yer poor they may be, will have in
heir homes only things that are really |
Of artistic beauty, in fur
ishings. pictures and decoration.
here viii be nothing incongruous in
he homes Of even the poorest work
len. nothing loud and coarse in col
ring. everything wiz be dainty and
asteful, the Judgment being educated.
snf that so. Miss Pawling?"
lie was really not thinking at all Of ]
he coarse pic%ure. the snowy furni-
ure in the well-rememberedl little par
lr. He was really in his excited en-
/ ..-..... ft,..r :, Har ,r9a "a. hn ,