Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-08-06
SOME ANECDOTES OF WHISTLER

1t Is told of Whistler that upon GER
tan occasion, he appeared at n dinner
party with no tie on. A friend of his
demonstrated.
For heavens sake, Whistler, you've
forgotten you tie
Not at ALL" he returned, mot at all!
Why wear a tic? My white collar rises
from my white shirt, which is fastened
by a gold stud. Everything simple. ex
cellent. Why put another white on top
of that? I'm much better dressed than
you
\ certain lady so-and-so. who admired
Whstlcr's genius to the extent of pur-
chasing one of his pictures. never was
able to obtain possession of her property.
one day she drove to tho studio in her
victoria. Mr.. Whistler went out to the
sidewalk TO greet her.
"Mr Whistler she said 1.-TWO years
ago | bought one of your pictures, a
beautiful thing, and | have never been
able to hang it on my walls. 1t has been
loaned to one exhibition or another Now
to-day | have my carriage with me. and
would like to take it home with mo.
| am told it is in your possession"
Dear lady" returned Whistler, "you
| ask the impossible. l will send it to you
when l have it again but it is not here.
You have been misinformed.' And so
forth and so forth. TO the same effect.
and the lady drove off without her pic
turc.
After she had departed. Whistler COM
menced to poke around the studio, and,
! to the great establishment of a friend who
| had been an involuntary listener to the
above conversation, he brought forth a
canvas.
Here it is" he said. She was right
about one thing it is beautiful" And it
was beautiful.
Put the impudonce of these people"
he continued. who think that. because
they pay "A few paltry hundred pounds,
| they own my pictures. Why, ii merely
secures them the privilege Of having
them in their houses now and then. The
pictures are mine
| Whistler was unsparing to sitters who
| annoyed him-n fact. Il sitting with him
was an ordeal that it required courage to
/ face, It is said that one man annoyed
him horribly by saying at the end of each
sitting:
"How about that car. Mr.. Whistler?
! Don't forget to finish that"
At the last sitting, everything being
done except this ear. Whistler said:
"Woll, ! think I am through Now I'll
sign it," which he did in a very solemn,
| important manner as was his way
But my ear, Mr. Whistler, You aren't
/ going to leave il that way"
"Oh. YOU can put it in after YOU get
home"
Whistlors laNitY in the matter Of on
gaGcmeutS was notorious No one ever
knew if he We're coming or not tn affairs
| But his point Of view is explained in
| his answer to a friend of mis- who knew
that he had an engagement to dine with
| some sWclls in a distant part Of London
and who felt that il was most impolitiC
| for Whistler to offend them. 1t was grow
| ing late, and yet Whistler was painting
away. madly. intently,
MY dear fellow" he said to him al
last lit is frehtfully late, and you have
to dine with lady such-a-one Don't YOU
think you'd better stop"
stop" fairly shroked Whistler stop
when everything is going SO beautifully
Go and stuff myself with disgusting food
when | can paint like this? Never, Never
Besides, they won't do anything until
get thore-theY never do" And the en-
tire speech is most characteristic of the
man.-Harper's Weekly.