The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1903-10-15
PAINTING A SIGN

0lllgence, ana ne set out some Time
before it was due to meet it on the
road. Having a good deal of time
to spare, he amused himself by
watching any object of interest that
caught his eye and at length stopped
70 lancet the operations of paint
ar WHO, mounted on a ladder placed
against the front of wayside inn,
was busily employed in depicting a
in suitable to its name, 'The Ris-
ing Sun"
The critic commenced walking
backward and forward before the
inn, thinking that he might as we'll
loiter there for the diligence as walk
on farther. The painter meantime
continued to lay on fresh coats of
the brightest blue, which appeared
to aggravate the old gentleman very
much. At length, when the sign
painter took another brush full of
blue paint to plaster on, the specta-
tor could endure it no longer and
exclaimed severely:
'>Too much bluep'
The honest painter looked down
from his perch and said in that tone
of forced calmness which an angry
man sometimes assumes:
"Monsieur does not perceive that
/ am painting sky"
ooh, yes, l see very well you are
trying to paint sky, but tell you
again there is too much blue"
''Did you ever see skies painted
without blue, Master Amateur ?"
81 am not an amateur. l merely
tell you in passing make the cas-
ual remark-that there is too much
blue, but do as you like. Put on
more blue if you don't think you
have troweled on enough already"
"But I tell you that l want to
represent clear blue sky at sun
rise" -
"And I tell you that nc man in
his senses would make sky at sun
rise blue"
"By St. Gudula, this is too
muchw exclaimed the painter, COM
i ing down from his ladder, at no
pains this time to conceal his an
ger. "I should like to see how you
would paint skies without blue"
81 don't pretend to much skill in
sky painting, but if I were to make
q trial I wouldn't put in too much
blue"
81 tell you what, old gentleman, %
cried the insulted artist, crossing
his maui stick over his shoulder and
looking very fierce, 81 dare say you
are very worthy fellow when you
are at home, but you should not be
let out alone"
'tNonsensep' exclaimed the critic
as he snatched the palette from the
painters hand. "You deserve to
have your portrait painted to serve
for the sign of 'The Flemish ASST "
In his Indignation he mounted the
ladder with the activity of a boy
and began with the palm of his
hand to efface the chef d'euvre of
Gerard Douw's great-grandson's
third cousin.
"Stop! You old charlatan p
shouted the latter. "You are ruin
ing my sign! Why, it's worth IS
francs! And, then, my reputation
lost, gone foreverp'
He shook the ladder violently to
make his prosecutor descend, but
the latter, undisturbed either by
that or by the presence of a crowd
of villagers, attracted by the dis
pute, continued mercilessly to blot
out the glowing landscape. Then,
using merely the point of his finger
and the handle of a brush, he
sketched in mastery outline three
Flemish Doors, with beer glasses in
their hands, drinking to the rising
sun, which appeared above the hori-
zon, dispensing the gloom of gray
A0AA AuoAAAAS On OI1C " IhO LAWS
presented a strong and laughable
caricature of the supplanted sign
painter. The spectators at first were
greatly disposed to take part with
their countryman against the in
trusive stranger. What right had
he to interfere? There was no end
to the impudence of these foreign
ters.
AS, however, they watched and
grumbled the grumbling gradually
ceased and was turned into MUIR
mur of appreciation when thefdesign
became apparent. The owner Of the
inn was the first to cry "Bravop'
and even Gerard Douw's cousin
nine times removed felt his fury
calming down into admiration.
"Oh," he exclaimed, "you belong
to the craft, honest man, and there's
no use in denying it. Yes, yes" he
continued, laughing, as he turned
toward his neighbors. "this is a