New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-12-10
MORE WHISTLERIAN4.
anecdotes Recounted by His old
Friend, Mr. Mortimer MeRpes.
Fron The Cornhfll Magazine.

Whistler of all men was essentially a purtst-
purtst in every sense Of the word, both as man
and worker And everything he did was
done as a purist. For instance, even in so small
and apparently unimportant a detail as the
dressing OF his hair, Whistler was most particu-
lar. Many people thought him vain but that
idea IS quite false one: Whistler treated his
hair, as he could not but treat everything about
him, purely from the artistic standpoint as a
picture. a bit of decoration. Many time have
been with him 10 his hairdresser's in Regent
st. and very serious and important was the
dressing OF the masters head. Customers
ceased 10 be interested in their own heads, oper-
atoIs stopped their manipulations-every one
turned 10 watch Whistler having his hair
dressed. myself quite Indifferent which
way my hair might be shorn. so amused and in
seIesteo was IN watching the master But he
himself was supremely unconscious, the by
ISLANDERS troubled him not at all. And the
process was roughly this. The hair was
trimmed, but left rather long. Whistler mean
while directing the cutting of every lock as he
watched the attendant in the glass. And the
poor fellow, only too conscious OF the delicacy
OF his task. shook and trembled he manipu-
lated his scissors. And well he might, for was
not this common barber privileged TO be thus
an instrument in the carrying out of a master
piece-a picture by the master? The clipping
once completed, Whistler would wave the oper-
for while the back view Of this dapper little
figure surveying himself in the glass, stepping
now backward. now forward. Suddenly, 10
tne intense surprise or the bystanders, he would
dive his head into a basin OF water and half
dry his hair, shaking il into matted wet
curls. Then with comb he would carefully
pick out the white lock, a tuft of white hair
just above his forehead. wrap IL in q towel and
walk about the room for from five TO ten min
utes, pinching IL dry. With the rest OF his hair
banging over his eyes. This stage OF the process
caused great amusement AT the hairdresser's
Still pinching the towel. Whistler would then
beat the rest Of his hair into ringletS 10 have
conbed il would not have given the right ouaI-
ity), until IL fell in decorative waves an over
his head. A loud scream would then rend the
air-WhistleT wanted 4 combi This procured
he would comb the white lock into a featherv
plume, and with few broad movements OF his
hand form the whole into a picture. Then he
would look besmingly al himself in the glass
and say two words-"Menpes, amazing"-and
sail triumphantly out OF the shop. Once he got
into a four wheeler. put his head out the hat
gusf touched the window and disarranged his
hair. Whistler stopped the cab. got out re-
entered the hairdresserss. and the whole thing da
capo.
one Of the most interesting periods OF my
friendship with Whistler was at a time when he
Ia milling his exhibitions I had the infinite
privilege OF being OF small assistance 10
the master during three separate exhibitions.
And in The arrangement Of his works Whistler
showed himself more than ever to be a purist.
and gray" II q revelation 10 ] had
never imagined that one human being could be
80 complete in minute details Whistler. He
missed nothing, absolutely nothing and he dom
inated TO extraordinary extent. He decided
that the decorations for this exhibition should
be flesh color and gray, and insisted upon the
color scheme overnowing into Bond-st. and
oozing out via the "chucker out" whose uni
form % be gray with flesh colored facings.
This man. after a month Of standing outside
Whistlers show. touched with the mas
ter's enthusiasm. and eventually became one OF
his most earnest students. and was to be heard
e1pcundinR Whstlers theories 10 his open
raouthed fellow cronies around the corner
overheard him one Gay asking superior IL he
should clean the ''toney'' from the windows 6irt
e~-nr n unknown word in Whistlers vocabu-