New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-08-22
The Pot Boiler.
By LLOYD WILLIAMS

What's this?" she asked. knitting a pair Of
clearly oencilled eyebrows
That's only pot-ooiler." he replied aIriIy-
For two years he had been painting mysterious
Impressions" TO the immense satisfaction OF HIM
self and select circle OF highly intellectual. long
haired friends. They were wonderful pictures. with
fantastic titles. and might be hung in any light
without loss OF effect The great French artist
under whom he had studied in Paris described them
as be-ew-ti-ful. Perhaps they were, but the Brit
fsh public showed disposition to purchase them.
II may be insular ignorance, but when an
Englshman buys a picture he likes II 70 bear, at
any rate. q distant resemblance 70 something.
Now. considered Impressions. Brampton Hays
pictures were undeniable. Considered salabls
articles Tor the decoration Of galleries or rooms.
they were a complete failure Consequently when
he observed that his modest banking account was
becoming so ridicuIously modest as 70 approach the
nonresident state. Ike wise young mar he set TO
work on something likely 70 prove convertible into
money.
What Is a pot-boiler7' she asked 7 suppose
you will think me Phiistine for not knowing. but
although have often heard the word. have never
properly understood IL
.Pot-bofling." he said. with the aelt-conadent air
q a young man who has absorbed the wisdom or
ages is the art Of painting or writing rot
She looked AT him IN amusement and tnsn turned
rived had stood on the ground face 70 the wan n
'Why paint rot'7., she asked -, ..,,
Because the public IKE Il" ne SAD. gravetty ~
bsIine Il involves paying for it, and when people
paw for things you have the wherewithzl 70 pur-
o4A SSeess 10 20 Win il
you mean that the public don't buy thsss:.' she
OF Impressions with which the little STUDIO WIS
"They don't" he said dryly, but without any
bitterness To his credit De II SAID ne nAo 5oI GU!
tivated long hair or cynlcism IN SPITE OF many
But they viii b1y this7 she said. indicating the
P'S with 9ftia all my heart 7 hope So he said
smile and then win try not 70 be Phtdst1ne
again In what respect Is fh1T I bI bed on one
side While an expression somewhere between pride
and disdain Aickered across his face. Why was
You see there Is no artistic pretension in that
picture - he said slowly There is no-eh-core,
no Imaginative effect no subtle conLTes- 1 20
picture doesn't appeal TO you as picture Jul Is
Mustn't picture mean anything. thenT' she
70 be sure it should" he said hurriedIy. But
its meaning should bs pictorial, not-nor -
Not narrstive. he corrected severely. Then he
added with deep disdaiu That IS the kind or picr-
urs people will afix in IT'S print form to cottage
7 suppose that would be huniliating." she r.
Y o5p are laughing at me- he said with per
fectly good tempered smile; ..-...s
~, Not E6i6 at Of an VIEW S she SAID hastily giving him
look which. had he happened 10 see II, would nave
cnGSt Il el11nose shall always be a PhtIistne."
she went on Afor it seems to me that this picture
He looked at her in silent establishment, and per-
Yet me- see Il understand IT," she said You
have q farmhouse. and oy the red clay soil
West C6THtry In held outside the homestead
there is young man 1yt9s aee 5r ana Ts fe ts
Of the picture Is ne 1 nq R6, sr pr rst
sounds unsuitable but let me if have guessed
the riddle correctly The young man o.b Is na -I
3 5 lee 0 be is desd beat at the lowest e6
81
~oad He has been 20 London and gone more than
half way 6 to the Gad se t9 ne have apsd most
OF the way. and he has arrived there Just oeIore
6s Ras lung 3 himself down under blossom
ana the dog has found him It is the prodgal son
in a guise- You call Il me New Road tnat
Is ne has s turned - hi5 back on the OLD ROAD ana
He seemed to De about TO offer some explanation.
for he had kept his artistic faculties quite apart
from his love OF human nature and was about
thing as a beautiful picture. but at that moment
.'Are YOU two people never coming tear' she
said -,,-, A. ..,-.-,--
room, where the tancee OF Brampton HAYS ehum
Tf was a red letter afternoon for the two young
artists when the girls sw99DeG down upon 0t them
alSaryg - nm m 70 london on business and
had very properly brought his daughter and her
Glenn Wilton nm who shared studio with Hay
was naturally enraPtured when his sweetheart
But even his JOY was exceeded by that OF his
taEe su part ' in the swoop'' The two men had
spent a CHEEKY holiday the year before IN Devon
shire where they had both fallen victims the
young gentleman who is usually represented
being attired in the Spartan simplicity OF bow and
arrow But their fates were widely different Glenn.
who was a nobody IN particular. had succurnbed to
the CT arms OF q girl whose position was not
exalted than his Consequently. in due course
thew were comfortably engaged IN quite the old
fashioned. COMMONPLACE way.
But Brampton Hay had no such luck; although
the two girls friends. he had the misfortune
70 fall in love with the one who was daughter. to
two millions OF money. Now, birth and position
are often bars TO romantic unions but there Is
bar so tnsuperahle enormous wealth Lucy
Chalmers was no better born than Brampton him
self and she besides. thoroughly unaf-
rected simple minded girl. But enormous wealth
~ the se'f-N1ade order has its responsibilities Sir
George Chalmers had risen from the proverhai
half crown-some saw lesS-to the aforementioned
dazzling sum. and picked UP a barouetcy on the
way. He In fact, very decent old fellow, and
above all ridiculousiy fond OF hts daughter.
But ha had very CLEAR conviction to her