The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-07-13

How Prof. John Blair
Finds loneliness in the
PIainest Objects.

A bright Raleigh woman, VINO Is
more of a mother than an educator
returned Yesterday afternoon from the
Summer. school flushed with the ex-
element of the dilletante in pedaSog-
les and methods" She was delghted
with the school and ready to go AGAIN.
Az she absent minedly twisted the
thirteen cents worth of meadow grass
ont of which smart pupils are sup
nosed to make anything from tobac-
co pouch to a double-bed mattress, she
talked Interestingly of the school and
its work. Particularly did she dwell
on the drawing class"
''To everyone else" she said, 1T
seemed to be SO inspiring, so uplifht-
ing that | was distracted with shame
because to me it was, as 'Grizzle' would
saw, just sweet! And to think that
| just stumbled in by accident because
the name Primrose over the door was
such pretty one. When | entered
there were some sixty students, their
faces 'agleam with the search for
knowledge, sitting at the very feet OF
Mr.. John Blair-and he, himself!
WHY he is a regular six foot paragon,
of purposeful grace
"Mr. Blair was holding up as l en-
tered, a twelve by ten inch copy of
Rosa Bonheurs Horse Fair, and al
though it was impossible for any one
of his auditors to distinguish a line of
the famous picture, yet the earnest
import of his words, which were
promptly set down in some fifty note
books, appeared to be quite sufficient
inspiration for their future lives.
1.-The preceptor then raised a small
vase of glazed blue pottery, such as
one gets at the five and ten cent store,
and lent himself to its exposition-it
was wonderful TO see how the sense Of
its intrinsic value was lost in the
charm of his words:
Observe said he, the proportion
of this simple object! how rounded the
bowl--how tall the steam Take but
one inch from the height and the
symmetry is lost! How the line flows
into the curve'-one almost thought
there were tears in his voice so does
beauty affect the Soul-'and the color
how Understandable blue color
"By this time the sensibilities of his
audience had been aroused to such a
pitch that it was with something of
relief as we'll as complete admiration
that they saw him gracefully seize q
piece of chalk and present the outlines
of the object upon the blackboard,
taking care, as he explained with feel
ing to show a bit of the hole at the
top. That, says he, discloses the spirit
OF the piece"
$50 proceeded the class through un-
transferable esctascis:
"'Observe this jari-the Greeks un-
derstood the beauty of the simple.
How it's nobility would vanish with q
smatter of cheap beads! See it's
straight lines-its interesting colori
"'And this generous dipper-observe
the slant! And this old coffee-pot-a
homely fellow-how strong the hasps
on the handle!-how tall the spout
and as this apostle of beauty swetched
i'm each common article with the low
ing lines of truth, one looked and was
glad!
"'And now ladies', he said with
even renewed inspiration, there is one
thing that is necessary: every teacher
should be able to draw a ship-and the
nimble chalk began to produce them,
three masters, ocean steamers, brigan-
tines, old fashioned slOops of war, Chi
nese junks, racing yachts with billow-
ing sails, and even before he had put
the steam sireen on the battleship, the
whistle blew for another period! And
there were the ships on the board, true
to life to q dot, with the spirit of the
sea there in chalk marks, with the
wind blowing the mad caps up into
white foam on the leeward shore and
the gulls dipping tiuttering wings in
the offing. 1t was wonderful, how
truly.
brilliant" thought 1 aloud.
Last week it was parasols!" said
my neighbor with the flushed face of
one who hunts fashions even with her
art"