Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-12-02
DAILY SHORT STORY
ARTIST SECURES RECOGNITION.
(Original.1
O frtIa story

| About the middle OF tne last century
there lived in France a sickly little
boy He was of an intellectual cast
and his mother desired TO give him an
education. To do this she practiced
| pinching economy and often worked in
| the fields. as so many peasant women
do in France. The boy made progress
| In his studies. but his natural bent was
art. So when he was fifteen it was de-
| termined that he should go to Paris
with a view to making a painter of
himself.
GO. Bastian, my dear boy said his
mother, land may you one day be able
TO support yourself 10y selling your
pictures"
The boy studied and painted for
seven years. Meanwhile he had be-
come a man and reliant on his own
exertions for u livelihood. He found
it rather a life bordering on starvation.
Still he struggled on and though the
world did not care to buy his pictures
lie made slow but sure improvement.
The first thing for an artist in France
to do is to paint Il picture worthy OF
the salon. If this picture passes the
committee and is hung on the walls
that stamps the painter as proficient in
art Bastian starved and worked on
picture for this purpose. but just as
he was finishing it the Franco Prussian
war came on and the PrusSians march
ed with but little delay to Paris and
laid siege to the city.
The salon was forgotten in the great
work OF defense. Bastian went with
the others into the trenches, but on
the first day of the siege shell fell
at his feet and wounded him. He was
carried to his home in the country,
where he lay ill and idle for two years.
The work on his picture for the salon
had been ruined during the siege 10y
shell that exploded in his studio. but
Bastian could not remain idle always.
and as he was TOO delicate for manual
labor he resolved to return to Paris.
There was no prospect OF his making
a success at painting pictures to sell
in the usual way. so he painted cheap
fans But even this was high art
compared with what followed. One
day a patent medicine manufacturer
gave him an order to paint picture
illustrating his remedy's virtues. There
is something horrible TO one of an
artistic nature in thus degrading his
beloved art. Nevertheless the price to
be paid for the picture would give Bas-
tan the wherewithal to silence his hun
ger for several months. He repressed
his distaste and undertook the work.
The theme he selected was a land
scape bathed in the sunlight of April
The leaves on the trees We're of that
tender pale green only seen for a week
or two in the month of sunshine and
showers. Around Il fountain danced
group of young girls. The advertis-
ing feature was that the fountain came
from the spring of the elixir of youth,
or the patent medicine.
Bastian, being n true artist, while
he worked forgot the ignoble use to
which his picture was to be put and
became absorbed in it. The landscape
and the dancing girls under his touch
became things OF beauty. The coloring
was delicious; the delicate leaves shone
in the soft April sunlight: the maidens
became living beings, fair and grace
full.
When the picture was finished its
creator looked at IT, and the melan-
choly fact came upon him that it was
to be used as an advertisement He
could not resign himself to believe that
It was not fitted for better purpose.
Indeed, he was much pleased with his
work. While he was musing before it
the man who had ordered it came in.
LET me offer it at the salon." plead
ed Bastian.
Now, the patent medicine man knew
no more about the rules regulating the
salon than lie knew OF art.
1.-THE very thingv' he said. "But first
paint n rainbow arching over the
fountain with the name of my medi-
cine on it,
Bastian explained that such a fea-
ture would not pass at the salon and
1t would ruin the picture as a work of
art.
Every WELL" said the manufactures
angrily. Then L will not pay you a
sou for it,
Bastian was in despair. He could
not give up the price of his labor with
out going hungry. There was but a
slender chance of the pictures being
accepted at the salon. Hundreds of |
hopeful artists send pictures there to
have them refused. Would he not meet |
the same fate? Nevertheless there was |
something so attractive about his pic |
ture that he had not the heart to spoil |
il by a glaring advertisement. He re- |
solved to go hungry and send his pic |
ture to the salon.
Then came a weary waiting while |
his contribution to art was being ex-
amined with hosts of others. One day |
news came that his picture had been |