The Newport miner. [volume] (Newport, Wash.) 1899-current, 1908-01-09
TIE Statue Of a
Roman Soldier.
[Original.1

Theodore Guthrie, who announced that
Mr.. Barnes would not be present. Thls
disappointed Miss Mabel Douglas, an
art teacher in the schools at home, VINO
desired to meet the artist
Guthrie produced a key, opened the
door of the studio and the party en-
tered There was a grim silence about
the place, in which finished and haI
finished figures stood looking at one
another as if they had been living De-
ings suddenly turned to stone. Inc
party had spent some time ogl1ng
them when a footstep sounded on the
stairs and a man stepped in at the
door that had been left ajar. Seeing
a party of visitors within, he turned
to go away Guthrie followed him
and after short conversation brought
him back
'"This is my friend Mr.. Williams"
he said, "a fellow countryman of ours
and a friend of Mr.. Barnes"
Mr.. Williams joined the party, and
they continued to admire the works OF
art in his company. Miss Douglas, be-
ing an artist, was pointing out their
beauties, while the others listened to
her remarks with every attention.
''Look at this One," she said, stopping
before q plaster cast of a Roman sol
der. ''Isn't it splendid? What an
admirable poise! He is evidently hold
ing up his shield to protect himself
Of hi
whats that on the shield?' asked
one of the party.
"That's undoubtedly snow. Prob
ably he was one of Caesars men fight
ing in Helvetia, which was the ancient
name for Switzerland Don't you think
so, Mr. Williams"
Really" stammered Mr. Williams,
II don't know. Only these artists can
tell what they intend to represent.
Mightn't that substance on the shield
be ashes"
"Ashesw exclaimed Miss Douglas.
''Whoever heard Of the people of that
day fighting wit ashes. Besides, the
texture is not that Of ashes. It's snow.
He must be fighting in a snowstorm.
The enemy is Oh heights above him."
Mr.. Williams stood studying the
statue.
"What do you suppose the expression
on the face indicates?" he asked.
"Valor. It is the finest representation
Of battle expression I ever saw. Only
Chapman Barnes could have executed
it. There are courage, anger, all the
passions one would expect in action"
"Come here" called Guthrie, land
look at this Spanish dancer"
cit seems to me-" said Mr.. Williams,
"that if an artist can't make plain
what the figure he molds represents
he'd better throw down his tools and
give up the job"
The words produced something of
shock to the members of the party.
They were there by permission of the
artist, and any fault finding was, to
say the least, ill bred
"Only those" said Miss Douglas,
'who have some knowledge Of art and
the subject portrayed can interpret an
artists meaning"
"Well," continued the fault finder,
keeping his eyes on the statue the while
in a growing antagonism, eff man is
only an artist for critics he's no artist
at all. I don't like the thing anyway.
The fellow looks to me as if he were
one of party of scavengers and his
helpers were dumping an ash barrel on
him from an upper window"
ooh, Mr. Williamsw exclaimed Miss
Douglas.
"What's the matter?" asked Guthrie,
Joining the disputants. He looked anx-
ious.
"Your friend,' explained Miss Doug
las, ''is making unfavorable criticisms
on a work that has passed the best
critics in Paris.''
Critics. growled Williams. 81 don't
believe one of them knows whether
the man was a Roman soldier or a
Roman scavenger."
He kept looking at the statue, COM
planning of one defect after another,
working himself up to a fury with the
work he condemned.
''You must admit that there is
bravery in his face" suggested Miss
Douglas. who was herself becoming
angry.
bravery! I'll show you how much
bravery there is in him. And, picking
up Scotch claymore intended for
model use, he brought it down on the
statue, shivering it into bits. Then he
stood regarding the party as If very
much ashamed Of himself. Every eye,
expressing horror was on him.
Explain it, Theodore" he said. eve
made an ass of myself and apologize"
Guthrie, though much troubled,
showed an inclination to laugh. II
blame myself" he said, ''for perpetrat-
Ing fraud. My friends, this Is not
Mr.. Williams. but Chapman Barnes.
The statue he has demolished repre-
sented the Roman sentinel found
standing at his post at Pompeii
covered with ashes belched from
the crater of Vesuvius. AS Miss
Douglas says, 1t has passed all the
critics in Paris, who pronounced it a
wonder, and was to have been put in
marble at once"