The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-11-01


 have sometimes wondered why so many
 were needed to prune the hedges and cut the grass Those who have known the circumstances, however, have understood that they were employed rather to assist them than to help Mrs Gardner. At times as many as 50 Harvard students and can didates for musical career have thus been at Work arognd the estate. Laboring out doors, amidst attractive surroundings, , these student proteges have found reas- 1 onahly remunerative, dignified and inter- ] esting work for which they have to thank l the ever helpful Mrs. Jack"
 | Mrs Gardners troubles and tribulations
 with Uncle Sam's treasurer have grown out of her unselfish anxiety to promote American art Recognizing that first essential to our having competent paint ing and sculpture ih this country is to make available to the whole public eX- | amples of the greatest art of the ages, at tractively set forth, she built some years ago in what was then a bleak and bar ren district on the outskirts of Boston her famous Italian palace. This is legal ly denominated the Isabella Stuart Gard ner Museum in the Fenway, Limited" It is more generally known, as the para 1 phrase in Mrs. Keays book indicates, by the name Fenway Court. In this struc- ture, plain but picturesque in outward ap- pearance, are the treasures gathered dur ing a lifetime of discriminating collect 1 ing. The perfect adaptation of all the pie 1 lures and sculptures and other objects of | art to their surroundings make the pal ace quite different from the ordinary mus | cum. The compartments are given such names as the Titan room, the Veronese | room, the Dutch room, the Chinese room,
 and so on, each on account of the general l character of it's contents. Among the l treasures are world famous works such { as the Chigi Madonna, which disappeared l from Italy and few years ago turned 1 up in the Fenway collection; a bronze | bust by Benvenuto Cellini, of which | Michael Angelo once wrote in a personal letter: ''I have for years known you for
 one of the ablest jewellers in the world, and l now find that you have equal abili- ! ties as sculptor-"Titian's great master ] piece. The Rape of Europe" painted for 1 Philip II of Spain as part of the dover of l his daughter, who was to have been mar
 ried to Charles I of England a Iittle
 Pieta by Raphael, which was once in the l possession of Queen Christina of Sweden;
 Botticellis Death of Lucretia.' from
 Lord Ashburnhams collection, and many
 others.
 The expectation was that as FenWay | court is open to the public at stated in-
 teryals, and is thus virtually one of the art museums of the country, works of | art could be imported without payment | of the duties which are assessed upon wealthy private collectors. In this way
 Mrs. Gardner's comparatively limited funds-for she is not enormously rich 1 as fortunes are now measured-would ] go much further, to the permanent ad-
 vantage of all classes of Americans. But | the courts ruled otherwise and the owner l of the Palace in the Fenway in 1903 l paid the government somewhat over s2OO- | 900 in contested duties on importations | She might then have decided to close her 1 palace to the public altogether, but, de- 1 spite Uncle Sam's attitude, she has con
 tinued to open it on certain days. the proceeds from the admission fees going to some of the charities in which she is in-
 terested. A recent case in which a friend
 of Mrs, Gardner's in Chicago imported
 treasures destined for Fenway court on ! basis alleged to be one of under-valu- ation is generally familiar
 Mrs. Gardner is generally supposed to be hostile to the newspapers. She pre- fers, it is said, to read Walter Pater or Epicetetus in books printed hand made paper and bound by Golden Sander son. It has been reported, however. and
 not denied, that she has maintained a private press clipping bureau for articles which mention her or which in any way are connected with the subjects in which
 she is interested.
 Whatever her attitude toward the pa- pers. she cannot be induced to give out
 interviews. One of the few occasions in | which she talked for publication was I when two young newspaper men attended | a public opening at f'enway court They | realized that there was no use in trying to induce Mrs. Jack" to answer ques- ] tions. Accordingly as a ruse both stood | in front of one of her treasures and 1 started dispute as to it's authorship 1 Louder aud louder grew their tones as they argued pro and con. Presently Mrs.