Evening journal., 1909-07-14
, PAINTING UNDER A
DOUBLE INSPIRATION
',assep 80 9s9 p8e'dbd
IoriKinal.l


ty. One day a girl sat before an easel
endeGe'oring to trEAsfer the mountain
to canvas Whether It was that she
had little artistic talent or was a be-
ginner, she did not succeed in making
an imposing picture.
The girl drew back TO have q look at
her work, sighed and dropped her pal
cite.
"Aiademoiselle seems discouraged" !"
said voice behind her in French.
She turned and saw the pale face Of
young man evidently in poor health.
Il only speak English" she said. II
am an American"
"Oh, an Americanl So am l." And
he repeated what he had said in his
native tongue.
81 shall never learn to paint" said
the girl despOndently.
Perhaps you have been too long at
work. Why not leave of and begin
again in the morning when you are
fresh 2"
That's a good suggestion. began
the picture in the morning"
"In that case l would certainly rec
ommend you to work on it only before
noon"
"Why?"
well, the mountain is under differ
ent light in the morning. Besides, usu-
ally ones best work is done in the
early part of the day"
Are you an artist?"
81 paint, but every one Of an ideal
temperament either paints a little OF
dabbles in writing verses or something
Of the kind"
Every morning after that the girl
sat before her easel, and often the
stranger, who soiourned-for his health
-at the same hotel as she, strolled by,
looked at her work and spoke to her
about It, now and then venturing a
friendly criticism. But the only words
Of encouragement he gave her were:
Don't work too long at one time.
When your work looks unsatisfactory
to you, leave it, and likely you will
be better pleased with 1t when you
have rested" And what the stranger
said proved to be true. In the morn
ing she was surprised that she had
been dissatisfied with her work of the
/ previous day. She would sit down be
fore her canvas and after spending q
couple Of hours with her brushes il
would seem that she had undone all
she had achieved the previous day.
Then the stranger would come along
and remind her that in the morning
when refreshed she would likely again
see her painting under a different infiu-
ence $50 take a walk this afternoon, -
he said. Paint In the morning; stroll
in the afternoon"
In this way the picture grew day by
day like the mountain. The darker
shadows grew deeper, the lighter blend
ed more perfectly with them or the
white snow. Every morning the artist
noticed some beauty that had appeared
commonplace to her the night before
and finally the whole assumed a gran
deur which delighted aud surprised her
But she wac now painting every day
with the stranger beside her. There
was something In his dark, dreamy
eyes, his intellectual brow. his pleas
ant voice, bis kindly sympathy, thaf
charmed her. Then came a revelation
She was painting under the inspiration
of love.
The picture was finished The gir
needed money, and the stranger ad
vised her to take it to Paris and one
II for sale. She determined to do so
and the stranger promised to meet he
there and, If possible, assist her in dis
posing Of it. They met one morning
In an art store where the picture haS
been sent before them. There it stool
on an easel, and when the dealer joine,
them he said:
"As soon as / looked at the canva
I pronounced It a Demond. Demons
had a picture hung last season in tn
salon, a Mont Blanc. which is no
} equal to this. Besides, the style
Demond's-coloring. tone. values, al
When / cane to look at the name an
saw snother's / was surprised.
The girl whose work had been mis-
taken for that OF a successful artis
was delighted. A color rose to be
check. a light to her eye; a happ
smile played about her lips.
"What would the picture be wort
with Demonds name on itY' asked be
p friend.
'Twenty thousand francs"
"And with Demond's name as collal
orator."
"In that case l would not give NOR
I than 10000 francs for It,"
, On shelf near by lay a palette an
8 brushes. He who was befriending tl
= girl took Up a brush and, stepping
3 the picture. wrote under her name tn;
OF G. Demond.
. The tableau that ensued was that {
: one quiescenr figure and two who wei
astonIshed. The girls face especial
. showed wonder, but at look from HI
I companion she refrained from speal
$ ing.
The same evening Demond stood b
fore Miss Barker endeavoring to mah
her take a check for half the price {
: the picture.
"How did you do your work withol
!. my knowing it?" she asked.
Z 81 advised you to walk in the afte
a noon. brlbing the maid at the hotel
4 bring the canvas to my room fro
I" yours and watch for your return"
''But you seem to have done bett'
than your piece that has been hung