The daily sentinel., 1910-02-16
UNCONSCIOUS GOOD,
BY F. A. mitchell.

milton. ! had painted picture after
picture in the hope of winning reputa
ton and had failed. A friend said ID
me, Paint something from the heart
resolved to take his advice. Months
passed while | was trying to find a sub
Ject- Then I decided to attempt to
paint the face of good woman. She
might be beautiful. but she must be
good. Then hunted a long while for
a model. ! found none. There We re
comely models and there were models
who were good. but the good was not
stamped upon the features to a degree
required. At last | gave up trying &c
find model except for the purely
physical part of the picture | selected
one who would do very well in this re-
spect and put her face on the canvas
Then paid her and sent her away.
My work now commenced. | should
not call 1t work. for creation is not
work. If 1t is work 1t is worthless.
And yet what did was work. This
know. because it was worthless. |
painted over my canvas till the paint
was too thick to take on more. then
transferred the face to another and
recommended. Three months passed
had made several such transfers. and
every canvas had become a daub
Finally transferred the face once
more and, before beginning to put on
what | was attempting decided to
take a rest
! soon began to think that my rest
so far as that especial picture was
concerned would never end. II seemed
to me that to produce a face typical OF
the good without a model must neces-
sarily be failure
One day | saw a girl in a trolley
car. She sat directly opposite me.
What man IL there who has not seen
some woman for the first time and
said TO himself. That's the woman /
wish for my wife" This said 10
myself. ! sat for long while looking
at the face. and when the girl at last
got out of the car 1t was indelibly fixed
in my memory
went to my studio and put ii Cd
canvas. Before / arose from my seat
at the easel my object was accom-.
plished-that is. the expression de
sired to produce was there.
When my picture was finished
submitted II to several critical people
They ali pointed out its faults, but II
what ! had so coveted was there none
of them discovered it, However.
had sufficient influence to secure
place for my production In promi
nent gallery. 1t was hung near ia.
nous picture. ! watched the throngs
pass mine seeking for its great rival
Where is it?' they all asked referring
to the latter, "There!" They approach.
ed 1t reverently and stood gazing on
+" h1q'q2HIissi " q2HIis ipIicturv ~ SO great wu, u~
these people need to have 1t pointed
out to them;'' asked
But there may have been envy in my
heart.
Occasionally one would pause before
my picture. but not for long, and
soon gave up hope that it would Sc
cure me recognition.
While 1t was hanging In Its place
l was a frequent visitor to the gal.
lery. | loved to look at II. Was this
because 1t pictured the face that had
me or because | believed in
my heart that after all this neglect
had achieved in II an expression of
the good? did not know.
One day while l was in the room
where 1t was hanging who s1ould en-
ter but the girl | had seen In the troll
ley. Like the others. she asked that
her. spent some time before 1t. then
glanced at others till her eye lighted
on my production. At once she went
TO 1t and stood looking at II intently.
When she had spent II long while thus
approached. took position beside her
and looked up at 1t myself.
Pardon me-" said to her Can you
tell me who painted this picture?"
No. IkDow nothing about art or
artists
DO you admire it?"
II don't know. ] would love to be
like it."
1T seems to me- | said. looking
from the face on the canvas to hers
Of flesh and blood. THAT 1T IL like you
DO you think so?" she said. 1t
seemed to me that there is something
in the shape. the features and all that
resembling me. but there is something
else | would wish were mine aud IL
not"
And that isg"
Il can't tell you. 1t seems to me such
look as should be in pictures OF the
mother Of God"
food OF light. of comfort. poured
in upon my brain. Possessing the gift
had transferred from her to the can
vas, she recognized II at once. but not
in herself-only in the picture.
That was u long while ago. Several
years passed. during which my produc-
tion. so far as could discover. attract
i...I \.