El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-07-03
D O U B T
By Paul Walters.

"He long Italian summer day had
eliminated at noon. The
u weather was almost too beau
tiful the light too bright. the sun
was like an immense ball of fire sus-
pended in a cloudless sky, and every
body was signing for GOODNESS ana
shade
Inside the Sistine chapel in Rome
stood boy of 16 laboriously and
earnestly endeavoring to copy Ma
donna by Michael Angelo. Next to him
was a crust OF dry bread and
pitcher of water He stopped work
ing to eat his frugal meal
II wonder if father thinks 1 am
to become a better painter by being
always kept half starved, he NUT
tered. IT wish I were in Dresden In
stead of being here in this dread
fully sultry city; 1 wish 1 were with
my mother and had one of her good
dinners.'
From one of the many side naves
of the immense church came the
sound of a deep stern voice: Hur-
~ up finishing your meal Don't
waste so much time dreaming and
doing nothing"
aDreaming!" replied the boy u
work too hard all day and sleep too
soundly all night to have any time
left for dreams.
But he Immediately went on with
his work, though his pale face plain
" showed how exhausted he was.
He went on painting until the sofl
light of the chapel turned into dark
ness. and even then the stern. voice
asked him if he could not work a lit
tie longer.
no father" the boy replied, my
eyes hurt too much now and the last
strokes have made /. shall have to
paint out tomorrow anyway Do let
us go, 1 am so tired that I am quite
dizzy"
At the door of the chapel, the faith
er overlook him and, when he MOTTO
ed how pale the boy looked, he began
TO grow uneasy He had never be-
fore realized how exhausted the boy
looked, nor that the hard work in the
damp, dark chapel slowly undermined
the life, from which he expected SO
much.
You must have a little change, my
boy" he said. That is what you
need
The boys eyes beamed with joy.
He thought his father would take
him back to Dresden and give him
little vacation.
Tomorrow you will start painting
in the vatican I am anxious TO see
how well you can copy Raphael"
Father, dear" the boy replied, i
am afraid 1 will never become the
great artist you hope to see me-
I love art, sometimes, but there are
other times when 1 am so dreadfulIy
tired of this drudgery. wish !
might become a painter without all
q md W
haust all my strength. Don't look
so angry, father 1 don't mean to
say that 1 am going to give 1t up; !
lust want to tell you that l do not
feel as if I were ever to become
great artist"
You will not disappoint me, Anton
10. if you are faithful and loyal to
yourself and your calling. l VIII let
YOU have a little breathing spell be-
fore you start painting in the vat
lean. Tomorrow you shall not paint,
hut lust go there and look at the
mixtures. How do you like that"
A nod and a faint smile was Anton
io's reply. 1.-THE fresh air at home,
a few games of ball with other boys
and mothers good cooking would
soon make me feel different he said
to himself, but he knew very wei
that his father would laugh at him
and call him childish If he said any
thing about this aloud, so in silence
he followed his father to their room
in one of the poorest quarters in Rome.
There he threw himself on his bed
and slept soundly until his father
called him early the next morning.
Then came a scanty and hurried meal
and he followed his father to the vat
lean.
Once inside, his sincere love of art
made him forget all his sorrows when
he found himself facing RaphaeIs i'm
mortal masterpieces. The father MOTTO
ed his enthusiasm and said to himself:
THE boy is destined to become great
artist.
1t was the father who had taught
Antonio how to paint, when he was
still small boy. so that he could bare
" reach the top of the table with the
brushes and colors. 1t was he who
had discovered his natural gift for
painting and who felt sure his boy