Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1911-02-11
"now do you know II is genuine


it there. There is the same unmistak-
able individuality about it as in this"
what is the subjectT
cit is also Florentlne scene. called
up the Arno' 1t takes in the river.
with the hills beyond. It, too, Is a
great picture"
My knees began to knock together.
Ny jaws chartered but not sufficiently
to prevent my asking, "What do you
ask for this pictureY
Twenty thousand francs"
"Great heavens had never re-
ceived the half Of that for a picture.
looked at the man so astonished that
he FASTENED to say:
"My profit will be but 800 francs.
paid 1880 francs for it."
Taking the number of the shop
where he said the other picture was
to be seen, staggered out of the store
and was soon before the picture l had
also created In dreams, IT, too, far
exceeded any work ! had ever done.
The dealer told me he had paid $1,000
francs for 1t.
Fortunately occupied rooms with
an American friend In the Quarter
Latin and rushed home to tell him
that had discovered something which
If not explained would drive me crazy
He listened to my story, but could
see by his expression that he. too,
feared something had occurred to dis
turb my mental balance. He would
express no opinion till he had seen
the paintings, and as could not re-
In, fat 4 In 10
me at once for the purpose. He did
80, and, being familiar with my work.
he pronounced the pictures mine,
though they were far beyond any of
my work he had ever seen.
On our way back to our rooms
neither he nor / said anything about
the strange occurrence, but when we
reached them he sat down before me,
lit pipe and said:
while you were III In Florence and
out of your head you undoubtedly
painted those pictures. not knowing
what you were doing; consequently
you retained no remembrance of
them"
But wasn't out of my head when
l was wrapped in the views given in
the pictures. Besides. how could
have done the work without the
Miceles knowing It? And, knowing it,
they would have called my attention
| to It,"
My friend pondered awhile, blowing
at the same time clouds of smoke. and
finally said;
"Whatever you have been physically
I'm sure you are all right now. But
! If you wish an explanation go back
to Florence, see the people you board
ed with and get II from them"
Acting ON his advice. ! started that
evening. On the way ! had time to
think over the matter of my investiga-
| ton and decided to approach the
Miceles without being known to them
On arrival asked about them and
learned that they had been left
| legacy of some fifty thousand francs.
This at once assured me that they had
| received the amount paid for my pic
lures. One morning | rang their bell.
Blanca answered the summons and
seeing me at the door. turned pale.
Going in, / asked her to call her
mother and told both of my experience
in Paris. At first they assumed to be
as much surprised as l.; but. seeing that
| was not to be deceived. Sonora Mi
cele finally began confession which
| the senorina finished.
1--WE did not suppose that you would
ever happen to see your pictures" said
the former.
"Well, tell me where they came
| from" asked her. She looked at her
daughter.
81 can only tell you" said Blanca,
that l painted them while you were
sitting ont in your chair on the bal
cony-how know not. All do know
is that 1t seemed to me that 1t was
your brain working with my hand"
/ questioned her and cross questioned
her, elicitIng nothing further except
that she had discovered some time be-
fore meeting me that she possessed
some strange power of the order com
monty called clairvoyant. My own In
terpretation of the incident was that,
not being able to do good work herself,
she had exercised this power over me
to utilize my ability Since she had
painted the pictures herself the only
fraud involved was her placing my
name on them. She did this not re
alizing the pecuniary value of the pic
lures themselves and supposed she
could not sell them without name
to them. She and her mother were
tempted chiefly because they were
financially In desperate straits. They
had sold the paintings through a
friend who appreciated their worth
and paid them all they brought ex-
cept a bare commission told them
that they were welcome to all they
had received for the paintings. The
sole Interest took in the matter was
n curiosity to know how the work had
been executed,
Every year brings to light new evil
dence to show that there are subtle
forces acting psychically within us
that we do Not understand. ! believe
that just as surely as the invention of
wireless telegraphy will come an ex-
PLANTATION of how Blanca Micele united
my artistic ability with her own per
sonality and of the union made a far
better work of art than / could have
produced by myself. 1t IS possible that
the advantage came merely through a