Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1911-07-07

went to Florence, Italy.
l rented rooms of a widow and her
daughter, OF the name of Micele. They
occupied the top floor of building on
the river Arno. | used a front room
for a studio and rear room for bed
room. The mother was n middle aged
woman, the daughter about twenty
five. Their ancestors had been well
Off. but their estate had melted away,
and Sonora Micele and her daughter
got on with difficulty. Blanca, the
daughter, was an artist. but an indif
ferent one.
Nevertheless there was something
remarkable about Blanca Micele. She
was neither pretty nor homely. The
eyes of the Italians are handsome, but
senorina Micele's eyes were more than
handsome; they were. so to speak,
compelling That is, when she looked
out Of them at me | felt a strange
force compelling me to do her bidding.
Not that there was apparent exercise
of will. She was gentleness itself The
I power she exercised was rather per-
suasive than forceful.
Not long after | arrived in Florence
( fell i'll and did not leave my bed for
weeks. Sonora Micele and her daugb.
ter both nursed me.
a portion of the time was In either
n stupor or delirium, | don't know
/ which. AT such times / was very
/ weak and on coming to myself usually
felt as If | had been doing exhaustive
work, though | had been in my bed
all the while, where it would not have
been possible for me to do any work
even if had been mentally capable
My illness occurred during the win
ter, and when the spring came on and
the weather began to warm up Sonora
Micele used to put me in an easy chair
| and wheel me out on to one of those
little balconies common in Florence
houses We We're on the Arno EN-
bankment Ghe Lung Arno, they call 1t
there, in sight of the green hills that
surround the city. Indeed, from my
balcony | could see some six or seven
miles distant the heights on which
Fiosole, the original FIorentine settle
ment. was made. During three more
months | spent much of the day Oh
this balcony in fancy painting pictures
of the scenes spread out before me,
One of these was the undulating plain
beyond the city's edge and the heights
of Fiosole beyond the plain. There is
q big clock tower at Fiosole which 1t
seemed to me would make an attrac
tive feature in my imaginary picture.
and l spent hours working it in. An
other view | dreamed of was the Arno,
directly beneath me, winding under
Its arched bridges toward the south,
and other nearer and consequently
Greener hills. There is something in
the atmosphere of Italy to intensity
the color Of landscape, and on such
days | delighted in the imaginative
painting l could not do in reality
But l always noticed that such days
instead of giving me strength drew
upon what l had.
Fortunately l recovered before the
not weather set in and after conyalesc-
ing in the invigorating climate of the
Swiss Alps went to Paris, where 1 re
manned some time.
Strolling one day down one of the
Partisan bouleyards, l stepped into a
picture shop. The dealer fancying to
make a customer of me. advanced and
questioned me as to what | was look
70 1-l- Co
one Of my own pictures, not that ex-
pected to find one, but that to ask for
the work of any special artist would
make It appear that I was not looking
at his wares with no intention of buy.
lne
Have you anything of Adrian
Giles?" I asked,
"Giles. the Americana
'Yes."
able piece of his work. Come this
way"
He led me to one If his display
rooms and up to a picture that had
evidently been hung with considera
Die care. The subject was certainly
familiar to me for it was the plain
had overlooked at Florence with the
hills and Fiosole in the distance. And
as I stood looking mt Il I recognized
not only the Identical scene l had
painted in my day dreams. but my in
dividual style. Quickly bending to the
lower left hand corner cap was put
upon my astonis4ment by seeing my
own name.