The herald., 1912-10-31
HeWas Taught
A Lesson
By F. TOWNSEND SMITH

|
boys steered clear of her, knowing thai
she would be engaged TO dance it witt
me.
Our intimacy continued through
youth. and when it came time for me
to choose a profession Helen objected
to my choice. At school, instead OF
studying my lessons, | devoted my
time covering the blank leaves and
margins of my textbooks with little
pictures. The fancy grew upon me
and the profession / selected was that
| Of an artist Helen was my opposite
a practical girl. not given to floating
in the clouds, but walking right down
on the face of the earth.
didn't then suspect the truth. Helen
had been looking forward to a union
! with me and realized that If spent my
| time daubing on canvas marriage with
me was impracticable. She had a
! little money of her own, but not enough
| to admit of her husband sitting on n
three legged stool copying clouds and
waterfalls. However, started in.
studied awhile in an art school. then
set about practicing on the beautiful
landscapes about the village in which
Helen and | lived. One day while |
was thus engaged she came along and
stood behind me. looking at the pic
ture on my easel.
Very pretty" she remarked in that
tone which damns with faint praise |
asked her what she especially admired
in the painting.
well. in the first place, that machine
for gathering grain is excellent"
That isn't grain gathering ma
chine; it's a windmill"
There isn't any windmill about
here" she said.
NO; am using the scene before me
for a study. Putting in what occurs to
me would make it more attractive"
You mean improving on it"
Only a woman could give the cold
tone to produce perfect irony.
| didn't ask her to point out any
more beauties. but she did so of her
own accord.
Did you put that balloon in for an
improvement she asked.
You mean that tree on the hilltop:
No, copied that. You can see it in the
natural landscape"
OH
There was an embarrassing silence
| dared not speak for fear l should say
something would be sorry for. Helen
didn't seem afraid to speak and made
another criticism.
What kind Of trees are those sur
rounding the tree on the hilltop"
l made no reply. She referred TO
clouds covering the sky.
You're cross today" she added and
proceeded on her way.
Not long after this took studio In
the city. No one ever came there to
buy pictures. and it was very lonesome.
One day a dealer came in and said he
did great deal for beginners by buy
ing their pictures and selling them to
persons who wished them to help fur
nish their houses. He looked over mine
and selected the painting that Helen
had so ridiculed. Offering me the enor.
nous sum of 500 for 1t. l was the
more delighted because l could tell her
that the picture had been sold. and the
price paid for it showed plainly that
her criticism was unjust and absurd.
Well, had a new interest in life.
was absorbed in the fate of the one
picture had sold. One day | saunter-
ed into the shop Of the man who had
bought 1t and looked for it among his
stock. did not find it. Then | asked
the dealer IL he remembered buying a
picture from me and what had become
Of it He said he remembered me and
the picture very well. He had sold ii
at a profit
This ended my connection with that
particular picture. l went on paint
ing, but since | sold nothing l soon
found myself in a state bordering on
starvation. Then another dealer came
to my stuNo and asked me if / could
duplicate the landscape | had sold. !
did so, and he paid me the same price |
as | had received for the other. After |
that, about once in three months, sold |
a copy Of that picture for exactly the |
same amount-a hundred dollars. Since
l had been improving in my work | |
could not understand why my clientele
should all want that same picture.
l grew suspicious. The next time a
dealer came to my studio to buy one of
these paintings he paid me for il, leav-
1t with me and directing me to give
1t to boy whom he would send for it.
asked the boy II he were to take it
to the art store kept by the dealer or
to the purchaser. He declined to an
swer the question.
This made me more suspicious than
ever, but I said nothing. I watched
the boy from a window when he left
the house. saw the direction he took.
then followed him at a distance.
What was my amazement to see him
leave 1t at Helen's home.
was much impressed, not only with
Helen's method Of teaching me a les
son, but with the tenderness for me
she displayed in doing so. I went to
see her the sarge evening and told her
that had discovered that she had
been supporting me until 1 should re-
cover from my delusion.
/ accepted a position and went to
work at that which was In INV ooso |