The Washington herald., 1912-12-06
GENIUS Is OFTEN
JUST HARD WORK
Infinite Capacity for Taking Pains"
Is the Secret.
: BY FRANCES sHAFFER.

He was a great artist, and those who
were not admitted to his holy of
holies'' got the impression that inspira-
ton dropped straight from the clouds
and that when genius was particularly
rampant his brushes almost worked
themselves
They did not guess that to perfect a
single detail he, spent days and days in
working 1t out before he ever thought
OF putting it on CANVAS: did not know
that sometimes the study would be in
his mind for years, slowly evolving as
one feature after another was thought
out and did not dream that he worked
so hard TO make his genius count. They
saw life in his paintings and never asked
how it came about.
But he understood where the secret
lay and knew that something would be
missing in his work IL he did not close
ly follow the lights and shadows in life
before he trusted his brushes to depict
the story he hoped to tell. His friends
said-Genius; but he replied-Work.
Way 1t Goes.
And that is the way it often goes.
We listen to the great singers who
our very hearts and we say to ourselves
that nature was very. very lavish with
her royal gift OF song. Il bursts forth
so easily and naturally that we almost
forget that every trill and throb that
pour forth from that perfect throat rep
resent a goodly bit of nature but a larg-
er fund OF work. For they tell some
amazing stories of strenuous amount Of
labor our queens of song give to their
art, they and the great actors and act |
resses who charm us by the hour. We
s-lr IL ig FOR fNrI
it is only happy trick OF nature. but
they tell quite a different story. and the
burden of all they say is-Work.
4 pianist had been playing for a long !
stretch OF time. and as one selection af |
ter another slipped from his trained and
skillful fingers, with a host OF others at |
his beck and call, the listeners ap-
murmured-"What an art |
and what a memory" But he, with the |
recollection OF weary. weary hours of
going over and over those wonderful |
numbers. refiectively sighed. "Ah, but
the work."
And his listeners thought him gifted. |
nothing more.
Looked and Learned.
1t was Dickens. you remember. who
here and there through Lon
IONS streets, poking in the most beauti-
full and the most dismal spots OF all. |
while other folk slept listening. |
looking, and learning a lot of queer
things that nobody else ever saw,
heard or knew at all.
And then when the stories grew I'M
der his magic pen and his characters
were so true to life that his readers
,Ould point them out, they talked of
MS literary skill, called him a marvel.
and said that his understanding OF
human nature came with him. fresh
rom the hands OF his Creator.
But il they had followed him about.
him picking up the queerest
sort of threads Of life and noted the
way he studied men. women. and
too, they would have realized
hat in his writing craft there WAS
OF Of preliminary work and patient
itudy of types. Plenty Of genius, but
,lenty of pains as well.
And when We reach down to the lesser
ok whom We meet in our days OF work
md our hours of play We sing the same
efrain. We say that those who shine
n their particular sphere are just born.
lot made" There's the home where
is so nicely ordered that IL
Gems like clock work over all. and We
ay the guiding spirit had some special
ispensation, a gift supreme.
Mans Hard Work.
But deary me, how she thinks. and
lans-and works-to bring it all about!
20 haphazard methods for her, no do-as-
ou-please, no carelessness anywhere.
les, it is the infinite capacity for TAX
ng pains that makes the wheels go
-ound so easily and pleasantly, that
accounts for the delicious foods and all
We may talk all We like of the born
yorker in any field, but when We get
own to the heart of his work We always
nd him putting in a lot of care, an
ndless amount Of patience and atten-
ion to details.
And when we think that the work of
'ther folk looks easy and pleasant be- .
ause there is a touch of nature in it.
might be helpful TO remember that
enerally there is a lavish expenditure OF
pirit, too.