The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-02-04

LUZ expenses OK Interpretation, cree
ton. etc. Since that date. the artist
has boon zoalously engaged in tho
performance OF the great task he has
undertaken. He writes thut Ito is do.
voting HIS whole time to it, and dur
ms tho past summer took not day
on Tho progress he is making shows
that no VIII complete the work we'll
within the contract time. he aends,
from time to time. photos of the Ag-
ures they arg compI ted
II / could only convey to those who
may read these words an adequate
| Idea OF tho grandeur and beauty OF
tho Ercat work. as It now appears TO
me and to others, who have seen thu
pictures OF these desisne. nm suru
there would be no difficulty In rai1ing
ut once oil the money that viii be
needed by tho daughters to make
prompt payment under their con-
tract: hut we have agreed with SIR
Moses Ezekiel not to publish any
pictures or detailed description OF the
work while II lie unfinished. for rea-
son that oil artists viii appreciate,
but which perhaps should Do explain
ed TO the public.
The thought Is In the minds of
many that, with an artist who Is .
genius. lima gination bodies forth the
forms OF things unseen" absolutely
complete and perfected before he
touches hand to tho work. This IL
not true OF q statue. which Is to rep
resent an idea, any moro than It IL OF
a poem or hny other hnished work of
ecnius. II was a great and long con-
tinucd labor for Milton to write his
Paradise Loot" and that wonderfully
beautiful poem. "Gray's Elegy." short
an It ts, was the work of years. SO.
the arts; In designing statue. which
Is first to be In clay. builds 1t up.
day after day. part OF n time. shaping
and modelling. and reahaping. and per-
tec,ed. the statute grows. He always.
therefore, rescrves to himself tho
right TO change and retouch until, at
last tho clay Lodies forth his perfect
ed design.
our sculptor has built himself
houac, or large detached room,
especially for this work. and only such
artists and friends as no Is willing to
admit arc permitted 10 sec the work
as II progresses.
may say that the CHIEF piece In the
| design Is the heroic nsurt OF wo-
man 10 represent the South, and that
figure. which now scems to be com
pleted and a photo Of which Is before
me. bodies forth, TO my mind. all of
the high purpose, the devotion. tender
ness. hrmness and beauty OF the typi-
cal Southern woman. III her right
hand this figure holds a laurel wreath.
or crown. Her loft rests upon a pioW-
stock. Around the top OF tho circular
base on which this figure stands arc
the seals of the Confectionery. and oil
the several States. each an elaborate
work OF art. Beneath these and stand
ing out in gull and perfect relief. are
some fifteen figures. men. women. chill
dren and soldiers. all alleEorical and
typical, every one designed to be In
Itself a perfect work OF art. AT pres
cRt these are two-thirds, and VIII be
enlarged to full life size. 1 have Just
received photos OF these figures, and
do not hesitate TO express my belief
that We are TO have, next TO the Wash
ington Monument, the most artistic
and striking memorial that can be
found in or near this capital city,
Tho artist. in undertaking this
work, has not, az he has always told
us. had In view any profit to himself.
am in receipt of a letter from him,
dated November 30, In which he says:
LAS you will sec, It Is an enormous
work am undertaking. and l do not
think that the amount am to receive
In full will do more than pay for the
material cost OF the whole monument.
which, apart from the lower bnse
end, the stone, shall make entirely in
bronze. So do hope tho Daughters
of the Confederacy will find no diff
Guilty in following up your sugges-
tons"
Here no alludes to the appeal recent
ly made at your Richmond convention.
that ell tho money would be on hand
to make the payments as they fall due.
1t will be seen from the above state
ment that the daughters are pledged
and In honor bound to raise the re-
mninder OF the money necessary 70.
the completion and installation of this
monument, some $4,000. within the
next two years. It will require some
thing even moro than this IL we In
clude the expense OF laying the cor
ner-stone when the convention OF the
daughters Is held here noxt November.
And now let me say something. my
dear Mrs. Keitt about what our six
or seven hundred devoted workers
here in the District of Columbia have
accomplished in this work. not by way
of boastinE, but as an Incentive to
those elsewhere who may read this
iettcr While helping our poorest, at
tending to our sick, and often defray-
ing burial expenses OF the veterans,
who are rapidly dying off. we have
contributed far moro towards the
| monument than has any single State.
South Cnrolinians, prompted by you,
are doing we'll. They are wasting no
/ time In vain regrets over the past. but
they are daily gathering strength for
the great part they are TO play In the
future OF the greatest people in the
world by keeping always fresh in mind
the heroism OF those who dared all and
sacrificed all for the faith Of their faith
ers. II was Edmund Burke who truly
J said: People Will not look forward to
posterity who never look back to thoir
ancestors"
For myself. while now proud to be
, an Aiabamian. am also proud to re-
| member that am native Of South
Carolina. and the appeals for our mon
ument you have been making to the
school children touch my heart and
| awaken tendar memories Long, long
ago. from 1892 to 184e, just midway
between this and tho days of the Rev
olution. I was South Carolina school