The herald., 1912-10-31
A PICTURE
FIND
By CORA HATHORNE SYKES

IN drawing pictures on my slate than
doing SUMS ON It. A. grew older |
became ambitious to do something bet
ter, and asked my father to allow me
a few drawing lessons. lie refused.
saying he would not encourage me In q
task that would wreck my future if /
gave way To it.
When it became time for me to choose
an occupation | wished to become an
artist. but my parents made SUCH an
ado over the matter that / abandoned
the plan and accepted Il ClerkShip in a
grocery house. But if | couldn't make
pictures | could at least look ut pie
lures And It SO happened that lived
in metropolis where the best works
OF art are To be seen. ! read the art
journals and was Oh the lookout for
any announcements of the changing
hands of the great pictures of the
world, especially those coming to Am
erica.
| made no progress ut business. All
l did in n business way bored me. 1t
was simple drudgery. and drudgery is
ment Instead OF doing my work
sketched the office boys, the cat, any
thing that was sketchable. After
awhile was informed by my employ
ers that they had no further need for
my services
My father. after n scene. secured an
other place for me and on entering
upon it promised to try to do better.
But my heart was not in my work. and
| have no faith in people being able to
do continuously what they take no in
terest in. If they succeed in doing II
they will not do it well. | believe that
persons only do well what they like
and are fitted to do: that eminently sue
cessful persons are successful In doing
that which other people cannot do. or
do as well.
One day after getting away from the
work ! hated after business hours j
was passing building that was being
torn down A workman had taken
roll of canvas from an old bricked mp
chimney and was unrolllng 1t.
II
painting. stepped up to where he
stood and looked over his shoulder.
was astonished to see work which.
though dingy in the extreme. reminded
me of the work of one OF the great
masters who 6ourished in the latter
part of the fifteenth century. / looked
in the corner where the name should
be. but the dirt was too thick: no
name was visible.
what will you take for your find?'
/ asked the workman.
"Oh. don't suppose 1t Is worth
anything" he said. ANY loose change
you have in your pocket"
I'm as poor as you are" said. but
/ know some picture dealers, and II
you will let me have this one ! will
see what ! can sell 1t for and divide
with you" The man looked me I'm the
face, handed me the painting and re-
turned to work.
"Give me your address," I said
He did so, and | went away with his
find. Instead of taking 1t directly to
picture dealers carried 1t to my room,
and sitting down before 1t. looked at IL
a long while. The more ! studied 1t
the more ! was impressed with its re-
semblance to the works of the artist
/ have referred to- The same evening
l went to a library where engravings
Of many pictures Of the old masters
were kept I'm portfolios and familiar
lied myself anew with the style OF
this particular artist The more look
ed at his pictures the more believed
that the find was by him. Could it be
possible that 1t had been stolen?
set the librarian to hunting for a
book on stolen pictures. but though he
was successful in finding such a book.
II contained no reference to the la
borer's find. | wished to clean the pic
ture, but did not know how to do so
and was afraid to leaye 1t with any
picture dealer for theS ayrpose lest the
name he uncovered, aIhgftf II were as
suspected. the palntf5Ss value would
be discovered and be Beaten out of IL.
One day told my father that had
left the place he had secured for me
and had gone to work in picture and
frame shop. He was in despair about
me, and this move capped the climax.
In the shop where ! worked l learn
ed to clean pictures. AS soon as ! be-
came sufficiently expert TO clean a pic
ture ! took the materials for doing so
to my home and got the dirt off the
corner where the name Of the artist Is
usually placed. What was my delight
to see the name of the artist who !
believed had done the work
Believing the picture to have been
stolen | consulted an expert dealer,
asking him if he could find a record OF
one of the artists pictures having been
stolen He found a book in which the
artist had been written up with other
painters and a statement that in the
early part Of the nineteenth century
one Of his paintings belonging to n
nobleman In England had been cut
from its frame and taken away.
succeeded in time in opening a cor
respondence with the descendants OF
the owner and sent them photograph
Of the painting.
This was before enormous prices
were paid for certain paintings. but
,,x-,ol Al