The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-09-23
A PICTURE
FIND
BY CORA HATHORNE SYKES

in drawing pictures on my slate thai
doing sums on it. AS | grew older
became ambitious to do something bet
II few drawing lessons. He refused
saying he would not encourage me In
task that would wreck my future If
gave way to 1t.
When it became time for me to choos
an occupation | wished to become al
artist, but my parents made such al
ado over the matter that abandoned
the plan and accepted n clerkship In ,
grocery house. But II couldn't max,
pictures / could at least look at pic
lures. And it SO happened that LIVED
in metropolis where the best work.
of art are to be seen. / read the art
journals and was on the lookout fol-
any announcements of the changing
hands Of the great pictures Of the
world, especially those coming to Am
erica.
made no progress at business. AL
] did In business way bored me. II
was simple drudgery. and drudgery is
incompatible with an artistic tempera
ment Instead of doing my work
sketched the office boys. the cat, any.
thing that was sketchable. After
awhile l was informed by my employ
ers that they had no further need for
my services.
Z My father, after scene, secured an
other place for me and on entering
upon 1t | 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 1t
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
was passing'a building that was being
torn down. A workman had taken a
roll of canvas from an old bricked up
chimney and was unrolling 1t. l
stopped and saw him reveal dirty
painting. stepped DIP 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 iourished In the latter
part of the fifteenth century. l 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 fnd?"
] asked the workman.
"Oh | don't suppose it is worth
anything" he said. ANY loose change
you have In your pocket"
'Im as poor as you are" said, but
] know some picture dealers. and If
you will let me have this one | will
see what / can sell 1t for and divide
with you" The man looked me in the
face. handed me the painting and re-
turned to work.
"Give me your address," / said
He did so. and went away with his
find Instead of taking it directly to
picture dealers / carried it to my room.
and sitting down before 1t. looked at 1t
a long while. The more | studied 1t
the more l was impressed with its re-
semblance to the works of the artist
/ have referred to. The same evening
| went to library where engravings
Of many pictures of the old masters
were kept in 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 it had been stolen?
set the librarian to hunting for
book on stolen pictures. but though he
was successful in finding such book.
it contained no reference to the la
borers find I wished to clean the pic
ture, but did not know how to do so
and was afraid to leave it with any
picture dealer for the purpose lest the
name he uncovered, and IL it were as
the paintings value would
be discovered and be beaten out of 1t.
One day told my father that had
left the place he had secured for me
and had gone to work in a picture and |
frame shop. He was In despair about |
me, and this move capped the climax.
In the shop where I worked learn
ed to clean pictures. AS soon as be- |
came sufficiently expert to clean 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 |
10 see the name of the artist who |
had done the work.
Believing the picture to have been
stolen / consulted an expert dealer, /
asking him If he could find a record of
nne of the artists pictures having been
stolen. He found book in which the
lrtist had been written up with other
painters and statement that in the
Early part OF the nineteenth century
me of his paintings belonging to
lobleman in England had been cut
rom Its frame and taken away.
succeeded in time in opening a cor
with the descendants Of
he owner and sent them photograph
If the painting.
This was before enormous prices
we're paid for certain paintings. but
ny correspondents agreed that If the
PAINTING was the one they had lost
hey would pay me $4,000 for It. 1t