The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1912-09-13
Painting
The Good
By MARTIN L. WOODRUFF


gained recognition. There came a
friend--a woman-who said:
Concentrate your mind on one sub
ject. Portray, or, rather, idealize, the
good"
"In man or woman"
EITHER You will find it more diff
cult to place the good as embodied in
man on canvas, but for that reason II
you succeed you will gain the greater
success. have seldom, If ever, seen q
satisfactory painting of Jesus, but l
have seen many successful Madonnas."
"Why Is that?"
II cannot tell, unless 1t Is that good
ness Is akin to gentleness, and gentle
ness is more becoming In woman
than man."
"But | must have a model, and
where shall find one"
She thought for some time before re-
plying, ~ will send you one, or will
send you a number from whom you
may choose"
"Will you tell them for what they
are to poser
mo. That would spoil them for your
purpose"
The first model sent me was come
ly girl with an honest face and eye. l
sketched her, and while l sketched l
chatted with her. Fancying that love
was allied with the good in woman, l
asked her If she had a sweetheart
She said she loved a man and he had
loved her, but rival had taken him
away from her. Straightway her face
took on an expression of hatred. | ex-
cused her without requesting another
sitting.
The next person who was to pose to
me for the good was a woman who
was devoting herself to charity. l
talked with her concerning her work.
and she became very much interested
in telling me about it. But | saw that
It was the love of work that spurred
her on rather than a naturally sympa-
thetic nature. This / did not deprecate,
for it is the proper application of char
ity that is most effective, and too ten
der a nature often stands In the way
Of such application. At any rate, the
girl did not satisfy me as a model for
the good, and sent her away.
My friend next sent me young wo'
man who had a fine social position,
whom everybody loved because they
said she was so good. When asked
how she was good, they said she was
good In every way. Especially she
was amlable. She never said harsh
word of or to any one This was not
from policy, but from the innate good
ness Of her disposition. Her, too, l
talked with while sketching her and
discovered that what these people took
for goodness was rare tact
reported my reasons to my friend
for objectlng to the models she had
sent me, and by this time she be-
came a bit impatient with me.
what do you call goodness?' she
asked me.
"That is beyond my ability to de-
fne," | replied, 'but l shall know 1t
when | see It"
My fourth model was a religious
devotee. To look at her one would
know that she lived only to do the
Lords bidding. In her surely had
found my model. Indeed, her absorb
ton in living a good life had become
stamped on her face. l not only
sketched her, but put her face on my
canvas in paint But was not salts
fed with 1t. It seemed to express
what has usually been expressed in
the pictures Of saints, which is neither
more nor less than plety. was look
ing for something beyond this, some
thing that might belong to one who
had never heard of God or Saviour.
bowed the lady out Of my studio,
and after she had gone poked knife
through her portrait
Then came young lady who pleas
ed me immensely. She was pretty;
she was sprlghtly; she was frank, hon.
est, refined. My friend who sent her
wrote me about her, saying: "You will
find in her the model you need. But
don't decide to the contrary before
giving her fair trial"
l was not likely to do that. was
counting on the delightful companion
ship l would have with her and re-
solved whether or no she suited my
purpose to prolong the sittings as far
as possible. found that we had a
similarity or dissimilarity of disposi-
ton, couldn't tell which, but it was
very pleasing. During her first sitting
I sketched her; at the second l began
to paint, chatting with her the while to
draw her out. | touched on the good
as | understood 1t, and responsive
expression appeared on her face. I
spoke Of evil things, and there was no
response whatever, showing that evil
had no place In her nature; she only
knew 1t by name. When | had partly
finished the picture thought would
try an experiment. l would tell her
Chat she was sitting as a model for
The good. The information drew forth
q look Of establishment.
"Why, / am not good" she said.
"That you are unconscious OF being
good proves to me that you are"
"Eurekap wrote my friend II am
your debtor for life since you have
found for me the model needed. My