The central record. (Lancaster, Ky.) 18??-current, 1913-06-20
UNCONSCIOUS
GOOD
By F. a. MICHEL


1t occurred to me that | must paint
one. picture In which | should Iut
something sufficiently notable to give
me a reputation Being a painter of
face and figure. naturally looked
about for a model | found subjects
In determination. in grace and other
features, in figures, but ] needed a
face to go with each, and that did not
find.
When ! moved into new studio
looked out upon court The rooms
facing me were occupied ty offices of
various kinds, and | could look into
those on the same plane with me or
little below. The first morning
occupied my studio | SOW through q
window opposite a youth some SIX
teen or seventeen years Old sitting at
a typewriter. ! was impressed with
his appearance at once His face ex-
pressed honesty. principle, goodness
His profile which was usually toward
me, was beautiful. and his full face,
which he often turned to look at his
copy, was also beautiful. and each
seemed to indicate that the young man
contained within him elements to at
him for some noble work
Here was what had been long look
inS for. did not care to copy his
features exactly. What wanted to
put on the canvas was that nobleness.
that goodness, expressed in his face.
This | succeeded In doing beyond my
most ardent expectations.
Before beginning 10 paint the pic
ture, thinking of the subject | should
choose for 1t, was disposed to repre-
sent my model as doing some kindly
act, but | finally concluded to paint
him as he was-a typist. If. ] argued,
the goodness stands out in him on the
canvas as a typist, how much more
will be the triumph than if l represent
him as a good Samaritan" We ex-
pect goodness in the faces of those
who profess TO be good. but do not
necessarily look for 1t in those engaged
in ordinary occupations.
My picture passed the hanging com
mittee of a certain gallery in which |
was anxious to place it, and on the
opening day took a seat in the room
where it was hung to watch it's effect
on the persons who passed 1t. There
were pictures in the gallery by well
known artists. and most visitors were
looking for such. Nevertheless the
gazers gave at least glance to all
there were, and as most of them pass
ed my picture they stopped for a few
moments and looked at it. There seem
ed to be something near home in the
subject, to say nothing Of the individ
uality Of the person depicted But this
was my own surmiSe
l visited the gallery nearly every
day and noticed a slowly growing in
terest in my picture. At last | saw per
sons who on coming into the room
where it was hung looked about them
evidently for some particular picture
and finally found it in mine This told
me that 1t had begun to be talked
about Before the exhibition closed
the painting as we'll as the artist had
made some reputation
1t was about five years after this
that a young man attracted attention
by consecrating his life to the poor
He belonged to no organization and
had no means of his own. but he soon
found hackers among wealthy persons
who gave him money for his good
works. II was not long before he was
known throughout the land as one alb
solutely pure. noble and doing a good
work.
Having heard of him and conceived
a desire to see him, | called at his Of
fice-a shabby room in a rookery-with
the ostensible purpose Of making an
offering for his work. What was my
establishment to see q man rise to re
ceive me whom | recognized at once
as the model for my picture. | made
no mention of the coincidence; simply
and trespassing for a short while upon
his duties In order to converse with
him.
made several visits to my model on
one pretense or another and attempted
to induce him to go with me to see the
picture l had made Of him when be
was a typist. He was so busy that 1t
was a long while before | could secure
the time necessary for the purpose.
At last succeeded. and he went with
me to where the painting hung. l had
not told him that | was the artist. He
stood for a long while looking at 1t
intently, so intently that I expected
when he spoke he would say, "That Is
myself shortly before I came Of age"
At last / broke In upon his feelings
his meditations or whatever they were
by asking him what he thought Of the
picture.
81 have not thought OF it as a work
of art" he said. II have been think
ing how l would rejoice could | have
within me one-tenth the nobility of
soul expressed by that young man."
was astonished. He had sat before
a typewriter himself; he had been the
model for the figure in the painting
which hard only approached that no
bility of soul he mentioned. and yet he
saw no likeness whatever to himself.
Should l tell him the truth? No. 1t
was better that he should not know It,
better that not grain of alloy should
enter into his unconscious goodness.
I led him away from the picture with
out enlightening him. He went back
to his work of succoring the unfortu-
nate, no doubt nerved to greater ex-
ertion by having seen portrayal Of
good soul without recognizing 1t as his
own. .sA.