The Washington herald., 1914-07-03
John La Farge's Estate.
ny JOSEPH EDGAR CHAMnERLIN

4
The fortune which John La Fargo left after .
lifetime Of honorable achievement as an artist foots
up $500
the world, not for himself For not all the money
of Rockefeller and Carnegie together could buy the
wealth which La Fargo left behind for the American
people Oh yes, they could buy the pictures and the
stained glass. and the other things that La Fargo
made; but they could not buy the genius. the skill
the inspiration the reevaton of light the color vision
the subtle sense of beauty that made them.
& An these past money; La Fargo had them,
and now the American people have them. scattered
through many galleries, art museums, churches pri-
vate houses, and books. They stand supreme in the
originals, and repeated in countless reproductions
There is not day when they do not make their ap-
peal There is not an American child who will not
somewhere, some time, look on picture win
dow of La Farges, and look on it to pause to admire.
to think, and to be influenced by it.
Not one of OUR rising generation but viii some
day meet the 'Wolf CharIner," and will be moved
by its strangely weird, keen enchantment Not one
but will some time be affected for the enterna better
ment of his SOUL by the pure and serene loneliness
of "The Golden Age" Not one into whose eye the
sense of the wondrous color and glorious light Of
la Farge's stained glass windows will not some day
steal, either through direct knowledge of them or
through their influence upon whole of artists,
Think of the generations of youths that will be in
spired by the Battle Window" at Harvard
One dollar is like another; neither Carnegie nor
Rockefeller can put into the coin or the bank note
any special quality when it passes through his hands,
nor make it different from any other dollar when it
comes to the next man. Leaving a hundred million
dollars behind YOU, you leave nothing except what
would have been there anyway But what La Fargo
left would never have been at all but for him. He
created IT. 1t was thing of his soul Its aggregate
in value to the world is incalculable forever You
cannot express that value in nine figures as you can
the fortune that Morgan left you cannot express it
in ninety figures You can more measure or emu.
merate it than you could the hearts of the
world, or epumerate their joys.
The sum of the La Fargo accumulations, measured
by dollars, is $500. Not much as the ten years
savings of an industrious day laborer ought to be
But the very smallness of the sum helps to empha-
size the vastness of the mans artistic achievement
BY taking the mind away from the thought of merely
material success helps realize how great the
spiritual output 1t clears the air of dollars and
cents altogether. and leaves on the eye the calm
smile of Kwannon, or the green radiance of Sa.
moan waterfall
form conception of the wealth of Morgan, a
Rockefeller Carnegie, or Rothschild. You can
not picture hundred millions in your minds eye.
The imagination cannot compass that But you know
a man who is worth $4,000 You can form a con-
ception OF that So you divide Carnegie or
Rockefeller up into $4,000 fortunes and in your inn
agnation pile these upon another till the aggre-
gate is reached.
An amusing exercise; but row try to compass
the aggregate of the pictured wealth. the suggested
influence the smassed wonders of the work of
great artist like John La Fargo. You see lines OF
people forever looking at the originals, in the mu-
seums or churches where they exist, or where
nearly all of them will time be found. Every
one of these endless professions of spectators will
carry away an increment of inspiration addition
to the capital of his soul-and this for hundreds of
years.
Think of the eyes that see more and more in the
world by reason of these works of art Think of
the thoughts that never would have dawned on mems
minds but for La Farges promptings. Think of the
students who will ponder over the pictures and will
be inspired to finer things by them-who will put
upon their work. and that of their artistic pro-
geny, marked imprint on the beauty they pos
sess-an influence going forever.
Then the reproductions. In time virtually every
thing of La Farges will be reproduced and will live
for generations of Americans the remotest farms
and ranches. The stories of all the pictures will be
told, and countless children will put themselves in
the place of the master, seeing with his eyes, dream
ing with his soul
Can you add all that up? The wealth of Rookie
teller Carnegie, Morgan all the Rothschilds. all the
all the Astors piled together does not
ofer such problem to the imagination
Their wealth is but measured millions That of |
"a Fargo is beautiful infnity.
So we may that John La Fargo who was
worth" but $500, left quite an estate after all.
Accidents at Sea.