The Washington times., 1914-01-23
2u9h to Make
lv Man Get
COnCeited

FLETCHER has always had
a pretty high opinion of him
self. but since Mrs. Fletcher
set her circulating picture gal
.ag he has been so stuck up that
5 closest friends find it difficult
to pardon his conceIt-
Fletcher went into art, not for
rv-n satisfaction. but for the good
g. community.
lie Libraries are a very good
&c she said TO Fletcher, "and !
no wish to decry them or their
S. but / tnink circulating picture
would be equally beneficial, and
nobody else seems yenturesome
n 20 start one, am going 10 start
Iyself on q small scale. intend 10
opies of hundred or more of the
DIS most famous pictures and put
"a into albums with accompanying
Hrfptions of each, and distribute them
ong poor families who have never
II time to turn their minds to any
hing more artistic than a waslTboard
nd hatiron. Each family VIII be al
. wed 10 keep an album two weeks, with
be privilege of renewal for another
icrtnight, and then 1 will pass it along
10 somebody else and replace it with
mother set of pictures. BY means OF
hat system Of exchange I hope TO
=iouse quite an interest ia art in the
eCtiOn Of the city where 1 shall begin
l4y work. ! shall even hold examina-
lions on the pictures studied and to the
ones who cVince the most taste and
Judgment shall give as prize large
FaToed copy Of the picture they like
a.
Mr.. Fletcher was careful not to allow
Ithusiasm over that plan of eleYating
e masses to run away with him, stiIl
did not actually disapprove, and soon
-Hrs. fleteher began her aesthetic mis-
S'onarg enterprise on a limited but
? ather expensive scale. She distributed
lrrlnts and photographs among twenty.
nemShted families. with a request that
hey study each picture carefully with
view TO passing a creditable examina-
on on the painter and his subject. Be-
lpre the END Of the first fortnight Of
Her experiment the eldest daughter of
-.e family on which she had passed her
!ghest hopes wrote her a letter.
Dear Madam, the letter ran, Il have
81 udled those pictures till l know them
by heart l don't think much of any OF
L en- except the one that is not marked
think he is a 'beaut,' and / would
'a much obliged If you would get a
is rye copy framed and give it to me. as
you promised.
That communication rent Mrs. FIetcb-
sE s soul with contending emotion.
The girl really has studied . she
said. I am disappointed at her not
liking such masterpieces, Vet find
oounterbalancing joy in her decided
preference for one particular picture in
tle collection l can not imagine how
came to forget to label one Of them
out think I know which one she
means. IT is Rembrandt's A Man III
an glad that appealed to her. 1t shows
81" has good taste. and even though She
cd not appreciate the other nineteen II
am sure she will yet take to Art
Fletcher had his own opinion hut he
wisely refrained from expressing ii.
ana at his wife's earnest request he
that night accompanied her to the
home OF the industrious pupil The
GIRL and, indeed, the entire family.
seemed paralyzed with bashfuInes at
sight Of Mrs. Fletcher's escort, but
a. her request they brought out the
picture which had appealed so strongly
70 their sense Of the beautiful.
Mrs. Fletcher almost tainted when
she saw it, and as for fletcher-well,
his subsequent actions have shown
Tuite plainly how he felt about #.
L knew it was him the minute I set
es on him." said the eldest daughter,
That's what made me act so funny.
bought he was a ghost. I thought all
lese pictures were supposed TO be a
Indred years old or over, and I
nOuldn't make out how ne happened to
be here
1T was a mistake" gasped Mrs.
fletcher. That is q shot ograph of my
Isband. l never meant to bring it
down here. I intended to bring nothing
hut classics. ! thought from your
liter that you liked the picture of "A
Man"
When they started tor home Fletcher
egan to whistle softly hut jUbilantly.
BY Jove." ne said. that girl really
as got good taste, after all. Are you
EoinS to get the picture enlarged and
AIMED for her?'
No" she snapped. Il am not"
Very well,' he said. If YOU don't I
Y H.
And everybody who has seen how in
, Tcrably conceited he IS these days
Gays he is just vain enough to do it.