The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1914-03-06
WHISTLER STORIES
Audacity and Sarcasm OF the &c.
centric Genius.
THE FAMOUS PEACOCK ROOM
"Jimmis's" offhand Hospitality, at His
Patrons Expense, While Decorating
II, the Clash II Led to and the Way
the Artist Squared Accounts.

WV SN'Se Sfho'Se 'SSSeVkSs
In Mrs. Alec Tweedie's Thirteen
Years Of a Busy Woman's Life" she
tells this story of Whistler, which she
heard ut first hand:
The famous peacock room at
Princes Gate was a wonderful scheme
Of decOra ton. peacock's eyes on gold
ground being its principal motif. About
the year 1850 the late Mr.. Leyland. u
wealthy shipOwner and patron of the
arts. had taken this grand new man.
sion and asked Whistler to decorate
a room. Jimmy. poor and out at ell
bows as usual. jumped at the idea.
but no terms were fixed upon. The
work began. 1t was prodigious un.
dertaking, and the extraordinary and
cratic little man gave 1t his whole
time.
Being at Princes Gate all day and
having the run of Leylands house.
Whistler had hospitable way of in.
viting his friends to come and see the
room and then he would ask them to
stop to luncheon. This sort of thing.
which began occasionally. ended in
being an almost daily occurrence. and
Jimmy used to hold little ievee every
morning. when three four or i've pee.
pie remained to LUNCHEON. THIS became
too much for Mr.. Leyland. and his plan
for putting an end to the campaign
was somewhat ingenious one.
s. ,I.,,, .t.,i, IA
friends. The meal not being announc-
ed. he rang the bell for the butler
When is lunch?' he asked.
81 have 10 orders for lunch replied
the man. with II sSitely air.
"'Oh. no. Of course. replied Jimmy
not i'm the least disconnected. We'll
go along to such and such a hotel
Stupid Of me to forget it.
But it was enough. and. though he
pretended not TO mind and with that
delightful impudence for which he WIS
famous turned it off. he never fOrgave
the incident and determined to pay
Leyland ont. From that day he took
his own lunch in a little paper parcel
and sat and devoured il when so in-
clined. On the next occasion Leyiand
came in to admire the peacock dpcora-
lions about the usual luncheon hour.
"'You will have some lunch. won't
your Whistler said. Leyland looked
up jumped Jimmy. fetched his bag
a nd proceeded to unite his parcels. say
ing: Its all right. old chap; have no
anxiety. 1t Is my lunch. not yours.
and you are heartily welcome to it,
when the work was accomplished
which had taken so long Leyland wish
ed to pay the bill and asked the artist
what was his figure. i have worked
a whole year and more Whistler said.
i consider my services are worth e.
900 year. therefore the figure is e.
500. from which you can deduct the
few hundreds you have given me on
account
"Leyiand was Mortified. 'Preposter-
ons.' he said. perfectly preposteronsr
Jimmy looked at him aud drew him
self up 10 his full height, which was
not great. i beg. Mr. LryIand. that
you will accept ais IA gifI the entire
work of my life for the hast year and
quarter can compromise nothing
once again Whistler scored and
Lcyland paid. Whistlcr'S thanks TO his
patron aficrward took the form OF
painting life size portrait Of him as
a devil with horns and hoofs."
Sir T.. J. Poynter. l.. Il. A., says the
New York sun. told in an interview
how when he was studying in Paris
for three ar -four years there was one
little artistic group called "Tniby."
He says:
My companions were Whistler. Du
Mauricr. Val prinscp. Lamont. Thorn
as and Armstrong. or course Du
altered the thing Il good deal.
but his picture of studio life was Ia
the main truthful representation Of
our life at that time 1rlby herself. !
believe. WAS n pure product Of the AN
th0r's brain
'in many ways the most remarkable
Lnan among us MAS Whistler. II he
had only had energy there is no know
ing 10 what height he might have
scared. bul he was incOrrigibly lazy.
] remeWber visItins hi@ enee at a