The herald. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1905-1953, 1914-04-02
An Artist S
lnfatuation


Walter Phelps from Oh" time ho was
kx Years old gave evidence If Dos
srs~irr .,rIfsIi,. abilities and when lee
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'N'"- "''''H ''''"'''' ''"-'i'c W. ''''''
thr"uEH ASSOCIATION VII" beauty. Near
his home lived a little girl who he
came his playmate She was Of a low
or social grade than Walter, but his
narerts had mo- rr1r Of his falling in
love with her. for She WAS very home.
IL and they NOT knowing Of his dis
nositiou to cudnw what ne liked with
heoutv supunsod thar an orti>t wou,d
only fan in love with q beautiful wo-
man
When Walter WAS twenty wears old
ne became engaged 10 this airl Martha
GibLs to the establishment Of every
ono who know him Her hair WAS a
fiery red her teeth wcr. prominent.
and sba had q cast in her eve. Bur his
nareuts KNOWING how useless il i 10
interfere hetwrru lovers RETAINED
from any attompt in tho case of their
son Resides thov knew nothing
against Martha eycrut her LONELINESS
and her indifferent social position No
opa sunposnd that Walter considered
his betrothad heautiful till he painted
hor nortrait and they observed that he
looked ar If with admirinC eyes Then
evervhodv realized that his love for
her caused him to eudov her with n
beauty that existed only In his imagi-
nation
Great as was their surprise at this
discovery. il was nothing compared
with their establishment when they
learned that he was using Martha for
a model He painted her as a shep-
herdess. as springtime and, dressing
her in fashionable attire, as n lady.
Then. when his pictures found no pur
chasers. instead of attributing his Ill
success To his choice Of a model, he
became impressed with the idea that
he had mistaken his calling. About
the time he was making up his mind
to this effect Martha Tilted him for a
greengrocer, whom she married secret
ly without letting her hance know
what she was about to do.
Walters misery was only eqnaled by
the joy of his parents and his friends.
Now that II was all over between MN
and Martha one OF his intimate assocl-
ates made bold 10 express wonder
that he, an artist. with an eye Tor the
beautiful, should have attributed beau
ty to Martha.
"Ah,' exclaimed the unfortunate
man, there Is loss TO me as great
In my profession as Is the wOunding or
my feelings! Surely all hope OF my
succeeding III my profession has gone.
since | shall never find another model
suitable TO my needs.
Walter left the brush and the palette
for awhile for other avocations. On
the walls of his room he hung the por-
traits Of the girl who had Tilted him,
and it seemed TO his mother that the
case of her sons love had been made
worse instead of better. At last she
ventured to ask him Tor her sake TO
put away his past and take hold OF the
future. Walter loved his mother next
to the girl who had Tilted him, and she
finally persuaded him to let her hang
the pictures he worshiped in an upper
room. receiving promise from him
that he would visit 1t but once
month.
During the first half year after the
removal of his idols Walter waited i'm
patiently for the day of his visit to
them to come round. During the sec
ond half year he was less impatient
and at the end of twelve months told
his mother that she was right-it would
be better that he should cease to dwell
on that which was dead to him. He
would visit his pictures no more.
Walter at this time made another
discovery-that II he could not make
an artist of himself he could succeed
at nothing. He resumed his painting
and instead Of combining himself to one
model chose different ones. In the case
Of all Of them he was uninfuenced by
love. From the moment of this Sec
ond start he met with instant success.
Every picture he painted was sold as
coon nc offerad m tho nuhIic and n