The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-06-07
A Picture
Of Peace
By F. A. mitchell.


find plenty Of women with suitable fig.
1 ures, but figure expresses nothing that
l wanted except symmetry. l painted
my picture in my studio. using a model
for the figure whom 1 have often EN-.
ployed, leaving a blank space for the
face, intending II ever found one suit.
able to my purpose would introduce
1t. But time few by, and / feared the
great European war, which rendered
my subject timely, would come to an
end before could find a model.
One day while looking out of a rear
window Of my house l noticed sitting
at window opposite mine girl whose
nneaments We're exactly what want
ed She was sewing, and since the
window in which she sat was at an
angle with mine 1 get three-quarters
view OF her face. This was the posi-
ton Of my figure Of Peace" In my pic.
ture.
noticed that the, girl occupied the
same position nearly everyNt morning
from about 10 o'clock till noon. II oc-
CURED to me to bring my canvas and
my implements to my room and use the
girl for model. She would be uncon.
scious that she was being used for the
purpose, and this would be a great ad-
vantage. So I transferred my mate
rails from my studio to my chamber,
and, closing the blinds so that my
model would not see me copying her, |
set to work. Fortunately l seldom
missed getting a sitting each morning.
MY picture was a great success.
How much its being displayed when
the European war was in progress had
to do with the public's appreciation Of
1t l don't know. Naturally the war
created an interest in 1t. spent much
time In the gallery where 1t was hung,
watching those who looked on It, and
noticed that the expressions of all who
viewed it were for the time being
softened.
But one who listens to criticisms of
his work will surely hear some fault
finding. During these eavesdroppings
l heard one adverse comment. Two
ladies' were viewing 1t when one said:
shes spittire."
Good gracious!" exclaimed the 9TH
er. What do you mean? She is the
impersonation Of AVAILABILITY. How could
yon have got such an impression?"
Il don't know. but I've got it all the
same"
They passed on, leaving me wonder.
ing how one person of the many hun
dreds who looked at the picture should
have OWNED such different interpre-
tation Of 1t from the rest Surely the
Judgment Of the many was of far more
value than the one. Nevertheless the
criticism troubled me. Might not 9th.
ers have got the same impression from
my Peace" but left 1t unexpressed?
However, my picture did much to In
troduce me rs an artist, and my con-
science had often pricked me for spong-
ing the services of a model. l medi-
tated sending an anonymous note, In.
closing check, to the young woman.
finally concluded that so refined look
Ing person would need some prepare
ton for the reception Of such payment.
l therefore wrote a note telling how !
had conceived the painting of a pic
ture OF peace, how l had found a
model In her and how l had produced
q successful work, which / could not
have produced without taking advan
tage of her presence at a window op
posite mine. ! deemed 1t proper that
she should derive some benefit from
my success and humbly asked permits
sion to send her a check.
l had written this note in my room
while my model of peace" had been
sitting in her accustomed seat In her
window and was taking up my hat to
go out and around the block to leave
1t at her door, for / did not know her
name, when saw approaching from
the rear Of the room in which she sat
the figure Of another girl about her
own age. Then l heard the one who
had newly entered say:
MARIA, what did you mean last
night by taking Johnny Doyle away
from meT
what did you mean by taking Billy
bunker away from meT
II didn'tr'
"You didl"
The voices were both shrill, but that
Of my model was the shriller. / win
not attempt to give the anathemas
hurled upon each other by the two
girls in the space Of a few moments.
They soon began to claw each other,
and my peace model caught her enc
my by the hair and was yanking her
around in circles when, horror strick-
en-, covered my face with my hands
that might see no more Of the fracas
and ran out Of the room, closing the
door behind me to shut out the shrill
sounds.
Since that day see my picture of
peace through different eyes than be-
fore. Instead Of being a Madonna
she is a vlrago. On that account /
seldom look at her. As to the model,
the morning after my disillusion she
appeared again at her window, her
Madonna-like face covered with
scratches. met her in the street one
day, and was surprised at a differ
ence there was in 1t from that which
had appeared while she sat in the win
dow. What caused this difference? l
don't know. 1t may have been that
the light Of the room was softer than
that Of the street. But why had the
single critic I have mentioned caught
the real expression? 1 give It up.
The check l drew to send my model
! gave to fund for mutilated soldiers
Of the great war.