Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1916-07-06
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!: A Painted
Eye
It Was Too Expressive
For Its Natural Mate.
By F. A. mitchell

Far back in the days when the king
Of England claimed to be king Of
France, and when as consequence the
French and the English were at con-
tinual warfare, there lived on French
soil in what is now the department Of
Mayenne gentleman and his wife of
the name Of Castilleux. There was born
to this couple a son who from his earli-
est infancy was very beautiful child.
Even when he was between one and
two years old he attracted the atten-
ton Of all who saw him. His most
noticeable feature was a pair Of large
expressive eyes Of heavens own blue.
In those days artists We're painting
pictures Of the Madonna and child, and
for many such studies little CASTOR
Castilleux served as model.
When CASTOR was fourteen years old
he was out hunting one day with a
party of boys, and one Of his compan-
ions, seeing his brown doublet through
a break in the leaves of the trees, mis-
took it for deer and let fly an arrow,
which struck Castor In one Of his eyes
So severe was the wound that the sur
geon who attended him decided the eye
must be taken out.
Great was the grief Of the boys par
ents at having the beauty Of their son
thus marred. Until the wound had
| cd hn %6o
the eye had been a patch. Then his
mother bethought herself of providing
an artificial eye for her darling. That
Was time before the remarkable work
in glass and pottery Of the present day
had been achieved, and the Oily Way
to procure glass eye was to have the
glass nodded or ground in proper shape
and painted. Indeed, there was All ad-
vantage in this because an artist could
the better match the real eye.
Nine. Castilleux announced that she
would give prize of a thousand louis
dor for the best coloring of glass eye
for her son. Artists were as poor in
those days as they are now, and there
were a great many of them competing
for the public favor. Such prize was
coveted, and artists came from far and
near to compete for it. There We're so
many of them that only those who had
achieved name We're granted sit
ting, for Of course the object was to
reproduce the real eye.
Among the throng of men who ap-
piled for permission to compete for the
prize was a girl in the garb Of peas
ant. In those days women did not do
mems work, and painting was consid-
cred mans profession. Furthermore,
the peasant girl could not claim to
have achieved any reputation as an
artist. Nine. Castilleux was about to
send her away when CASTOR came into
the room where his mother was receiv-
ing candidates. Whether it was dis
tress at the marring of such beauty or
pity for him or some other reason, the
maiden gave him look so full of sym
pathy that he was determined she
should compete for the prize. Turning
to his mother, he expressed his desire.
Nine. Castilleux was much concerned
at this, for she had always been care
full to keep her son from falling under
the influence of any woman except Of
high rank, since she feared a misal-
lance. Besides, under the coarse peas
ants garb the girl wore was rare
beauty. The mother took her son aside
and protested against woman, one of
such low degree and of no artistic rep
utatlon, being permitted to compete for
I the prize, but failed to move him, and
the girl was accepted as a competitor.
Her name was entered on the list as
Clochette Boyer, and since sittings
We're given in order of application and
Clochette was the last accepted she
was to be assigned the last sitting.
Ten artists We're to compete for the
prize, and Nine. Castileux chose three
experts to award the prize, reserving
the right, If she differed with them, to
buy the work of any other artist.
Though the situngs were not usually
very long, Castor tired at having to
go through the process SO many times.
Then, too, several artists made two
or three different attempts-they We're
not limited in this respect-and by the
time the last competitors turn came
the subject was tired out. OF the ear
lier efforts Tho first was the best. Aft
er that Castor began to weary and
showed his WEAKNESS In the eye that
was serving for a model, so that every
attempt showed more worn express
sion than the one before. Strange to
say, the ninth was the best Of all.
The truth is CASTOR was enduring all
these tiresome sittings waiting for the
peasant girl to try her hand. At the
ninth sitting he was happy in the
thought that the strain was nearly
over and at the next he would have
the companionship of the girl who had
given him that welcome look of sym
patty.
At last Clochette appeared with her
brushes and palette. The change In
| Gaston's expression was marvellous.