The Lakeland evening telegram., 1916-11-15
ASaCrifiCe
A Girl Made It
Without Being
Known
BY ETHEL HOLMES

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Wilbur Burnes as scholar was not
q success. Two afternoons out Of FIVE
he was sure to be kept after school
for not knowing his lessons His teach
ers were all the more severe with him
because they knew that If he would
study he might be one Of the best
scholars In his class
The reason Wilbur did not study was
that he possessed a gift for that which
absorbed his attention from his les
sons. II his teachers had examined
his books instead Of examining him at
the end Of the term they would have
learned the secret of his failure. The
dyleaves and margins were covered
with little sketches II Wilbur fan
cied particular subject there were
few pictures on the book; If he dis
liked 1t there were many He detested
grammar, and the book from which he
studied this subject was literally COW
cred with sketches of faces and fig
ures.
When it was finally proved that no
one could beat what is commonly call
ed education into young Burnes and
his prediction for art became notice
able he was advised to go to an art
school and learn to illustrate books.
This was easier said than done, for his
mother was widow. and there was
no money in the family to pay his tut
tion. However, he was so captivated
with the idea Of being an artist that
he concentrated his efforts upon max
ing a sum by hard work and saving
to put him through the school. This
was the only period in Wilbur Burnes
life in which he ever worked, for,
though he afterward spent much time
at his easel, he could not be said to be
at work. Indeed, so absorbed was he
that he often found 1t difficult to drop
his brushes
In the same town where Wilbur went
to school was a girl, Miriam Trask,
who seemed to understand him and
had great admiration for him. When
he was spoken of as Ounce she would
retort that the day would come when
those who decried him would be glad
to stand In his shoes. When Wilbur
was graduated from the art school she
wrote him asking If there was not
some way by which she might earn
money connected with his profession
in the city. He replied that the only
way he knew of was by being model
Miriam possessed beautiful neck-in-
deed, this feature was considered
artistically perfect-and Wilbur sug-
gested that she might earn something
by permitting artists to use 1t for a
model, explaining to her that no one
person combines perfection in the diff
ferent parts of the body and artists
are obliged to get hand, foot, a
bust, from different persons
Miriam concluded to go to the city.
and Wilbur soon succeeded in securing
her engagements sufficient to give her
bare living. She did not associate
with other models, nor did she enter
socially into that bohemian life for
which artists and those associated
with them are famous
One reason especially that she kept
to herself had induced Miriam to go to
the city. She was absorbed in Wilbur
Burnes and wished to be near him
Wilbur and she had been chums as boy
and girl, but when he went to the art
school he was so absorbed in his pro-
fession that she passed out of his
mind. On her arrival in the city this
intimacy was renewed Wilbur could
not paint at night and found her com
panionship Just what he wanted. He
had little taste for bohemian life and
spent many of his evenings with her
Beauty is one thing, and its recogni,
ton Is another. There are artists who
have produced beautiful things that
they have kept unsold for years and
then have parted with them for song.
while an ordinary picture or statue or
story or poem may secure an enormous
fictitious value. Wilbur Burnes mod.
eled in clay, and his works were highly
commended by those who knew their
value; but, being forced to rely on
their intrinsic value, they remained un
sold.
Miriam recognized the merit of his
productions and wondered why others
did not recognize 1t as well as she
The fact that he could produce such
beautiful things heightened her inter
est in him. and the fact that he could
not sell them strengthened her love fol
him. This sympathy, which was yer!
apparent to Wilbur, drew him towart
the girl who gave 1t, and, while {
mans love is not so deep as a won
ans, 1t was generally understood tina
only the want of the wherewithal t
build home prevented the couple from
marrying.
Wilbur Burnes, having studio full
of his art productions that he coult
not sell, became discouraged. He ha'
so far concentrated his attention upoI
ordinary work to make money enough
to pay his way through the art school
and he began to think that he mus
drop what he considered a pleasur