Morris tribune., 1917-02-23

A Girl Made It
Without Being
Known
By ETHEL HOLMES

Wilbur Burnes as a scholar was not
q success. Two afternoons out Of Eve
he was sure to be kept after school
for not knowing his lessons. His teach
srS 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 gift for that which
absorbed his attention from his les
sons. If 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
Gyleaves and margins were covered
with little sketches. If Wilbur fan
cied a particular subject there were
few pictures on the book; If he dis
liked it 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
Gu AQLO young DuEu6S anu
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 a widow, and there was
no money in the family to pay his tut
ton 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 it 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 a great admiration for him. When
he was spoken Of as Ounce she would
TetOrt that the day would come when
those who decried him would he glad
to stand in his shoes. When Wibu"
was graduated from the art school sh,'
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 0nl
way he knew Of was by being a model
Miriam possessed a beaut.fu 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
model. explaining to her that no one
person combines perfection in the diff
ferent parts OF the body and artists
are obliged to get a hand. a foot.
bust. from different persons. :.
Miriam concluded to go to the city
and Wilbur soon succeeded in securing
her engagements sufficient to give her
a 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 geasOn 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
partnership just what he wanted. He
had little taste for bohemian life and
spent many of his evenings with her.
oY1+r 10 nd I+c
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 IN
sold.
Miriam recognized the merit Of his
productions and wondered why others
did not recognize it 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 for
him. This sympathy, which was very
apparent to Wilbur, drew him toward
the girl who gave it, and, while a
mans love is not so deep as a WON
ans, it was generally understood that
only the want of the wherewithal to
build home prevented the couple from
marrying.
Wilbur Burnes, having a studio full
of his art productions that he could
not sell, became discouraged. He had
SO far concentrated his attention upon
ordinary work to make money enough
to pay his way through the art school,
and he began to think that he must
drop what he considered a pleasure
ana take up what was real work in