The sun., 1917-09-30
By Ida ROSE MeCABE.

- IGHT consecutive summer out
r. ings in New York's most con-
- gested city Of the dead! How
one woman went through this expert
ence to her aesthetic delight, financial
profit and possibly enduring fame Is
the workaday story Of Melva Beatrice
wilson, sculptor.
The scene of Miss Wilson's indus
trial summer outings since 1908 il
Calvary Cemetery. Long Island. Her
achievement there covers the sculp-
tural exterior and the mural interior
decoration Of the mortuary chapel and
uausoleum erected by Cardinal Farley
for the prelates and priests of the
Archdiocese Of New York.
The chapel and its hundred cata-
comblike sepulchres Is early Byzan-
tine in architecture. It is built Of
hard blue Indiana limestone at a re-
puted cost Of half a million dollars.
II crowns the highest point in the
cemetery overlooking on one hand the
turmoil Of Greater New York. on the
other the sweep Of Long Island Sound.
The exterior sculptural decoration
to which Miss Wilson has just put the
final touch preparatory to her next
summers work on the interior lunettes
includes colossal statue Of Christ
ten feet four inches in height, the
sculptures over the main entrance,
twenty-five feet across. including elk.
teen life size figures in high relief, and
the ornamentation in low relief Of the
west and south doors.
II was on a scafYold suspended
across the south door that I giimpsed
the apron enveloped sculptor At work.
With chisel and mallet she was intent
on feathering the doves upholding the
ehalice in the bas relief design. For
unlike most sculptors. who are wont to
turn over their clay models to crafts
men for execution, Miss Wilson cuts
her designs out Of the solid block Of
stone with her own hand. thus literally
making from start to finish her plastic
dream come true.
Physically this American born and
home schooled sculptor u a veritable
Amazon. Hers are arms of Vulcan
muscle and sinew. Nevertheless II 10
with the light. deft surety Of world
champion golfer that she wields chisel
and mallet.
Draughtmanship. she win tell you.
Is the basis Of her skill and achieve
ment in the plastic art. This corner
stone Of academic training was pr1-
marily acquired through three consec-
utive scholarships awarded by her alma
mater. the Cincinnati Art Academy.
Hers is the distinction Of never having
studied abroad. Home training. how.
ever. was early supplemented by intel
llgent European travel. 80.
studio II . Cemetery.
Miss Wilson, aglow with the days
work. came down at length from the
scaffold She opened the south door
all the chapel doors are Of bronze Of
early Byzantine design-and We werc
in her studio. Unlike the atelier Of any
Latin quarter Of the world IL this
scuptor's improvised Workshop.
hollow rectangie Of stone Ii its
background. Through its north wall.
which fanks the rear Of the chapel's
altar, which will be dedicated in De-
cember. reverberates from morn to
eve the "Miserere," the ONCE for the
dead 80 continuous are funeral cor
teges to this city Of eternal sleepers.
Beyond its bronze door. a. We chatted.
we're the hum Of bees, the hutter OF
birds, the song Of . lawn mower.
81 love IT," said the sculptor. "the
aloofness from city noise and strife. I
can concentrate here a. nowhere else.
Here do my best thinking II not my
best work."
Blithely she turned to q charcoal
cartoon on an improvised easel. her
Arst essay for tte mural design des.
tined to hll the lunette over the west
door. work now being planned for next
summers outing. THE Flasellation
Of Christ" IL the subject. Tho in
huence Of the great war was suggested
IN the strength and ruthlessness OF the
powerful figure in tho mid foreground
Welding the scourge.
y mean that figure to symbolize war
brutal war;" said the sculptor.
II was good to turn from this war
Inspired figure to Christ Trium-
phant," the colossal statue surmount-
Ing the chapel roof.
1T is my greatest achievement" said
Miss Wilson. 1T consumed two years
Of hard work. Originally I modelled
the figure in wax on the scale Of the