Putnam patriot., 1921-08-12

~ was tfauthEs portraits or his
friends, or the Pomfret Landscape.
Many Of these sketches have been pre-
served so that their merit is not mere
~ a matter Of tradition. Some of
them were sent few years ago by
Miss Park to the Buffalo Art Gallery.
One tof several given TO herr was
preserved BY the late Louise Chan
der Moulton, whose birthplace was at
Pomfret, a fact of which Pomfret is
even more proud than Of her connee-
ton WIN tss great Whistler
Friendship With Louise MouIton
The latter. himself. told the Pen
nells how he used 10 walk to school
with Louise Chandler, carrying her
books and basket. while she wrote. AZ
ter the lapse Of half century. thar
"he was very attentive and kind. -
She, with 50 many others. dwelt upon
his charm which. from the beginning
everyone who saw him recognized, 4"
and his gaiety She also recalled the
maps he drew in geography class,
which were at once the pride and en-
Wy of the rest of US so perfect. SO
delicate, 50 exquisitely dainty in
workmanship. The one drawing pre-
served by Mrs Moulton was called
THE Light at the Door This was
exhibited at the Whistler Memorial in
Boston in 1901.
In this same exhibition were twenty
two other drawings in black and white
and water colour. lent by Or. Samuel
Hammond. whose father was another
Pomfret schoolmate of Whistler's. All
these early drawings are said to have
shown no small acquaintance with
the French illustrators of the day.
But the product of this period.
while il has its historic Importance
shows no more evidence Of genius
than does the early work of any other
great artist. Though his mother took
pride and pleasure in his drawing, as
was evidenced long before the Pom
fret days. she did not see in art Ga.
reer for him. He inherited a profes.
sion from both sides Of the family
more distinguished IN her eyes: name
+ ~. that of "a soldier 1t is littl,
known fact that MS gift for drawing
may also have been inherited Ger
tain it is that Major George Washing
ton Whistler. his father, was, himself
+ No. in drawing at West Point
One more anecdote illustrative o.
that gaiety and fun loving tha
Whistler manifested in every connec
/ tion Of his life
The master Of the pomfret School
Rev DR. Roswell Park. was one Of tn,
stiffest and most precise of clergy
men, and dressed the part punctili
ously. One day Whistler came q
school with high. stiff collar and
stock precisely copied from DIR
Parks The school room was full
Of suppressed laughter; the Docto
was very angry. but he could hardll
take violent notice Of an offence o
+ that sort. But when Jimmy" CAV
some trifiing cause for offence tn
master went for him with ferrule
The school was in two divisions. tn,
girls on one side, the boys on the 9th
er Jimmie. pursued by the Docto
with the ferrule, rushed TO the girls
side, and threw himself down on IN,
floor. where the doctor succeeded il
administering few half heartes
whacks, more" said Mrs. Moulton
who related this. TO Jimmie's amuse
ment than to his discomfort.
/ Miss Amaryllis Mathewson. who's,
attendance at DIR. Parks school at TIN
time has been mentioned, was singled
out by Louise Chandler for friend
ship, and had much to say Of th'
young poets production at this time
/ bat when asked il she remembered
! Whistler, she pondered and CROPPED II
the past before replying:
"The only thing ! remember abou
Jimmie Whistler is that the teacher
never got the better Of him"
II would have been pleasant Ger
there il was.-the promise and tbs
fulfllment Of James Abbott Mcneil
Whistler in epitome. A quiet, ami
able. gentle, and charming boy anf
youth, coercion produced result,
little or none. He was born 10 one
end he attained il. Not the genius Of
a Dr. Park. for he was to rise TO dis
tinction as teacher. as well AS a
preacher not the disc Zine Of a
West Point: certainly not the exigen.
cies Of adverse circumstance could
turn this debonnair plant youth from
the destiny that called him.
Whistler Mother