The Coolidge examiner., 1933-07-07
FABLE OF HIS
PROGRESS IN
ART AND MUSIC
81
BY GEORGE ADE
9. Bell syndlcate.-wNU Service.


Silver Spoon in his Mouth.
out in the Town of Paisley where
Oryille first opened his Eyes ex-
pecting to find the Light of Day and
discovering only a Kerosene Lamp,
il was about an even Bet that any
favored Infant born with an expen-
sive Food Implement tucked into
his Face would learn that he had
drawn a Knife instead of a Spoon.
II was a Settlement which be-
lieved in birthstone He'll up to about
three Years ago and is still sore
at the Theory of Evolution but
friendly to WhIskers. 1t is hardly
surprising that Oryille. in his life
long endeayOr to emotionally com
prehend all that is Worthy in Art
and Music. got away, as you might
put it. TO a Bum start with a two
ton Weight attached to each Ankle
II he believed. at the age of six.
that the large Bills advertising the
Circus were the Last Word in Art
and that "Jaybird." as rendered by
the local Sheepskin Band. was the
ultimate in Music. it must be re-
membered that Ideals are always
controlled by immediate Contacts
and that very few Persons who pay
large Income Taxes ever heard Of
"Parsifal."
BY the time that he had come to
the age Of ten, Thanks to the broad
ening and widening Influence of our
Free School System and The golden
Opportunities which beckon to
every Lad born in the Land of the
modified Free and the Home of the
ostensibly Brave. Orville had learned
that a Work OF Art does not COM
maRd respect unless it has Cold
Frame. Once In while he would
be permitted to enter that Holy Of
Holes known as the Front Room.
which was kept sealed most Of the
time. but would be opened when
they had Funerals. formal Parties
or a Visit from the Presiding Elder
A Lot Of Oil.
II was in this Sanctuary of Sea
Shells. Hair-Cloth and Antimacas-
sars that 0ryille was permitted to
study the Crayon Portraits of his
Deceased Relatives. whereupon he
realized that Everything which he
had previously admired in the way
OF Art was crude, aboriginal and
without any real Message. The air
brush Likeness of Grandpaw VIII
kins and Aunt Hester of Chillico-
the were. it struck him, the real
Peruvian D0ughnuts.
About the same time, responding
TO the Cultural Environment and
subtly influenced by the Entertain
ments at School Hall every Friday
Evening. he began to assimilate such
Musical Achievements as "MOlly
Darling" Little Bunch of Lilacs"
and Come Where My Love Lies
Dreaming" At that time he was
too Young to comprehend the I'm
prOpriety of the Suggestion con-
tained in the last Title.
one has only to read the Cata-
logues advertising our Higher Insti-
tutions of Learning to know that 1t
is the Campus Life which encour-
. ha
ad0lescent zap into a self-confident
Man competent TO throw Trolley
Cars off the Track or handle po-
licemen.
II you assume that after Orville
matriculated at Old Atwater all OF
his Concepts concerning the True,
the Beautiful and Good were meta
mOrphosed. then you are right, for
once. He was eighteen and wear
ing the Watch Chain high up on
the Breast Bone and had been on
an Excursion TO. the Mammoth Cave,
Ky. so ii is little Wonder that even
the President of the College could
not tell him where TO get off.
He had now definitely escaped
from all the cramping Influences
of the Crayon Portrait and was rev.
cling, for the first time, in the
g larger and more inspiring Sphere OF
the Oil Painting. AT the home OF
Mrs. ButterwOrth, where he roomed
in the College town, there was a
notable Painting which challenged
his Attention the first time he saw
it
IL had been done by an Artist al
the Indiana State Fair In a little
over Two Hours. Ii bore no Title
but there was a Wisconsin Lake In
the Foreground with a Sail Boat
scudding before a breeze which, fol
some Reason. did not affect the Sur
face of the Water. Beyond were
the Himalaya Mountains, wrapped
in Eternal Snow. 1t was the sort
OF Painting which no one could look
at without feeling Different anC
Mrs. Butterworth knew it was ar
Original because she stood right
there and watched the Artist slaI
It on.
Tubercular Art.
In the Room which Orville occu
pied there were other Evidences Of
the Victorian Influence which