Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1936-06-12
HIS PROGRESS IN ART
AND MUSIC

NNCE there was Tike who had
had been born with a Silver
~ spoon in his Mouth. Out in
the town of Paisley where
Orville first opened his Eyes expect
ing to find the Light of Day and dis
covering only a Kerosene Lamp, it
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.
It was a Settlement which be-
lieved in birthstone Hell up to about
three Years ago and is still sore at
the Theory of Evolution but friend
ly to Whiskers. 1t is hardly sur
prising that Orville, in his lifelong
EndeavOr to emOtlOnally compre-
bend 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.
If he believed, at the age Of six,
that the large Bills advertising the
FOrepaugh Show were the Last
Word in Art and that "Jaybird," as
rendered by the local Sheepskin
Band, was the ultimate in Music, it
must be remembered that Ideals
are always controlled by immediate
Contacts and that very few Per-
sons who pay large Income Taxes
ever heard of "Parsifal."
Be- the time that he had come to
the age of ten, thanks to the broad |
s..siEs and widening Influence Of our
Free School System and the golden
Opportunities which beckOn to ev-
cry lad born in the Land of the
Modified Free and the Home of the 1
0stensibly Brave, Orville had learned
that a Work of Art does not COM
mand Respect unless it has a Gold
Frame. Once In a while he would
be permitted TO enter that Holy of
HOLES known as the Front Room,
which was kept sealed most Of the
lime but would be opened when they
lad Funerals, formal Parties or a
Visit from the Presiding Elder.
ALoT OF OIL
It was in this Sanctuary of Sea
shells, Hair-ClOth and Anti-macas-
airs that Orville was permitted to
tudy the CrayOn Portraits of his
Deceased Relatives.
If you assume that after Oryire
latriculated at Old Atwater all of :
lis Concepts concerning the True,
he Beautiful and Good were meta .
then you are right, for
nee. He was eighteen and wearing I
he Watch Chain high up on the !
ireast Bone and had been on an =
to Mammoth Cave, Ky, n
D It is little Wonder that even the :
resident Of the College could not !
N him where to get off.
He had now definitely escaped b
ON all the cramplng Influences of a
le CrayOn Portrait and was reVel- :
g, for the first time, in the larger :
nd more inspiFatlOnal Sphere Of =
le Oil Painting. At the home Of =
RS. ButterwOrth, where he roOmed q
the College town there was a no
bic Painting which challenged his \,
tention the first time he saw It. \,
It had been done by an Artist at 4
e Indiana State Fair In a little n
er Two Hours. It bore no Title .,
t there was a Wisconsin Lake in u
e Foreground with a Sail Boat :,
udding before a breeze, which, for :,
me reason, did not affect the Sur u
ce Of the Water. Beyond were
E Himilaya Mountains, wrapped :,
Eternal Snow. 1t was the sort =
Painting which no one could look y
without feeling Different and Mrs. ~
tterWOrth knew It was an Orig -
il because she stood right there ~,
d watched the Artist slap It on. 81
TUBERCULAR ART Al
N the Room which 0rville occu- sti
d there were other Evidences Of
Victorian Influence which be
nlshed the Cooley Fashion Plates CT
] Wax Flowers and inaugurated ar