THE CHRISTMAS PICTURE.

Press, Volume LI, Issue 8789, 10 March 1894, Page 2

THE CHRISTMAS PICTURE.

By Robert' Baku. I Although it was a lovely day, with the 1 sky bluer than an English sky has any 1 right to be, Jimmy Sprowle came awnv § from his interview with the grocer very 1 much depressed in spirits. The Interview I had been extremely unsatisfactory from | Jimmy's standpoint. The grocer, good 1 man, was nob in the business for hU 1 health, and wanted his money. Ho re. I fused point blank to furnish Jimmy with I any more of the supplies of life, »Xhl« 1 being the case, young Sprowle did not see how he was going to manage. He had been living on that grocer for the past two weeks, and the tradesman, beginning to get anxious, had made Inquiries, Not* withstanding the fact that Jimmy lived in the most expensive studio buildings 1 Q London the grocer found reason to doubt that he would ever get his monoy; and t* he refused further credit. . Jimmy was very much disappointed be, cause his friend had told him that ths simple address of the Stilvio Studios wai good for any amount of credit with any tradesman in London. Th grocer iras a shrewd man, and he discovered, first, thai! Jimmy was not a tenant of the Stllvto Studios, but that a friend had lent hlrs his two rooms la that palatial butlduir. while the friend, a landscape artist of some note, had gone off to Switzerland for the summer. The grocer further aacer' tamed that Jimmy was a mau of ao repute whatever, and what was more to the point, had no effects and no customers. "If you could show me&n order from aomo one," said'the grocer, " even a £10 order for a picture, why, then I might let yoa have a little tick. But as It is, you see. I have no chance of gating ray money, and I can'b supporb the unemployed of London, you know." The attitude assumed by the eroosrwas so reasonable that Jimmy could find no words with which to oombat it; sohe left) '' the place with bowed head and spirits away down below zero. Lifewas not so easy a problem as he had thought. Ho imagined that when Brentwood had so generously given up his studio free ottent and taxes to him, that he would have no difficulty in earning at least his dally sandwich. But two weeks of seml-nttm-tion had shown him his mistake. He was. euro of a plnce to Bleep, and work In, tot the nexefew months ; and summer was coming on, so that he needed to boy no coal, and that was something. 1 Rich customers sometimes rapped at the 1 door of his studio, bat they were always In § quest of some other man, and If no one I ever came to even look at his pictures, I what was a youDg man to do? All ha i wanted waß a chance. He knew, that he | drew better pictures than many Who were § daily refusing work. Bat then, of course, | every young artist knows that, and it I doesn't count. Thus ho meditatedblfctertr 1 on things as they were until he came to » the door of the huge Stilvio Studio build [j ines, and there his reverie was inter- \ runted by a small boy In buttons, wh> 3 asked hlai If he knew where Mr SprowifV ( lived. "Mr Sprowle? said Jimmy, In $ur prise; " fm Mr Sprowle." "Mr J. Sprowle?" said the boy cautiously. "Yes, that is my name." - ■ " Then here is a letter for you, a»M Buttons. '''','- ... As Jimmy took the letter be noticed ths name, the Illustrated Sphirix on the envelope, and his heart beat high. Her®;, Serhaps, might be an offer for wort, iven before Tie took the letter from the envelope he looked on himself as a _sa» man. The letter began familiarly " My dear Sprowle," and It went on to say that he. the editor wanted a Chr!afc_«w pletw* In Sprowle's usual style 1 . .' „, " My usual style," said Jimmy meditatively. " They must have «ebn some of my pictures at the Earls Court exhibition. The sum to be paid was £300. And again Jimmy's eves opened, and he whlstted & 1 long whistle. The editor would give him 1 till the last day possible for thei finlihlßg of the picture, as he knew that Sproww liked plenty of time. That Is true, thoaKP Jlrarhy, but how In the world-did he know it. The note ended by naming ths nay on which the picture must be In their w&m for patting on the stone. There would bo fifteen printings, the editor said, and M then signed himself " Yours very truly,, R Sounding." There was a postcript to tn» S!ST w_ich said that time were suitable Mr Sprowle was to intimate the same to the bsardr»i.. _;.,;,_, Jimmy looked at the boy^ndlßßthe^ so respectfully and said: **•«•» gSlfi j Spending that it is all Jl shaUJJafJ I the picture ready for him by the d*y w I "when the hoy had depart^jimmF. j highly elated, and with the letterJnhfc ■ , hand, made his way as quickly as he could 1 to the grocer. "TW he. saltottjj I good man, who was astonished, at mm } Elm return so j I have just received from.the editor ofjje j Sphinxl As a usual thing, c°»«K J Jimmy loftily, "I don't »»_»_*_W 1 my cußtomera, L bat, as.job imm tpbej I little afraid that the money 1 wejoa 1 not be paid, kindly oast yooc ey«3 Of c? read the letter U|,■ «*». *t««g_J* over and over several times, looking now and then across his ghwees at "Whe_'dld yoa get bhl»?*' he finally j -NJust a moment *£ : ''&J&i%-\ with it and was waiting formewhenlw* I "it ia a very large Bum fojf one pfctare," J said the grocer. ■■■■•. ■■ Ji_ tt „-i f „ ihs I. Jimmy waved his hand with aaairoi «** utmost superiority, aa he said: ( u9 [ "Oh, It's nothing to wW«J««J j get. /intend to raise my own prices new j Je " Wen." answered the grocer,who jri been some time in trade and had been j bilked before. " yoa will, ot CO-***, a»" j m " a Why, stamped at JHS * sixpenny stamp. It is not a contra^ °^Oh, l9 l*don't know abouli that,; remarked Jimmy. "I things stamped." Bat he did not •<»<» i he had not the sixpence. thfl -nfo ■ "It la always best to be on tao e»» side," the grocer rejoined caot!o»«7' , s you leave thN with mc * »■ d tJll9 1 itamped. I am going to the6«raoa * rU . afternoon," and he care'oßy. 1 charge the sixpence In &*» l t tb £«m * manlike yoa won't want W___Jaairf these things. When it iajaU »»°2§f 6 a yeo regular I will give you what ereag y want up to the time yoa are pa» w is perfectly satisfactory to w»T rooms in the Stilvio Studios. h j 9K eneThegrocer was a w se roan JjLJJoft at ration. Before banging his al *V* e lft j Government House, he g D hlnX and 1 tial offices of the "la» tr *&* J&. ARefr j asked to see someone is*°" lo " h hr 6; r6 cop** B waiting for a while in a room w » a \l bl f t ot ot that celebrated paper layfn oaro e the entertainment w . s gogo«d tn and asked what the K«*_J?h a pspar as to want. The groeeP $f *™ ' tm Jpsrfrom hia pocket and handed It w " v son, saying: tia » - .• "Is that all right ?" ~.„:»« _, fa "How do yoa mean, m W % "1 mean are you i" .pmi « Sprowle £300 for one picture* „ i

"Well." snid the man hesitatingly, "I can haraly see how that concerns you. How aid you come by this paper?" "Mr Sprowle," explained the grocer, Is 1 a customer of mine, and a new customer. I am not just exactly .sure of payment. He showed mc this paper in proof that people bought his pictures." ~-. T The man in authority laughed. «-»n, x think that Mr Sprowle is good for any credit that he cares to ask of yoa. xou supply Mm at the Stilvio Studios, do you notr " Yes, said the grocer. . , *'Oh, well, you may make your mma easy about Mr" Sprowle. That paper is all rhzht. He will get the £300 as.soon as he delivers his picture, or before, if he wants U '" Thank you." said the grocer, and he departed to expend hi* sixpence on the stamping of the document. Although the man iv authority wondered that so celebrated a painter as Sprowle would give such a paper to a grocer, he however, knew much about artists, and •was well aware that there was no accounting for what they mUhc 00. Tne grocer handed back the paper to Jimmy with greater deference than he had up to dr.'.e showu that young man. Jiuimv not iced that the paper had a beautiful red stamp embossed on the corner of it. , " Tha' " said the grocer, who was a man 0 f business, " n.aKes it a contract. You could not sue for your money otherwise. »Ob, that's all right." said Jimmy nonchalantly, as if commissions like this one dropped in on him every day, I have no fairs about the uiouev. I He went back to bis studio and began to plan his picture. He threw h» heart and soul into the work. He Knew tne , kind of thing the Sphf x ~^„ A X°; tnre of a nretty child with a aog pr a cat This represented the standard of art attained by the great British public at the editor _ad w?iS Ü be printed on fifteen lithe that the picture was finished Sprowle received word from the owner of the studio that he was unexDectedly coming home. " Don't be afraid ffaat you will be evicted." Brentwood wrote "I am going to be in London for a day or two only, as business calls mc to America, where I will reniaiu for the next two or three months. Nevertheless I shall drop Iv on you and see how you are " In due time Brentwood came and looked j at the big picture on the easel. "Ah, Jimmy," he said, " You've struck the right gait at last. That is the thing | that pays, French art doesn't go down In this country. Aud you have adopted the true British stylp, too. Where are you going to exhibit ?" i " Oh," said Jimmy, in an off-hand mau ncr, "it Is a commission, and is not intended for exhibition." " A commission 1 From whom V "From the Illustrated Sphinx" quietly responded Jimmy. Brentwood whistled an incredulous note before he said: "By George, you are getting on. How came you to receive a commission from the Sphinx? They are generally satisfied with nothing less than a Royal Academician. How much do they give you for it ? " "Only a little matter of £890," said Jimmy. "Look here, young man," replied Brentwood earnestly, " I dislike very much to call anyone a liar," "Don't hesitate on my account," said Sprowle. "Here is the contract if you want to read it." Brentwood took the paper and read it carefully. Then he threw back his head and laughed. "" You don't mean to say," he cried, "that you imagined for a moment this was meant for you ? How did it come into your hands?" Young Sprowle faced his friend with a look of alarm sbealiug over his countenance. "Come into my hands," he cried, "how should ib come into my bands? It was sent mc by the editor, aud I answered it." "Yes, and I see that you have had it stamped at Somerset House, which was wise. I didn't think thab you had so much business mingled with your art, Jimmy." " Oh, it was the grocer who did that. I didn't know anything about it. He said stamping made it a contract." "So it does, but you don't mean to say you did not know that this was intended for Sir John Sprowle, the academician, who has the whole upper floor of the Stilvio for his studio?" "I never heard of him, said Jimmy blankly. "And yet you pretend to practice art in Great Britaia. "Well, you know," protested Sprowle, " I am better acquainted with French art than with English artist >. I never heard of Sir John Sprowle. Why wa« the letter not addressed to Sir John ? It was addressed to me—J. Sprowle, Esq." " Have you got the envelope ? " "No; I tore it up." "Ah, I see, the letter wa<* written in '" April; that accounts for it. Sir John got his knighthood on the 24th of May—in the distribution of birthday honours, yoa know. Well, you have got old Sending in a nice box. I should like to see his face when s »he learns the truth. . Here he thinks that Sir John Sprowle Is doing 'a picture for him, . when down comes an unknown Jimmy Sprowle on him with a dull thud, saying, 'Here Is the kid and the dog, and 1 want my little £300, if you please.' I Ray, Jimmy, there will be a row in the Sphinx office when Sponding realises the situation. It's a blessing the grocer had that embossing done ou the paper." - - Young Sprowle sat down with a look of despair and dropped his brush on the floor. "Are you really iv earnest," he said at last, "and not chaffing mc? Doyoa think the letter was intended for another . name?" "Why, of coarse it was; you haven't " really any doubt about it, have you V asked Brentwood. "Thisis awful," said Jirafmy, mopping, his brow. "What can I do with the . grocer! I owe him pounds and pounda !" ■ "Dor exclaimed Brentwood. "Why, '"■ bluff him out of the £300. That's the only thing to do. You've been waiting for _ ' your chance and here it has come. Make - hem take the picture." „ t"Qh that would not be honest," said . Jimmy in agony. - * "My dear fellow, the picture will be a \ boon to Spondiug when he realizes his r. position.. You see, he can't help himself, ; \ the time is too short; besides, the picture i v quite as good as anythiug that Sprowle - ass ever done for him. Iv fact, after he lets over his anger Sponding will be * mighty glad to have the picture ready for him—nice new paint and all. I have a •oore or two to settle with the editor of the opmnx myself arising out of some dealings je had when I was younger and more palish than lam at present. This affair _« got beyond you, Jimmy, my boy. It requires a diplomat to deal with it. You must let mc take the picture to Sponding *™weak the news gently to him. I will *•« all the responsibility, and besides I £300 to see Sponding when he warns the truth. The Sphinx has plenty of and you may as well have some of t' *°? must stand by your grocer, Jimmy, iur he has stood by you." oprowle sat the image of despair, with ius head bowed in his hands. All hla nn^Tv 88 h * d departed. He was crushed *naer the blow and Brentwood was very era— fop ultn> Moji 0 ®*. old man, cheer up," he said, v n °S? J°nr picture and scrawl the well-£r_h-n»me of Sprowle in the corner, that will suit the style and In feS" » * wul carry it off to Sponding. sp„_T * think I see the hand ot Provi?_l7 to . tae toing. I have come home *{*?*•» the nick of time. If you had taken a»«__V lt * t0 Sponding yourself, never that you had not had a genuine you would have gone to pieces •*ws v Bhock °f l he discovery, and -SSL"—** mefc kly brought your picture ""J* to the studio." * t_*„ B r °* nea but did not answer. B l < uf~f l j? ea . continued Brentwood, "your fJK* "ever so much better than any 54£hf Sp^owle would have painted for -b^hSSffi™" 1 * toppingly. ,,hafc HiJ-bJ* on '_' incongruities, Jimmy. *«*?M and "l? editor of an illustrated noth -ing to do with each other. ' ibR? 0 S P° nd hig good to pay a reason-"''hhlif-v 10 ,* young artist for once in laerufV? T°° leave the matter to mc, and w and finish the picture." iaw*_\2i_*_*? c about in due time that flown t _ktothepalntlnK in s hansom Be „»,~ e office of thellluhtm ted Sphinx. h_ UD word to the editor that he 'setß_^ m 4 with Sprowle's Christmas *dlrAtt:i lle was at. once invited into the aiK*jJfoom. A stalwart man followed r _**_fr r ?i ll S tne huge-frame which he TO* on the floor with its back to the *_S "Ponding did not recognise Brent«ftm ©J?*"? > im . Probably, for a man tW* "V* 00 s studio. Brentwood cut that surrounded the picture and 0a thiDk ° f it? " hek9ked » 'hife%K looked at the picture and * ■« nands one over the other.

"Splendid, splendid," he said enthusiastically, " It is in his very best manner. He never did anything better." The journalist whistled down the tube and asked the art editor to come up. _" I think it is just what we want, Grime, said Sponding when the art editor put in an appearance. •■" It will be the most popular picture of the year," replied Grime tersely. Yes," said Brentwood impartially," he has pub his best work in that picture, and he will be very glad to hear that you are satisfied with it. " Satisfied! " cried Sponding, " tell bim that we are more than satisfied." "And he said to mc," continued Brent* wood, "that he hoped yoa would reproduce it in your very best manner." "Oh, tell him he need have no fear on thab score. We owe it to ourselves and our reputation to have it well done. We will send him proofs as soon as it is possible to obtain them." "Now that everything la so satisfactory," said Brentwood, " would you mind writing out the check? Three hundred pounds, I believe was the sum agreed upon." He drew from his pocket the letter of Sponding and handed ib to him. " Quite right, quite right," said Sponding, glancing at ic. " Make it payable to J. Sprowle, if you please ? " " Very good," said Sponding, thinking that perhaps Sir John was a little sensitive about his new title. Writing out the cheque he handed it to Sprowle's representative. " He asked mc to say," remarked Brentwood, putting the cheque in his purse, " that if you wanted any little alterations made he would be very pleased to pu them in." "Alterations," cried Sponding, "Oh, dear no. The picture is perfect as it stands. I wouldn't have a line changed. But still," he continued with some hesita- , tion, as he critically looked at the name in the corner of the picture, " If he would not I mind, I would like to have his tall name and title, Sir John Sprowle, on the picture." | *' Oh," said Brentwood, raising his eye- [ brows, "Idon't think he would agree to that, you- know. Why should he puc another man's name on his painting ?" j "Another man's name?" said Sponding, looking up inquiringly. " Certainly. Why should he put Sir John Sprowle's name on the picture instead of his own?" "Instead of his own I What are you talking about V exclaimed Sponding. "I'm talking about my friend Jimmy Sprowle and his picture." " Yoa mean Sir John Sprowle," said Sponding. 4i Oh, uo, I don't," replied Brentwood, " I know them both, but Jimmy Sprowle who painted this picture is the tenant of my studio. He is the man to whom you sent the order, you know." Sponding stared helplessly at the young man and said at last: " I don't think thab I quite understand you. Tbl9 picture, of course, is painted by Sir John Sprowle?" "Oh dear, no," said Brentwood; "Sir John Sprowle, capable painter though he is, couldn't do this sort of thing as well as my friend 'Jimmy Sprowle, recently of Paris, but now of London." " But, hang ib man," cried Sponding, full of wrath, as the truth began to break over him; "we don't want a picture by Jimmy Sprowle, of London, or anywhere else." " Well, that Is remarkable," said Brentwood calmly ; " Why, then, did you order one from him ?" " Order 1 We never ordered a picture from Jimmy Sprowle, whoever he may be," said Sponding, contemptuously. " We sent our order to Sir John Sprowle, of the Stilvio Studios, who was at that time plain John Sprowle, Esq., .Royal Academician." "In that case, then," said Brentwood quietly, *' there must have been a mistake somewhere. The letter you sent was delivered to my friend at the Stilvio Studios; he painted the picture, and I have the cheque for it." " The cheque will be of no use to your friend," said Sponding, angrily, "I will stop payment at once." "I wouldn't do that," said Brentwood slowly. "I should look at the matter calmly. By acting hastily you can easily make yourself the laughing stock of London. If I may venture to offer advice oa the subject, being a perfect stranger, I should advise yoa to consult with our good friend Grime here, the art editor. I don't admire this sort of picture myself, but you and Grime seem to. You both know it to be agood picture of its kind." " Picture! . I don't want a picture from an unknown man 1" cried Spending indignantly, " and I shall have nothing to do with it. It's a trick—a fraud. Take the wretched daub off, instantly. Take it back to the trickster who sent it." " Oh, very well," said Brentwood, rising; "every man knows bis own business best. I may say, though, that, legally, my friend's position is practically impregnable. However the mistake has occurred, it has arisen from no fault of his. He painted [ the picture in perfect good faith ; yonr messenger brought him the order, and he returned an answer by that messenger. 1 also happen to know through an interview with a mutual friend this morning that the grocer whom Jimmy honours by receiving credit from, took this letter and applied here in person to see if it was all rignt, before giving further accommoaatian to Jimmy. He was assured by some one in this office that the letter was perfectly correct, and this man of business fortunately had it stamped at Somerset House, as you may see by glancing at it. Furthermore, I am ready to go into any witness box and testify that both of you have expressed the utmost admiration for the picture. So you can easily see that by making a fuss all you will do will be to make fools of yourselves, for you must certainly pay iv the end whether you take the picture or not. Aside from all this, you know as well as I do that you must have a picture for your Christmas number, and that it is now too late to obtain a suitable one, unless you take some daub that no one else would have. This picture, as you well kaow, is as good as any you could hope to get, even by ordering at the beginning ot the season; as Mr Grime so justly said, it will be the picture of (he year. Jimmy is not an unknown artist; he has a great reputation in Paris, especially at the cafes, where he is probably ketter known than Sir John Sprowle himself." "But the thing is a trick," repeated Sponding; "why did not Sprowle, your friend, come himself with the picture f " "Toobusy," said Brentwood; "too many commissions, working night and day. that young man is. The thing I fear is that when I go back and tell him the reault of this interview be will not let you have the picture at any price. If I were you I would accept the inevitable. I speak now as a friend of both parties. You know as well as I do what pictures are in the market and available for a Christmas number at this time of the year. You can do as you please, of course, but if I were in your shoes I would jump at the chance of getting this picture." Sponding and Grime consulted with each other, and then they gazed long and critically at the painting. Finally Sponding said, with a sigh: "I suppose w* cannot help ourselves; but it looks suspiciously like a case of sharp practice." "I may tell you," said Brentwood threateningly, "that if you use the term 'sharp practice' in connection with my name, you will pay a great deal more than £300 for It I've stood just all the talk I am going toon this subject." "It need go no farther." said Sponding. coming down from his perch. "We will accept the picture and do our best with it, and nothing more will be said about the matter." " Very well, in that case 1 have nothing more to say, except good morning." " It's all right, Jimmy," said Brentwood, when the hansom had brought him back to the Stilvio studios. "It's all right. Both Sponding and Grime, the art editor, were delighted with the picture; **aid they had never seen anything equal to it." " Then there was no mistake, after all," cried Jimmy exultingly. " None, except on my part, Jimmy, in underrating your undeniable talent. That picture will be the making of you." And it was.—Detroit Free Press. i