The
servants had watched them grow under my pencil and brush with an interest
almost equalling my own; and it was amusing the eagerness which even
Thomas evinced to be painted into a picture, spoiling it very much, to my
mind, by insisting on having on his Sunday clothes.
Mr. Winthrop glanced at them with some surprise as he saw the goodly
heap; then he said: "I will only look to-day at what you have done since
coming here. Mrs. Flaxman tells me you have accomplished a good
expenditure of paint."
"I have only brought those, sir, I did not suppose you cared to examine
my school work."
"Some other time I may do so; but do you say all these have been done
since you came here?" He picked one up, not noticing apparently my reply,
and recognizing the view, instantly his face brightened.
"Ah, you have shown taste in this selection; it is one of my favorite
views. I am glad you prefer nature to mere copying from another's work
which is like accepting other men's ideas, when one is capable of
originating them of one's own." He looked at it closely and for some time
in silence, then with no further word of praise he criticised it
mercilessly, while he pointed out fault after fault. I could only
acquiesce in the correctness of his criticisms, and only wondered I
should have been so blind as to permit such glaring faults to creep into
my work. Of the many scores of drawing and painting lessons I had
previously taken, not any twelve of them, to say the least, had widened
my knowledge of art as this hour spent with my guardian over that first
picture had done.
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