Democratic Sentinel, Volume 17, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 May 1893 — A Story About Meissonler [ARTICLE]

A Story About Meissonler

Meissonier inherited his artistic genius from his mother. His father kept a shop and thoroughly despised the aspirations of the young-man. “Very well,” said he one day, “if, instead of learning my business, you are determined to enlist in the army of long-haired and long-bearded tramps that die of starvation, you can go. But I don’t want you to die of hunger. A man can live on 10 cents a day. I’ll give you 15 francs a month. That is the best way to enable - you to find out if you are really born a painter, as you say. But every time you are without the price of yoifr dinner come here and dine with us.” Meissonier accepted the offer. He began by peddling his sketches, but was not successful, and the 10 ' cents a day was not always sufficient to keep him. Every time that he was sorely pinched by hunger ho came to his father’s house at dessert time. “Have you dined?” was the usual question of his' father, and “Yes, sir, I have come just to join you in a cup of coffee,” was Meissonier’s regular reply.