Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 28, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 February 1910 — A TOUCH OF HOME. [ARTICLE]

A TOUCH OF HOME.

If photographers could employ on occasion some such stratagem as did Sir Joshua Reynolds at one ttane, there might be fewer melancholy and distraught llkenessses of men and women, both famous and unknown to the world. When the great musician, Haydn, was In England, one of the princes commissioned Sir Joshua Reynolds to paint a portrait of the composer. Haydn went to the painter* house and sat to him, but soon grew tired and dull. Sir Joshua, careful of his reputation, would not paint a man of acknowledged genius with a stupid countenance, and made some pretense for deferring the sitting till another day. The same weariness and lack of characteristic expressibn, however, were to be seen in the musl’cian's face when the next attempt was made. In great perturbation, Sir Joshua went to the prince and communicated his dilemma. They conferred together for some time, and at last the painter went home much relieved. The next day Haydn went to the painter’s house for the third- sitting. Soon his face lost its bright expression, and a dull dispirited look began to steal over his features. His eyps lost their brilliancy and he wore a despondent air. Just at that point a curtain was raised at one end of the room disclosing a pretty German girl, who was in the service of the queen. Seated at her ease, she smiled at the disconsolate composer and addressed him in his native tongue, making him a graceful compliment upon one of his recent compositions. Distantly Haydn’s face changed; overwhelmed his pretty countrywoman with questions. His eyes sparkled, and Reynolds, who could no longer complain of a lack of animation In his sitter’s countenance, set to work with a light heart and all possible speed to' catch its charm.