Page:Orange Grove.djvu/119

 she took of his favorite picture as well as he could, Walter observed to a school-fellow standing by,

"Wouldn't you like to be an artist and dwell iu such a world of beauty?"

"No, not I. I would rather be a spectator of the beauty after it is created, than work so hard to create it. Only think what a task it must be to get every tint and shade just right, and you know an unnatural painting is a most ugly thing to look at."

"That's true. One ought to have a natural gift for it like Michael Angelo when he saw a divine form imprisoned in a block of marble. As for the labor, an artist must enjoy it, thus being able to create from the resources of his own mind, and never can suffer for want of any thing to kill thought."

"Then I suppose you will be an artist," replied his companion.

"Oh no, I am going to be a lawyer."

"You a lawyer! impossible! I would as soon be a thief as a lawyer."

"Why? in a theoretical sense it seems to me one could do so much in that line for promoting the welfare of the world, when law and government form the basis of society."

"For promoting the misery of the world I should say, in a practical sense. They'll lie as fast as they can speak, and make black white if they can advance their client's cause, and make a penny by it," retorted his companion as he walked along.

"Don't you think that is a funny picture," said Walter to Rosalind, trying a second time to get her interested in it. "You used to be so fond of paint-