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CONTENTS
Constructing a 30°/60° Cube Based on the Height Seeing Is the Key 176
of the Leading Edge 136 Using Axis Lines 177
Constructing a 45°/45° Cube Based on the Size Keeping It Simple 177
of the Base Square 137 Setting the Pace 178
First Alternative Method for Constructing Working from the Inside Out 178
a 45°/45° Cube 138
Enhancing the Illusion of Volume and Space
Second Alternative Method for Constructing
in the Human Form 178
a 45°/45° Cube 139
Line Variation in Figure Draw ing 178
Using Measuring Lines for Equal and Unequal Scaling Techn iques in Figure Drawing 179
Divisions of an Area 140 A General -to-Specific Approach to Form
Setting Up the Measuring Line 140 and Value in Figure Drawing 180
CON T ENT~ ix
T
he teaching of drawing as a fundamental discipline for Organization and Content
developing artists is of paramount concern to me, as
anyone who is familiar with my first book, The Art of The book is organized in terms of both direct studio ex-
Teaching Art: A Guide to Teaching and Learning the periences that are necessary for a solid and thorough
Foundations of Drawing-Based Art, will know. The sig- two-dimensional foundation education and supplemen-
nificance of the foundation experience for students of tal information that facilitates and informs the drawing
visual art cannot be overstated. The quality of this in- experience. Throughout the book, I emphasize the culti-
troductory experience has the power to broadly influ- vation of observational skills, increased sensitivity, tech-
ence a student's long-term attitude toward his or her nical refinement, critical thinking, and knowledge of
education in the arts . And, in considering all the vari- materials. More than 500 illustrations (including many
ables involved in this foundational experience, no high-quality student drawings) are provided with cap-
factor is more important than the teacher. She or he has tions that clarify the primary technical, formal, and/or
the capacity to create an atmosphere of wonder, confi- conceptual concern of each piece.
dence, and enthusiasm for the experience of learning, Chapter One addresses drawing experiences that are
or to create an atmosphere of dread, defeat, and dis- broadly applicable to any subject matter. Included are
couragement. As the facilitator of the learning experi- sighting methods for observing and recording relative
ence, the instructor's knowledge base, communication proportions, the relationship between parts and the
skills, self-confidence, preparedness, and enthusiasm whole, and an explanation of how and why sighting
for teaching are vital to a positive experience for both works; a comprehensive outline of fundamental compo-
the students and the instructor. sitional concerns including a discussion of viewfinders
Drawing Essentials: A Complete Guide to Drawing and the ways in which they aid composition, the visual
is designed to support instructors' efforts in making principles of composition, compositional variables, and
this foundational experience a rich and satisfying one the significance of thumbnail studies; a discussion of the
for students. As an introductory text for beginning Golden Section as an organizational and compositional
drawing students, Drawing Essentials is a no-frills, device and its relationship to the Fibonacci Series; tech-
nuts-and-bolts approach that addresses foundation- niques for creating meaningful line variation that com-
level drawing based on the classic model of highly at- municates form, volume, and space (including
tuned observational drawing. Unlike some drawing straight-line and planar construction); guidelines for
textbooks, Drawing Essentials does not specifically ad- observing and addressing tonal or value structure and
dress contemporary art movements or the history of how to use a general-to-specific method of tonal devel-
drawing, nor is it focused on extensive experimenta- opment; methods for developing space and depth on a
tion. While I consider these issues to be an important two-dimensional surface using achromatic media; scal-
and vital part of any art student's educational experi- ing techniques for determining consistent size relation-
ence, my primary focus is on essential foundational ships and placement of multiple forms in a spatial
experiences that provide a rich context for more ad- environment; and considerations for creating and light-
vanced and experimental explorations of drawing and ing an interesting and instructive still life arrangement.
related disciplines, and that help to clarify the rela- Chapter Two introduces perspective drawing with
tionship of drawing to both contemporary and histori- an emphasis on understanding perspective at an intro-
cal paradigms for the creation of art. ductory level. It demystifies this often-intimidating sub-
Drawing Essentials thoroughly addresses the three ject and is presented in a sequential manner so that each
drawing subcategories that are most important at the new area of investigation builds naturally on prior infor-
foundation level-basic drawing (non-subject-specific), mation to maximize comprehension. Both technical and
figure drawing (including anatomy), and perspective freehand perspective are introduced with an emphasis
drawing-explaining clearly and in depth the elements on the significance of a "perfect" cube as the geometric
that are essential to depicting form and space on a two- basis for creating a wide variety of forms and structures
dimensional surface. It is unique in that it clearly and that define and describe space and volume. Following a
thoroughly explains and illustrates key studio experi- discussion of the importance of proficiency in perspec-
ences that are not, in my estimation, satisfactorily fleshed tive and a list of relevant materials, tools, and vocabulary
out for students in other drawing textbooks. terms, concise instructions are given for one- and
_j xi
xii ~REFAC E
two-point cube construction and estimation of cube evaluating one's own work as well as evaluating the work
depth. An understanding of basic cube construction of others. Suggestions are made for identifying technical
provides the building blocks (quite literally) for in-depth and formal problems that repeatedly surface in founda-
investigations of gridded planes in both one- and two- tion-level work, with guidance provided for identifying
point perspective; multiple or sliding vanishing points and diagnosing what ails a drawing and what remedies
and when to use them; cube multiplication and cube di- will facilitate progress and improvement. Both group
vision; and the accurate construction of ellipses. and individual critiques are considered, citing the
Chapter Three, an elaboration of Chapter Two, ex- unique aspects and advantages of each. Key questions
plores more advanced perspective techniques. Topics for critiquing are provided to help guide the process of
include constructing mathematically precise cubes; identifying strengths and weaknesses in one's own work
using measuring lines for equal and unequal divisions of and the work of others. These questions are organized
an area; creating inclined planes such as stairways, roof- into categories such as composition, drawing, figure
tops, and box flaps; drawing geometric solids derived drawing, perspective, and color.
from cubes; transparent construction as a method for Chapter Seven provides an extensive discussion of
drawing a variety of cube-based objects; an introduction drawing materials and elaborates on both traditional and
to three-point perspective; and a series of perspective ex- non-traditional drawing media, drawing papers, and
ercises based on both observation and invention that other substrates. Included are instructions for alterna-
offer opportunities for a more creative exploration of tive processes that can be combined with drawing, such
both technical and freehand perspective. as photocopy or laser print transfers and Lazertran
Chapter Four applies basic drawing principles to the transfer processes that expand the experience of draw-
unique challenges presented by the human form, intro- ing. Numerous drawings and mixed media work by ad-
ducing information vital to studying and drawing the vanced students and widely recognized contemporary
figure. Included are guidelines for classroom etiquette artists are provided.
when drawing from a model; the application of sighting An Appendix features the work of more than 20 con-
in relation to the human figure; a comparison of male temporary artists whose studio practice is centered on
and female proportions; key elements of gesture draw- drawing and whose work both reinforces and expands
ing; consideration of volume and space in relation to the upon the traditional definitions of drawing. Some work fo-
figure; an in-depth discussion of portraiture; exercises cuses on representation and observationally based drawing,
for "mapping" the figure in an observed spatial environ- while other work explores expressive and/or interpretive
ment; the importance of artistic anatomy in the study of approaches to the practice of drawing. A brief discussion of
the figure; and a comprehensive outline and discussion the conceptual emphasis of each artist's work provides a
of significant skeletal and muscle structure that forms framework for understanding his or her intentions.
the basis for understanding artistic anatomy. Rather than rely primarily on illustrations by histori-
Chapter Five addresses both color theory and the cal masters and some contemporary artists, I've chosen to
use of color media in drawing. Beginning with an ex- include many illustrations created by students at all levels
ploration of fundamental color theory, the chapter pro- who have studied at Kendall College of Art and Design.
gresses to an in -depth investigation of color drawing Students of drawing have many resources for viewing the
media, specifically colored pencils, soft pastels, and oil work of established artists, but, for the beginning student,
pastels. Each medium is discussed individually with in- a textbook full of masterworks can be intimidating and
formation regarding the characteristics of the medium, even discouraging. To see what other students can accom-
information regarding student-grade and artist-grade plish using this book as a course of study establishes more
materials, tools and accessories for working with the accessible goals based on the work of peers. This edition
medium, advantages and disadvantages inherent in also provides powerful examples of what more advanced
working with each medium, suitable papers and other students can accomplish with a strong foundation draw-
substrates, and techniques and processes specific to ing background. Additionally, there are carefully selected
each medium. Over fifty full-color illustrations accom- drawings by historical masters and contemporary artists
pany the text to clarify the concepts being presented. throughout the book whose work highlights the accom-
Chapter Six begins with a discussion of the process plishments of the masters and the significance of drawing
of generating ideas and continues with a discussion of in contemporary studio practice.
PREFAC~ Xiii
This edition reflects my belief that drawing is the Twenty-two artists and examples of their work are
backbone for nearly all of the visual arts. Whether it is featured in the Contemporary Art: A Gallery ofDrawings
used as an end unto itself or as support for other forms of appendix. The appendix in the third edition has been ex-
expression (painting, printmaking, sculpture, illustra- panded to include new work by Nathan Heuer and the
tion, story boards, furniture design, industrial design, addition of four new artists and their work-Aneka
interior design, architectural blueprints, advertising Ingold, Ian Ingram, Zaria Forman, and Juan Perdiguero.
design, etc.), the ability to draw is an invaluable skill and Ninety-eight works are featured, including thirty-two
drawing is an exquisitely expressive medium. new works in full color.
In choosing the artists featured in Contemporary Art:
A Gallery of Drawings, I am especially interested in pro-
New to This Edition viding examples of a variety of traditional and experi-
mental media, techniques, and substrates, a range of
I have updated the book throughout, making numerous subject matter, and various strategies employed in the
changes and additions that are mostly image-based. In expression of ideas. This variety includes drawings made
response to suggestions from both students and instruc- from direct observation, drawings that rely on photo-
tors who use the second edition of Drawing Essentials, I graphic sources, drawings that explore expressive inter-
have included nineteen new works from historical mas- pretation, drawings that engage with imaginative
ters to illustrate a number of key concepts. This includes invention, drawings that are dependent upon color
nine additional masters' works in Chapter One, one in media, and drawings that utilize color as a secondary or
Chapter Two, seven in Chapter Four, and two in Chapter supportive component, as well as achromatic drawings,
Five. mixed media drawings, and more. There is so much
Chapter Four, with a continued emphasis on the work to choose from , and it is a daunting task to narrow
figure and artistic anatomy, includes additional talking my options to a manageable number of artists and their
points in relation to the skeletal structure and its impact work. I hope you enjoy the work featured in A Gallery of
on the human body. These talking points help students Drawings.
to understand the skeletal structure more thoroughly as For the first time in this third edition, I am including
well as helping them to compare and contrast various (when possible) the name of the instructor with whom
components of the skeleton and their specific functions. a student worked when I use a student drawing as an il-
Recognizing similarities and differences in the structure lustration. In earlier editions of Drawing Essentials as
and function of various parts of the skeleton takes the well as The Art of Teaching Art, the majority of the student
experience of studying artistic anatomy beyond simple work I used was drawn by students in my classes. As the
memorization and helps to create a curiosity concerning structure of programs at Kendall transformed over the
the presence and function of anatomy in our own bodies. years and enrollment continued to expand, additional
A good amount of the student work included through- faculty were hired and multiple sections of courses were
out Drawing Essentials is created by students in founda- offered, providing me with much more great student work
tion-level courses. In acknowledging the positive impact to use in subsequent editions. I am grateful for the access
of strong foundational skills on the work of more mature I have to all of the student work created under the instruc-
artists, I also continue to include the work of advanced tion of my colleagues. In those instances where no in-
undergraduate students in our BFA programs as well as structor is noted, either the instructor is unknown or I
graduate students in our MFA programs. Individual was the instructor.
drawings by contemporary artists, some well-known and This third edition of Drawing Essentials is the culmi-
others lesser known, can also be found throughout Draw- nation of thirty-four years of teaching experience and
ing Essentials. I think it is beneficial for both students and represents my passion for all that drawing is, my love for
instructors to experience a variety of work from diverse teaching and learning, and my desire to assist both stu-
sources in providing visual examples as companions to dents and instructors in their pursuit of excellence.
text. In Chapters One through Seven, there are seventy- Without question, the student of drawing embarks on a
two new works included. Some of these new works re- life-changing journey of great challenge, reward, and
place works from the second edition, while other new personal responsibility. I hope this book enriches your
works expand upon the existing illustrations. travels all along the way!
xiv ~AEFACE
s a practice that has been a significant aspect charcoal on reconstructed plank walls from slave-era
_j
2 ~ TR O DU C TI ON
wall-size graphite drawings, the large-scale drawings twenty years. These new works demonstrate the rich-
of Los Carpinteros (a Cuban collaborative group), ness and complexity of the medium of drawing and its
and Robert Longds ongoing series of wall-size char- central position in the artistic process, and catapult the
coal and ink drawings on paper. In some cases very Museum's collection into an unequaled position for
large paper pieces hang freely on the wall, while in contemporary drawing:' Selections from the collection
other instances the paper is mounted on wood or a were featured at MOMA in a major 2009-2010 exhibi-
stretched canvas backing for additional support. tion titled Compass in Hand.
Finally, how do we characterize the work of South It is clear that contemporary drawing is alive and
African artist William Kentridge? His beautiful and well and receiving considerable critical attention
evocative charcoal drawings (with occasional pas- as a force to be reckoned with in contemporary art,
sages of red or blue soft pastel) are executed on paper particularly in the hands of the upcoming genera-
and recorded on film/video as they shift and change tion of younger artists. Recent books and exhibitions
through additive and subtractive processes, result- dedicated to the drawing practice of established and
ing in both finished and framed drawings as well as emerging contemporary artists are highlighting the
hand-drawn animated films. The drawings become significance of drawing in the twenty-first century,
films; the films are a record of drawings. including the work of Michael Borremans, Robert
Many contemporary art organizations, exhibitions, Longo, Amy Cutler, Julie Mehretu, Damien Hirst,
and publications, such as the Drawing Center in New Gerhard Richter, Jenny Saville, Rachel Whiteread,
York City, Drawing Now: Eight Propositions (Museum Anthony Goicolea, Marcel Dzarna, Ethan Murrow,
of Modern Art, 2002), Vitamin D: New Perspectives Vija Celmins, William Kentridge, Tracy Emin, Sophie
in Drawing (Phaidon Press, 2005), and Vitamin D2: Jodoin, Odd Nerdrum, and many more.
New Perspectives in Drawing (Phaidon Press, 2013), Within my own practice as an artist and a teacher,
increasingly interpret drawing as broadly as possible, I believe in the significance of introductory experi-
encompassing both draftsmanship and experimental ences that acknowledge and embrace the technical
art to emphasize the complexity, variety, innovation, and formal traditions of drawing, ultimately provid-
and relevance of the practice of drawing in contem- ing the context for a broader scope of contemporary
porary art. Some of the materials and supports that drawing practices. Students benefit from exploring
comprise this expanded definition of contemporary both objective observation and subjective interpreta-
drawing include graphite, charcoal, ink, watercolor, tion, with emphasis on the interdependence of process
gouache, pencil, crayon, conte, acrylic, felt-tip pen, and product. At more advanced levels there is a broad-
colored pencil, marker, gunpowder, ballpoint pen, oil, ened exploration of drawing that includes alternative
latex paint, carbon paper, chalk, soft pastel, correction and mixed-media drawing processes as potential ele-
fluid, cut paper, wax, gesso, silverpoint, carbon, used ments in the advanced investigation of drawing as a
motor oil, paper of all kinds (including gessoed paper, vehicle for personal expression. Drawing thrives as an
tracing paper, vellum, Mylar, newspaper pages, craft independent discipline, as an element of mixed-media
paper, found paper), photographs, photocopies, raw investigation, and as a vital resource for the investiga-
wood, painted or prepared wood, acetate, blackboard, tion of other disciplines.
cardboard, walls, and canvas. It is my hope that the third edition of Drawing
In 2005, the Museum of Modern Art in New York Essentials will provide a resource for any student who
announced the acquisition of the Judith Rothschild is passionate about learning to draw. I am confident
Foundation Contemporary Drawings Collection, com- that the instruction and guidance offered here pro-
prising nearly 2,600 drawings by more than 640 ma- vides a solid foundation for further investigation of
jor and emerging artists toward the achievement of its drawing and related disciplines at both a personal and
goal to assemble "the widest possible cross section of advanced level.
contemporary drawing made primarily within the past -d.a.r.
Essential Skills and Information
What Every Student Should Know About Drawing
Sighting and the Use form in space, you must make the translation yourself.
The process of sighting provides a great method for
of a Sighting Stick making this translation easily and effectively.
orne of you have been introduced to sighting,
CJ /
ESSENTIAL SKILLS AND INFORMATIOIIl_j 5
the ice'' of a blank piece of paper and gives a sense of placing the tip of your thumb on the sighting stick so
how the objects being referred to will occupy the pa- that it corresponds visually with another part of that
per surface. More information on using a viewfinder form, you are able to make a relative measurement
is found later in this chapter. of the distance between any two parts or points. By
In beginning the actual sighting process, remem- understanding this simple procedure, you can ap-
ber that your point of reference should be sighted ply sighting techniques in a number of ways to help
and drawn first (Figure l-5). By aligning one end of you attain greater accuracy in your drawings. When
the sighting stick visually with one part of a form and sighting for relative or comparative proportions, be-
gin by sighting to establish the relationship between
the total width of the form (distance from farthest
left to farthest right point) and the total height of
the form (distance from highest to lowest point)
(Figure l-6). For example, you can sight the width
of a fruit or vegetable or a bottle at its widest point
by extending your sighting stick at arm's length and
recording the distance from one edge to the other
through the placement of your thumb on the stick.
( Keeping your thumb in position on the sighting
stick, rotate the stick to a vertical position and ob-
serve how many times the width of the form repeats
itself in the height of the form. You can then main-
tain this same relationship in your drawing, regard-
less of how large or small you choose to represent the
object on your drawing surface. I recommend that
you sight what you perceive to be the smaller mea-
surement first, and then compare that smaller mea-
surement to the larger measurement. Remember to
begin the process by observing what you wish to use
Figure 1-6. Student work. Emily LaBus. The body of the beet, as your unit of measure.
which serves as the unit of measure, is isolated from the root Begin to visually break the object down, if it is
and the stalks that are added later. Vertical lines show the more complex, into component parts, sighting the
width of the unit of measure in relation to the entire still life. size relationships between different parts. Work from
ESSENTIAL SKILLS AND INFORMATIOIIl_j 7
Figure 1-7. Student work. Lea (Momi) Antonio. The lamp has
numerous parts, making it more complex than other forms.
The relative simplicity of the base of the lamp, with a clearly
defined width and height, is helpful in defining the proportions
of the rest of the lamp. The broken line indicates half the
height of the unit of measure.
Figure 1-9. Student work (detail). Laura Gajewski. In this Figure 1-8. Student work. Sheila Grant. The garlic bulb in the
foreshortened view, the height and width of the bottle are foreground is the unit of measure. Its height in relation to each
nearly the same. The height of the bottle would be nearly individual form in the still life is shown. Broken lines indicate
twice the width if the bottle was not foreshortened. half the height of the unit of measure.
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eBook.
Language: English
BY
HARRIET MARTINEAU.
IN NINE VOLUMES.
VOL. VI.
LONDON:
CHARLES FOX, PATERNOSTER-ROW.
MDCCCXXXIV.
LONDON:
Duke-street, Lambeth.
CONTENTS.
A Tale.
BY
HARRIET MARTINEAU.
LONDON:
1833.
PREFACE.
Chap. Page
1. Mourning 1
2. An Excursion 21
3. Family Arrangements 42
4. Wise Men at Supper 56
5. Going Northwards 81
6. News from Home 90
7. A Night's Probation 108
8. News at Home 124
9. Close of a brief Story 132
Messrs. VANDERPUT & SNOEK.
Chapter I.
MOURNING.
During the days when the prosperity of the United Provinces was
at its height,--that is, during the latter half of the 17th century,--it
could hardly be perceived that any one district of Amsterdam was
busier than another, at any one hour of the day. There was traffic in
the markets, traffic on the quays, the pursuit of traffic in the streets,
and preparation for traffic in the houses. Even at night, when the
casks which had been piled before the doors were all rolled under
shelter, and dogs were left to watch the bales of merchandize which
could not be stowed away before dark, there was, to the eye of a
stranger, little of what he had been accustomed to consider as
repose. Lights glanced on the tossing surface of the Amstel, as
homeward-bound vessels made for the harbour, or departing ships
took advantage of the tide to get under weigh. The hail of the pilots
or the quay-keepers, or of a careful watchman here and there, or the
growl and bark of a suspicious dog, came over the water or through
the lime avenues with no unpleasing effect upon the wakeful ear,
which had been so stunned by the tumult of noon-day as scarcely to
distinguish one sound from another amidst the confusion.
One fine noon, however, in the summer of 1696, a certain portion
of the busiest district of Amsterdam did appear more thronged than
the rest. There was a crowd around the door of a handsome house
in the Keiser's Graft, or Emperor's-street. The thickly planted limes
were so far in leaf as to afford shade from the hot sun, reflected in
gleams from the water in the centre upon the glaring white fronts of
the houses; and this shade might tempt some to stop in their course,
and lounge: but there were many who were no loungers flocking to
the spot, and making their way into the house, or stationing
themselves on the painted bench outside till they should receive a
summons from within.
The presence of one person, who stood motionless before the
entrance, sufficiently explained the occasion of this meeting. The
black gown of this officer, and his low cocked hat, with its long tail of
black crape, pointed him out as the Aanspreeker who, having the
day before made the circuit of the city to announce a death to all who
knew the deceased, was now ready to attend the burial. He stood
prepared to answer all questions relative to the illness and departure
of the deceased, and the state of health and spirits of the family, and
to receive messages for them, to be delivered when they might be
supposed better able to bear them than in the early hours of their
grief. Seldom were more inquiries addressed to the Aanspreeker
than in the present instance, for the deceased, Onno Snoek, had
been one of the chief merchants of Amsterdam, and his widow was
held in high esteem. The officer had no sooner ended his tale than
he had to begin it again;--how the patient's ague had appeared to be
nearly overcome; how he had suffered a violent relapse; how the
three most skilful French apothecaries had been called in, in addition
to the native family physician; how, under their direction, his son
Heins had opened the choicest keg of French brandy, the most
precious packages of Batavian spices in his warehouse, for the sake
of the sick man; how, notwithstanding these prime medicaments, the
fever had advanced so rapidly as to prevent the patient from being
moved even to the window, to see a long expected ship of his firm
come to anchor before his own door; how he seemed to have
pleasure in catching a glimpse of her sails through the trees as he
lay in bed; but how all his endeavours to live till morning that he
might hear tidings of the cargo, had failed, and rather hastened his
end, insomuch that he breathed his last before dawn.
Among the many interrogators appeared a young man who was
evidently in haste to enter the house, but wished first to satisfy
himself by one or two questions. He wore the dress of a presbyterian
clergyman, and spoke in a strong French accent.
"I am in haste," he said, "to console my friends, from whom I have
been detained too long. I was at Saardam yesterday, and did not
hear of the event till this morning. I am in haste to join my friends; but
I must first know in what frame the husband,--the father,--died. Can
you tell me what were the last moments which I ought to have
attended?"
The officer declared that they were most edifying. The patient's
mind was quite collected.
"Thank God!" exclaimed M. Aymond, the divine.
"Quite collected," continued the officer, "and full of thought for
those he left behind, as he showed by the very last thing he said. He
had most carefully arranged his affairs, and given all his directions in
many forms; but he remembered, just in time, that he had omitted
one thing. He called Mr. Heins to his bed-side, and said, 'my son,
there is one debtor of ours from whom you will scarce recover
payment, as I never could. Meyerlaut has for many months evaded
paying me for the last ebony we sold to him. Let him therefore make
my coffin.--Stay!--I have not done yet.--You will, in course of nature,
outlive your mother. Let her have a handsome coffin from the same
man; and if it should please Heaven to take more of you, as our
beloved Willebrod was taken, you will bear the same thing in mind,
Heins, I doubt not; for you have always been a dutiful son.'"
"This is the way Heins told you the fact?" asked Aymond. "Well,
but were these the last,--the very last words of the dying man?"
Heins had mentioned nothing that was said afterwards; so the
divine pursued his way into the house with a sad countenance.
Instead of joining the guests in the outer apartment, he used the
privilege of his office, and of his intimacy with the family, and passed
through to the part of the house where he knew he should find the
widow and her young people. Heins met him at the door, saying,
"I knew you would come. I have been persuading my mother to
wait, assuring her that you would come. How we have wished for
you! How we----"
Aymond, having grasped the hand of Heins, passed him to return
the widow's greeting. She first stood to receive the blessing he
bestowed in virtue of his office, and then, looking him calmly in the
face, asked him if he had heard how God had been pleased to make
her house a house of mourning.
"I find dust and ashes where I looked for the face of a friend,"
replied the divine. "Can you submit to Heaven's will?"
"We have had grace to do so thus far," replied the widow. "But
whether it will be continued to us when----"
Her eyes filled, and she turned away, as if to complete her
preparations for going forth.
"Strength has thus far been given according to thy day," said
Aymond. "I trust that it will be thus bestowed for ever." And he gave
his next attention to one whom he was never known to neglect; one
who loved him as perhaps nobody else loved him,--Heins's young
brother, Christian.
Christian had suffered more in the twelve years of his little life than
it is to be hoped many endure in the course of an ordinary existence.
A complication of diseases had left him in a state of weakness from
which there was little or no hope that he would ever recover, and
subject to occasional attacks of painful illness which must in time
wear him out. He had not grown, nor set a foot to the ground, since
he was five years old: he was harassed by a perpetual cough, and in
constant dread of the return of a capricious and fearful pain which
seldom left him unvisited for three days together, and sometimes
lasted for hours. When in expectation of this pain, the poor boy could
think of little else, and found it very difficult to care for any body; but
when suffering from nothing worse than his usual helplessness, his
great delight was to expect M. Aymond, and to get him seated
beside his couch. Aymond thought that he heard few voices more
cheerful than that of his little friend, Christian, when it greeted him
from the open window, or made itself heard into the passage,--'Will
you come in here, M. Aymond? I am in the wainscoat parlour to-day,
M. Aymond.'
Christian had no words at command this day, He stretched out his
arms in silence, and sighed convulsively when released from the
embrace of his friend.
"Did I hurt you? Have you any of your pain to-day?"
"No; not yet. I think it is coming; but never mind that now. Kaatje
will stay with me till you come back. You will come back, M.
Aymond."
When the pastor consented, and the widow approached to bid
farewell to her child for an hour, Christian threw his arms once more
round Aymond's neck. His brother Luc, a rough strong boy of ten,
pulled them down, and rebuked him for being so free with the pastor;
and little Roselyn, the spoiled child of the family, was ready with her
lecture too, and told how she had been instructed to cross her hands
and wait till M. Aymond spoke to her, instead of jumping upon him as
she did upon her brother Heins. Christian made no other reply to
these rebukes than looking with a smile in the face of the pastor, with
whom he had established too good an understanding to suppose
that he could offend him by the warmth of an embrace.
"I am sorry you cannot go with us, my poor little Christian," said
Heins, who had a curious method of making his condolences
irksome and painful to the object of them. "I am sorry you cannot pay
this last duty to our honoured parent. You will not have our
satisfaction in looking back upon the discharge of it."
"Christian is singled out by God for a different duty," observed the
pastor. "He must show cheerful submission to his heavenly parent
while you do honour to the remains of an earthly one."
Christian tried to keep this thought before him while he saw them
leaving the room, and heard the coffin carried out, and the long train
of mourners, consisting of all the acquaintance of the deceased,
filing away from the door.--When the last step had passed the
threshold, and it appeared from the unusual quiet that the crowd had
followed the mourners, Christian turned from the light, and buried his
face in one of the pillows of his couch, so that Katrina, the young
woman who, among other offices, attended upon him and his little
sister, entered unperceived by him. She attracted his attention by the
question which he heard oftener than any other,--'the pain?'
"No," answered the boy, languidly turning his head; "I was only
thinking of the last time----" Either this recollection, or the sight of
Katrina's change of dress overcame him, and stopped what he was
going to say. The short black petticoat, measuring ten yards in width,
exhibited its newness by its bulk, its plaits not having subsided into
the moderation of a worn garment. The blue stockings, the neat
yellow slippers had disappeared, and the gold fillagree clasps in the
front of the close cap were laid aside till the days of mourning should
be ended. While Christian observed all this, contemplating her from
head to foot, Katrina took up the discourse where he had let it fall.
"You were thinking of the last time my master had you laid on the
bed beside him. It will always be a comfort to you, Christian, that he
told you where he was departing."
"He did not tell me that," said the boy; "and that is just what I was
wondering about. He said he was going, and I should like to know if
he could have told where."
"To be sure he could. He was one of the chosen, and we know
where they go. So much as you talk with the pastor, you must know
that."
"I know that it is to heaven that they go, but I want to know where
heaven is. Some of them say it is paradise; and some, the New
Jerusalem; and some, that it is up in the sky among the angels. But
do all the chosen know where they are going?"
Certainly, Katrina believed. The dying believer was blessed in his
hope. Christian was not yet satisfied.
"I think I shall know when I am dying," said he. "At least, I often
think I am dying when my pain comes in the night; but I do not know
more about where I am going then than at other times."
Katrina hoped his mind was not tossed and troubled on this
account.
"O, no; not at all. If God is good to me, and takes care of me here,
he will keep me safe any where else, and perhaps let me go about
where I like. And O, Kaatje, there will be no more crying, nor pain! I
wish I may see the angels as soon as I die. Perhaps father is with
the angels now. I saw the angels once, more than once, I think; but
once, I am sure."
In a dream, Katrina supposed.
"No, in the broad day, when I was wide awake. You know I used to
go to the chapel before my cough was so bad; as long ago as I can
remember, nearly. There are curious windows in that chapel, quite
high in the roof; and I often thought the day of judgment was come;
and there was a light through those windows shining down into the
pulpit; and there the angels looked in. I thought they were come for
me, unless it was for the holy pastor."
"But would you have liked to go?"
"Yes: and when the prayer came after the sermon, instead of
listening to the pastor, I used to pray that God would send the angels
to take me away."
Katrina thought that if Christian had lived in another country, he
would have made a fine martyr.
"I don't know," said the boy, doubtfully. "I have thought a great deal
about that, and I am not so sure as I used to be. If they only cut off
my head, I think I could bear that. But as for the burning,--I wonder,
Kaatje, whether burning is at all like my pain. I am sure it cannot be
much worse."
Katrina could not tell, of course; but she wished he would not talk
about burning, or about his pain; for it made him perspire, and
brought on his cough so as to exhaust him to a very pernicious
degree. He must not talk any more now, but let her talk to him. He
had not asked yet what company had come to the funeral.
Christian supposed that there was every body whom his father
had known in Amsterdam.
Yes, every body: and as there were so many to drink spirits at the
morning burial, her mistress chose to invite very few to the afternoon
feast. Indeed her mistress seemed disposed to have her own way
altogether about the funeral. Every body knew that Mr. Heins would
have liked to have it later in the day, and would not have minded the
greater expense for the sake of the greater honour.
"I heard them talk about that," said Christian. "My mother told
Heins that it was a bad way for a merchant to begin with being
proud, and giving his father a grand funeral; and that the best honour
was in the number of mourners who would be sure to follow an
honest man, whether his grave was filled at noon or at sunset. My
mother is afraid of Heins making a show of his money, and learning
to fancy himself richer than he is."
Katrina observed that all people had their own notions of what it
was to be rich. To a poor servant-maid who had not more than 1000
guilders out at interest----
"But your beautiful gold chain, Kaatje! Your silver buckles! I am
sure you must have ten pair, at the least."
"Well, but, all this is less than many a maid has that has been at
service a shorter time than I have. To a poor maid-servant, I say, it
seems like being rich to have I don't know how many loaded ships
between China and the Texel."