And I wished more than ever I were one of them.
CHAPTER VIII
THE BREAKING OF THE LEAGUE
There is no doubt in my mind that nature designed me for a great
painter. A railway director interfered with that design of nature, as he
has with many another of hers, and by the transmission of an order for
mountain pieces by the dozen, together with a cheque so large that I
feared there was some mistake, he determined me to be an illustrator and
designer for railway and like publications. I do not like these people
ordering 'by the dozen.' Why should they not consider an artist's finer
feelings? Perhaps they cannot understand them; but they understand my
pictures, and I understand their cheques, and there we are quits. But
so it came that I remained in Black Rock long enough to witness the
breaking of the League.
Looking back upon the events of that night from the midst of gentle and
decent surroundings, they now seem strangely unreal, but to me then they
appeared only natural.
It was the Good Friday ball that wrecked the League.
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