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Show FAME WON BY ACCIDENT. Sastien Z.epaEe'8 First Successful Picture Wns an Advertisement. The great French painter, Bastien Lepage, was pursued by unmerciful disaster dis-aster through his youth in his efforts to study art. His mother worked in the fields to keep that sickly boy at school. At 15 he went to Paris alone, starved for seven years, painted without success, but still painted. He had just finished a picture to send to the salon when Paris was besieged, and ho rushed with his comrades to the trenches. On the first day a shell fell into his studio and destroyed his pioturo, and another shell fell at his feet, wounding him. He was carried homo and lay ill and idle for two years. Then he returned re-turned to Paris, and, reduced to absolute abso-lute want, painted cheap fans for a living. liv-ing. Ono day a manufacturer of some patent medicine ordered a picture from him to illustrate its virtues. Lepage, who was sincere, gave his best work to the advertisement. Ho painted a landscape land-scape in the April sunlight. The leaves of tender green quivered in the breeze; a group of beautiful girls gathered around a fountain from which the elixir of youth sprang in a bubbling stream. Lepage believed there was real merit in it "Lit me offer it at the salon, " he asked his patron. Tho manufacturer was delighted. "JBufc first paint a rainbow arching over the fountain," ho said, "with tho name of my medicine upon it. " Lepage refused. re-fused. "Then I will not pay you a sou for the picture!" Tho price of this picture pic-ture meant bread for months, and the painter had long needed bread. The chance of admission to the salon was small. Ho hesitated. Then he silenced his hunger and carried tho canvas to tho salon. It was admitted. Its groai success insured Lopago a place in public recognition and h'S later work a plaoo among tho greatest of living artists. Ourrent Literature. xntontri |