Page:How to show pictures to children (IA howtoshowpictur00hurl).pdf/79

wall, and the children listened to the story of the old Venetian painter’s devotion to his motherless daughter. I told them how he loved to dress her in pretty clothes to make pictures of her; how he used to send for her when he was entertaining his guests in the garden and let her bring luscious fruits for their refreshment. When the question came, “Would any little girl like to play Lavinia?” every girl in the room was at our disposal. A little Jewess with kinky hair and round face came nearest to the type, but her “middy blouse” made her impossible. The child who wore the right kind of dress (as to cut) had little sticks of arms too weak to lift a tray of fruit. Here was a dilemma till the resourceful teacher hit upon the simple expedient of having the two exchange dresses for a few minutes. Lavinia advanced shyly, but forgot herself in the absorbing occupation of arranging the fruit just as in the picture. We had supplied a ten-cent silver tray for the purpose. Carefully but decidedly the child placed each apple, then set the lemon aslant in the foreground, and laid on top the pink cotton rose we gave her. Then she took a long, steady look at the picture, as she was bidden, lifted the tray to the level of the forehead, turned her face to the audience, and behold Lavinia in the flesh, With instinctive grace she had poised the tray in exactly the right way, her plump arms describing the same curve as the original Lavinia’s. An immediate success like this is a rare inspiration. Perhaps one ought not to expect to reach perfection twiee. When the photographer came the next week to catch