You have perhaps heard of Benjamin West, the celebrated artist. I will
tell you about his first effort in drawing.
One of his sisters, who had been married some time, came with her babe
to spend a few days at her father's. When the child was asleep in the
cradle, Mrs. West invited her daughter to gather flowers in the garden,
and told Benjamin to take care of the little child while they were gone;
and gave him a fan to flap away the flies from his little charge. After
some time the child appeared to smile in its sleep, and it attracted
young Benny's attention. He was so pleased with the smiling, sleeping,
babe that he thought he would see what he could do at drawing a portrait
of it. He was only in his seventh year; he got some paper, pens, and
some red and black ink, and commenced his work, and soon drew the
picture of the babe.
Hearing his mother and sister coming in from the garden, he hid his
picture; but his mother seeing he was confused, asked him what he was
about, and requested him to show her the paper. He obeyed, and entreated
her not to be angry. Mrs. West, after looking some time, with much
pleasure, said to her daughter, "I declare, he has made a likeness of
_little Sally_," and kissed him with evident satisfaction. This gave him
much encouragement, and he would often draw pictures of flowers which
she held in her hand. Here the instinct of his great genius was first
awakened. This circumstance occurred in the midst of a Pennsylvania
forest, a hundred and four years ago. At the age of eighteen he was
fairly established in the city of Philadelphia as an artist.
[Illustration]