The person in attendance on these works of art was in all respects, shabbiness excepted, unlike the former personage.  His whole appearance and manner denoted briskness.  Though threadbare, he expressed to the crowd that poverty had not subdued his spirit, or tinged with any sense of shame this honest effort to turn his talents to some account.  The writing which formed a part of his composition was conceived in a similarly cheerful tone.  It breathed the following sentiments:  “The writer is poor, but not despondent.  To a British 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 Public he Pounds s. d. appeals.  Honour to our brave Army!  And also 0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 to our gallant Navy.  BRITONS STRIKE the A B C D E F G writer in common chalks would be grateful for any suitable employment HOME!  HURRAH!” The whole of this writing appeared to me to be exquisitely done.

But this man, in one respect like the last, though seemingly hard at it with a great show of brown paper and rubbers, was only really fattening the down-stroke of a letter here and there, or blowing the loose chalk off the rainbow, or toning the outside edge of the shoulder of mutton.  Though he did this with the greatest confidence, he did it (as it struck me) in so ignorant a manner, and so spoilt everything he touched, that when he began upon the purple smoke from the chimney of the distant cottage of the proprietor of the golden harvest (which smoke was beautifully soft), I found myself saying aloud, without considering of it: 

“Let that alone, will you?”

“Halloa!” said the man next me in the crowd, jerking me roughly from him with his elbow, “why didn’t you send a telegram?  If we had known you was coming, we’d have provided something better for you.  You understand the man’s work better than he does himself, don’t you?  Have you made your will?  You’re too clever to live long.”

“Don’t be hard upon the gentleman, sir,” said the person in attendance on the works of art, with a twinkle in his eye as he looked at me; “he may chance to be an artist himself.  If so, sir, he will have a fellow-feeling with me, sir, when I”—­he adapted his action to his words as he went on, and gave a smart slap of his hands between each touch, working himself all the time about and about the composition—­“when I lighten the bloom of my grapes—­shade off the orange in my rainbow—­dot the i of my Britons—­throw a yellow light into my cow-cum-ber—­insinuate another morsel of fat into my shoulder of mutton—­dart another zigzag flash of lightning at my ship in distress!”

He seemed to do this so neatly, and was so nimble about it, that the halfpence came flying in.

“Thanks, generous public, thanks!” said the professor.  “You will stimulate me to further exertions.  My name will be found in the list of British Painters yet.  I shall do better than this, with encouragement.  I shall indeed.”

“You never can do better than that bunch of grapes,” said Henrietta.  “Oh, Thomas, them grapes!”