Rich parents are an awful handicap to youth, and few indeed there be who have the strength to stand prosperity; especially is this true when prosperity is not achieved, but thrust upon them.

Joshua got hold of a copy of Richardson’s “Theory of Painting,” and found therein that the author prophesied the rise of a great school of English painters.

Joshua thought about it, talked with his brothers and sisters about it, and surprised his mother by asking her if she knew that there was soon to be a distinct school of British Art.

About this time there came to the village a strolling artist by the name of Warmell.  This man opened up a studio on the porch of the tavern and offered to make your picture while you wait.  He did a thriving business in silhouettes, and patrons who were in a hurry could have their profiles cut out of black paper with shears and pasted on a white background in a jiffy—­price, sixpence.

Joshua struck up quite a friendship with this man and was taught all the tricks of the trade—­even to the warning that in drawing the portrait of a homely man it is not good policy to make a really homely picture.

The best-paying pewholder in the Reverend Samuel Reynolds’ church was a Mr. Craunch, whose picture had been made by the joint efforts of the strolling artist Warmell and young Reynolds.  ’T was a very beautiful picture, although it is not on record that Mr. Craunch was a handsome man.

Warmell refused to take pay for Craunch’s picture, claiming that he felt it was pay enough to have the honor of such a great man sitting to him.  This remark proved to Craunch that Warmell was a discerning person and they were very soon on intimate terms of friendship.  Mr. Craunch gave Mr. Warmell orders to paint pictures of the Craunch family.  One day Warmell called the great man’s attention to the fact that young Reynolds, his volunteer assistant, had ambitions in an art way that could not be gratified unless some great and good man stepped in and played the part of a Maecenas.

In fact, Joshua wanted to go to London and study with Hudson, the son-in-law and pupil of Richardson, the eminent author who wrote the “Theory of Painting.”  Warmell felt sure that after a few months, with his help, young Reynolds could get the technique and the color-scheme, and a’ that, and the firm of Warmell and Reynolds could open a studio in Plymouth or Portsmouth and secure many good orders.

Craunch listened with patience and advised with the boy’s parents.

The next week he took the lad up to London and entered him as a pupil with the great Hudson, who could not paint much of a picture himself, but for a consideration was willing to show others how.

Rumor has it that Warmell got a certain sum in English gold for all pupils he sent to Hudson’s studio, but I take no stock in such insinuations.

Warmell here disappears from mortal view, like one of those stage trapdoor vanishings of Mephisto—­only Mephisto usually comes back, but Warmell never did.