“Art for Heart's Sake” by R. Goldberg "Here, take your juice
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Records
Prompts
“Art for Heart's Sake” by R
.
Goldberg
"Here
,
take your juice
,
" said Koppel
,
Mr
.
Ellsworth's servant and nurse
.
"No
,
" said Collis P
.
Ellsworth
.
"But it's good for you
,
sir
!
"
"The doctor insists on it
.
"
Koppel heard the front door bell and was glad to leave the room
.
He found Doctor Caswell in the hall downstairs
.
"I can't do a thing with him
,
" he told the doctor
.
" He doesn't want to take his juice
.
I can't persuade him to take his medicine
.
He doesn't want me to read to him
.
He hates TV
.
He doesn't like anything
!
"
Doctor Caswell took the information with his usual professional calm
.
This was not an ordinary case
.
The old gentleman was in pretty good health for a man of seventy
.
But it was necessary to keep him from buying things
.
His financial transactions always ended in failure
,
which was bad for his health
.
"How are you this morning
?
Feeling better
?
" asked the doctor
.
"I hear you haven't been obeying my orders
.
"
The doctor drew up a chair and sat down close to the old man
.
He had to do his duty
.
"I'd like to make a suggestion
,
" he said quietly
.
He didn't want to argue with the old man
.
Old Ellsworth looked at him over his glasses
.
The way Doctor Caswell said it made him suspicions
.
"What is it
,
more medicine
,
more automobile rides to keep me away from the office
?
" the old man asked with suspicion
.
"Not at all
,
" said the doctor
.
"I've been thinking of something different
.
As a matter of fact I'd like to suggest that you should take up art
.
I don't mean seriously of course
,
" said the doctor
,
"just try
.
You'll like it
.
"
Much to his surprise the old man agreed
.
He only asked who was going to teach him drawing
.
"I've thought of that too
,
" said the doctor
.
"I know a student from an art school who can come round once a week
.
If you don't like it
,
after a little while you can throw him out
.
"
The person he had in mind and promised to bring over was a certain Frank Swain
,
eighteen years old and a capable student
.
Like most students he needed money
.
Doctor Caswell kept his promise
.
He got in touch with Frank Swain and the lessons began
.
The old man liked it so much that when at the end of the first lesson Koppel came in and apologised to him for interrupting the lesson
,
as the old man needed a rest
,
Ellsworth looked disappointed
.
When the art student came the following week
,
he saw a drawing on the table
.
It was a vase
.
But something was definitely wrong with it
.
"Well
,
what do you think of it
?
" asked the old man stepping aside
.
"I don't mean to hurt you
,
sir
...
"
,
began Swain
.
"I see
,
" the old man interrupted
,
"the halves don't match
.
I can't say I am good at drawing
.
Listen
,
young man
,
" he whispered
.
"I want to ask you something before Old Juice comes again
.
I don't want to speak in his presence
.
"
"Yes
,
sir
,
" said Swain with respect
.
"I've been thinking
...
Could you come twice a week or perhaps three times
?
"
"Sure
,
Mr
.
Ellsworth
,
" the student said respectfully
.
"When shall I come
?
"
They arranged to meet on Monday
,
Wednesday and Friday
.
As the weeks went by
,
Swain's visits grew more frequent
.
The old man drank his juice obediently
.
Doctor Caswell hoped that business had been forgotten forever
.
When spring came
,
Ellsworth painted a picture which he called "Trees Dressed in White
.
" The picture was awful
.
The trees in it looked like salad thrown up
????????????????.
Then he announced that he was going to display it at the Summer Show at the Lathrop Gallery
.
Doctor Caswell and Swain didn't believe it
.
They thought the old man was joking
.
The summer show at the Lathrop Gallery was the biggest exhibition of the year
.
All outstanding artists in the United States dreamt of winning a Lathrop prize
.
To the astonishment of all "Trees Dressed in White" was accepted for the Show
.
Young Swain went to the exhibition one afternoon and blushed when he saw "Trees Dressed in White" hanging on the wall
.
As two visitors stopped in front of the strange picture
,
Swain rushed out
.
He was ashamed that a picture like that had been accepted for the show
.
However Swain did not give up teaching the old man
.
Every time Koppel entered the room he found the old man painting something
.
Koppel even thought of hiding the brush from him
.
The old man seldom mentioned his picture and was usually cheerful
.
Two days before the close of the exhibition Ellsworth received a letter
.
Koppel brought it when Swain and the doctor were in the room
.
"Read it to me
,
" asked the old man putting aside the brush he was holding in his hand
.
"My eyes are tired from painting
.
"
The letter said: "It gives the Lathrop Gallery pleasure to announce that Collis P
.
Ellsworth has been awarded the First Landscape Prize of ten thousand dollars for his painting "Trees Dressed in White"
.
Swain became dumb with astonishment
.
Koppel dropped the glass with juice he was about to give Ellsworth
.
Doctor Caswell managed to keep calm
.
"Congratulations
,
Mr
.
Ellsworth
,
" said the doctor
.
"Fine
,
fine
...
Frankly
,
I didn't expect that your picture would win the prize
.
Anyway I've proved to you that art is more satisfying than business
.
"
"Art is nothing
.
I bought the Lathrop Gallery
,
" said the old man highly pleased with the effect of his deception
.
Checkpoint & LoRA
Checkpoint
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