THE CALL-UP
Page
↑ THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 22, 1955.
Page
NEW
| CONSCRIPTS
[REPORT HERE
2.0
by GILES
Attention, please, gontlemen. The only cutting we're doing round here today is your 'air.'
One of the world's strangest stories .
For 77 years
she was unknown-then she bought paint and brushes. This year 20,000,000 Christmas cards bear the name of
GRANDMA MOSES
"N the year 1860, when Abrahami Lineatu was 'reted President of the United States of America, there was burn
011
By JOHN
Eagle Bridge nearly 90 yours age and asking why every remote farm in
thing was draped in black. Washington County. New
Lincoln had been shot the York State, to Margaret Shanahan Robertson, wife night before and the tiny of Russell King Robertson, girl was deeply disturbed by the comment of the mut a girl who was named Anna Mary heenuse her mother who gave them the news; "Oh, what will become of us didn't like the combination
Now!** Mary Anne.
الأن
unremarkalde event. you would think, especially as Auna Mary was one ol ten children, ant
N
especially against a hack.
Remembers First Thanksgiving
MARSHALL
In any case there wasn't much time, for children had
As we walked round the living- Grandma
pointed out some framex, worsted pictures with
to work hard between which she use lessons. At 12 she left school to beguile the One at Eagle Bridge to go into evenings.
day her sister Celestia saw domestic service, and it was
them sunst sugTM gested she
hould shi
in the home of Mr and Mrs she met their James that hired man, Thomas Salmon Moses, who was thrifty, tem- perate and of good repute. girls had to be careful, for so many young men in those days turned out to be chicken thieves.
In 1887 they were married and
adventurous
journey through Washington to
She remembers vividly eloth of history しまし which her first Thanksgiving, her went South. the storm clouds of the Civil first Independence Day, her War were gathering. Yel
first thunderstorm--all in with all the stirring events.
the sixties. She remembers,
Uve Shenandoah Valley, Lit Virginia. There she lived for 25
and stored in that matrix memory of hers the glowing scenes
of winter and spring,
try li in stead
And as Grandma, then 77, was freed ar
inst from domesticefliones, sho bought herself paint and brushes and "had a go," though her hands
garled arthritis.
DIAL
more,
from
London Express Érvice
Yet, Grandma, remains esseN- tially simple and everything about her home is simple, too.
accom
no
Thore's the plane, slightly senior to herself ("so old there's When she had painted a few nobody left that can tune fl"),
which pictures a friend unged her to furnitin send them down to old Thomas's panied Grandma through much drug store, which still overlooks of her life, a TV set, by Hoosick Falls. There they were means among the more recent of those times Anna Mary ton, at the age of seven,
seen by a New York art gollector models. She herself wears de- still lives--and not only lives gathering the sap from the
anted mure black with a single piece who bought the lot and wanted
tive of but adds daily
her to
A relative To see som which she was to bring to vivid
In addition to her vijue maple trees for the process life again on canvas more than told him Grandma had about Jewellery, Cup at no great fame throughout the world. known as "sugaring off," the 60 years later.
engage "But 1 hadn't," said she, ment and wedding rings, For Anno Mary Robert-
title of one of her most
Ten children they had, Urough "and I couldn'i sleep all that simply does not occur to her to son, boru nearly 96 years notable pictures.
only five survived infancy. Her night. I rummaged around and spend any of her wealth
and 1
luxuries on herself or her home, cut one in ago, is felny eminent far
need for How valuable have been life though often louched with found some
sorrow was on the whole happy half to make two and framed "I have just what I
лаук outside her own land
those recollections, for they "We had all the wants of life
The halves.
never knew my Grandma Moses, one of the
have formed the basis for and good neighbours," Grandma that for years, until I told him," she. phenomena of this history many fine paintings, enrich surns up.
Became Famous packed century. Until she
Grandma's greatest SUITOW ing incalculably the folklore was 77 she was completely
ut her country. For folk me in 1927 when Thomas died. They had returne! to Eagle Ind unknown and
Fridge to the farm life they
never
thought of being a painter. pictures they are, and you
Yet, today she is America's
celebrated most
contem-
porary artist, with 1.200 paintings to her credit, and with 20,000,000 cards re- produced from some of them going round the globe this Christmas,
Improving All
The Time
Fabulous, is it not? Yel Grandma Moses believes that her best work muy be ahend of her. With modesty. she said to me in her little home in romute Eagle Bridge, some 200 miles from
With
CATCHING THE
THANKSGIVING TÜRKEY
One of Grandma's paintings has been bought by the Louvre, and another ve have been touring Europo in contem- exhibition of porary American art,
*1
Overnight
own requirements,"
She marks in pencil a price on all her pictures far, far below their value in the salerooms. The money she makes really means nothing to her
except to help her very large family of That was the start of it. five children, 12 grandchildren There were demands for more and 19 great-grandchlidren."
matters to my and more pictures, exhibitions, leave all money arudla interview, trips to New lawyer," said Grandma, York and Washington Grand There is a classic question in- IDA Moses Christmas cards, terviewers address to nonogen- Grandma Moses fabrics, visitors arians and centenarians: TO by the hundred, jetters by the what do you attribute your
thousand, requests attend
I didn't ask it, I this, that and the other funefond longevity?""
you. In assure
In Grandma's case She had become famous over- the answer is obvious, if you are lucky enough to spend a Yet today Grandma Moses is few hours with her as I did. It as simple a person as she was is an enoromus rest for Hue.
that fateful day when She looks forward, not Celestia told her to try
even in her 10th year.
"I have a compact with my anyone would love to have, doctor, she told me, "to dance She is tiny and fragile, five- an Irish lg on my 100th birth- fect-minus and
five-stone- day" with
night,
on
She the sort
to
of ne
minus, but so brimming
And her final words
back,
were:
vitality that just to meet her is "Now you come out to see me an unforgettable
again in the spring. It's just ble experience. Sho Ig wist, witty and kindly, lovely here then."
Spelling Wi
Her
0
Os
bit chaky but New York: "I'm improving may call them primitive, if
her knowledge of life and people Is profound.
She la no intel- all the time. I have only to you like, but they have cap-
lectual but she can discuss any look at some
of my
old tured for ever some of the
thing with shrewd good humour. paintings (those painted scenes and simple cere
No wonder then that when she when she
met President Truman she was in her monies of the American
not in the least nervous but eighties) to see how much countryside of nearly a cen-
could only think of him bettor the present ones are." tury ago.
Harry, one of her boys! Let me sketch the rich
from
$110 "I paint mostly
Grandma chuckled as talked to me about that after- life of this astounding memory," Grandma Moses
Foon
at Blair House. After tea human being who remains told me. "I just shut my
there หล thunderstorm completely unaffected by the eyes and there is the scene knew so well-work and bed, the on't be afraid," said the Pre- fame timt has come to her in detail. Sometimes I use prayer meeting, and simple. sident, this large house has country-holiday junketings. Now many lightning-rods in it," in old age. She calls herself imagination as well, but Grandma, her family grown up, Grandma gave me a sly smile. Scot, and likes to add, with very rarely paint the land was clone. She liked to
It was clear that Grandma was All there are a a twinkle in her eye, that scape in front of me.
flaescreen
be afraid of ony- unlikely to she has a dash of English, my pictures show things as with trees and green grass and thing in this world,
an ancient table with typical French and Indian, too. they are, or were, As for landscaper round its stout, sup- Hor Boy the
Somewhere in the family that modern stuff, well, I porting pillar-but she had tree there was a marriage Just don't understand it." never thought about it seriously.
President That table was her worlz-tab} to an Indian girl, and Grand. In childhood days Anna Grandma told me as she showed ma enjoys administering Mary never thought of being me round her home, the little mild shocks with this a painter. Her father showed L-shaped cottage aear the old way, is President Elsonhower, revolation. Once, when a a certain untutored talent farm. "No,
you though she hasn't met Him. On visitor was boasting about and sometimes Anna Mary where I work because it'e such the living-room wall among her no mom own paintings is: Utile repro- Pilgrim descent, Grandma would borrow brush and I don't use the room
that was bulit for me to Bald, with a quiet smile: paint to daub happily: "My in (It has a magnificent work duction which w, perhaps, her vlow proudest possession. The artist "Oh, my anecators wore favourite colour was red," over the Hoosick River) because was Ike himself and the mscrips rends For Grandma there to welcome them." she conflded with a chuckle, well, I might kick the paint on
over" in her own "glory-hole," Moner, In real artist, from a rank Grandma remembers go "and what a red. They I gathered, Grandma feels com ematour Crackos Grandma ing to see her Grandma at used it to mark the sheep," pisimy uninhibited
21 games lie stanted my vote!!!
won't toli
Another of her boys, by the
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