osing the essential truth of the child
nature; the two little ones are frolicking together in a perfect abandon
of innocent merriment.

The pretty story of the sittings in which this portrait was obtained, is
a key to its success. The children romped with the artist as with a boon
companion, and the younger relieved the monotony of the hour by relating
to him the nursery tales of Dame Wiggins, and the Field Mice and
Raspberry Cream. Thus the painter won the confidence of his little
friends, and delineated them in all the fresh charm of their youthful
vivacity. Nature deserves a place beside Simplicity as a true picture of
the heart of childhood.

But after all has been said concerning the child pictures in any way
similar to those of Sir Joshua Reynolds, it must still be admitted that
his work is entirely unique in what may be termed the _universality_ of
its idealism. Other pictures of child-life there are,--many of them of
equal and even of superior merit as works of art,--which are marked by a
fine quality of idealism; but this idealism is limited in its range to
the delineation of individuals, or of particular classes. These pictures
naturally fall into groups based upon the social classes which they
represent, and by this method of classification, they will be considered
in the subsequent chapters.

[Illustration: PENELOPE BOOTHBY.--REYNOLDS.]

Miss Penelope's face is one of the most familiar of Sir Joshua's art
children, and the first favorite with many for the arch loveliness of
her expression. Although her mouth is set in a prim little pucker, we
cannot repress the suspicion that behind it lurks a good deal of
childish fun. The big mob cap and the voluminous mitts add not a little
to the quaint charm of the picture, and make it easily recognized by
many who are otherwise unfamiliar with Reynolds's works.

As it was a fashion of eighteenth century art to draw subjects largely
from classic mythology, we find among Sir Joshua's child pictures an
Infant Bacchus, an Infant Jupiter, and an Infant Hercules. This last was
painted to fill a commission from the Empress Catherine of Russia, and
is a powerful representation of the young hero, seated on wolf-skins,
strangling serpents.

Mercury as a Postman and Cupid as a Link-Boy are companion pieces,
painted from the same model,--a mischievous young street boy, whose
simulated gravity is irresistibly droll. The artist's keen sense of
humor is seen again in that most