tures, his pallet, brushes and colors scattered about
upon the floor, complaining bitterly of his lack of business. "This
importation of French pictures," he said, "is ruin to American artists.
Something must be done for our protection; we intend to get Congress
to raise the tariff on those productions so that we shall not have to
contend with the cheap labor that takes the bread out of our mouths."
It may be noticed that this common phrase is very generally employed
by those who are too lazy to supply their own mouths with bread.
"Something," added the desponding artist, "must positively be done,
and that very soon, or our occupation will be gone!" "I thought," said
Mr. Frothingham, "that I could more easily convince him of his mistake
by entering for the time into his humor, and so with apparently deep
sympathy, I condoled with him and promised to exert my influence in
behalf of his profession. He thanked me heartily for my good will.
But then I continued, "I want you to do something for me and for my
profession in return." "How can I!" exclaimed my friend with some
amazement. "Why," I replied, "We must get up what they call an omnibus
bill, including relief for painters and preachers. Don't you know that
one of the Presbyterian churches in New York, has imported, duty free,
the Rev. Dr. Taylor from England, another, the Rev. Dr. Hall, from
Ireland, and the Princeton Theological Seminary has brought over,
without Custom House charges, the Rev. Dr. McCosh from Scotland? Now
that is "taking the bread out of our mouths." There are plenty of
American clergymen who would be glad to obtain these positions, and
what right, therefore, have those congregations and that institution
to supply themselves from abroad? The wants of the people ought not
to be considered, but an art monopoly, a pulpit monopoly, a monopoly
of any kind should be protected." In a style of satirical reasoning,
of which the foregoing is an abstract, conviction was brought to the
mind of the painter. Changing his tone to one of serious advice, the
clergyman counselled him to go to work, to let competition become an
incentive to action, instead of paralysing his energy. He then told
him how the advent of these foreign divines had been a stimulus to
him and to his brethren in the ministry. The result was that to-day
there is a higher standard of pulpit eloquence in New York than in any
other city of the Union.

The lecture of the preacher was serviceable to