In His Element

It is expedient to humor "the twig" íhat has au iuclination - the tree will be dl the bettor for it Pope expresses but half truth in his lincs: "'TIb educatlon forma the common mlnd: Just as tlie twig I bent, th tree' lnclloed." The Rev. David VVilke was nmoh ronbled by the fact that David, his son, and triod three schools, and in each of :lu!in had showu himself indifferent to ïlassical knowledgo. The good father tvas also annoyed at the lad's propeniity to covur the walls, the kilcben pavement, and the uncarpeted floor of :he manso with figures of men and Deasts drawn in various attitudes. Even in churoh. wlien he should hare listenod to his father's sermona, the rogue Ignoring the sacredness of Ihe tirk, would draw on the blank leavoj )f his psalm book and Bible, portraits -l the remai'kable faces in the congregation. Sorrowfully convinced that thouííh the boy would no', make a scholar, niuch less i mnister, he might mak n paiuter. Mr. YVilkie made application for his admission as a pupil of Edinburgli Academy of Fine Art Tlie secrutary looked at the lad's drawings, pronounood them worthless, and rejected the application. Private iufluuuce reversed the secretary's decisión; young Wilkie became a pupil, gniiied a prise, went to London, wliere he becamu "the Kaphael of domiistic art," aud as Sr David Wilkie made a name which was honorud at home and ubroad. Une day a gentleman of culture and taste, while walking in the suburb of üdinburg steeped into a shoemaker's Dottage. He was surprised to seo on the whitewashed wall several admirable fepresentations of animáis drawn with red chalk aud charcoal. Ou commendng them to the shoemaker's wife, she insweredi "Hoot! these are bits o' drawings o' sor Davie; he was seein' some wild auiisls ta a show, and he's caulked thoni ihere to let me see them." "Indeed," said the gentleman, "and vliat do you intend to make of that l)O?" "Deed, he'll jit need to slt doon on hu stool miilo his fulber, and learn to mak and niend shoon [shoes]." The gentleman, thinking that cobbling wiis not exaotly the employment for a boy who could execute sucli drawings, persuaded ahouse-painter to take Davie as an apprentice. Industry and genius made the vouth a painter of dramatic soenery; then he painted the gotliie ru iis of Scotland. Bv these limans be obtained the means of making tours in Normandy and Spain from which countrios he returned with pictures ihat bought money and reputat on. The shoemaker's son was David Roberts, one of the most gifted of ish