BECOMING AN ILLUSTRATOR 49 



which he felt might be taken from him. He looked 

 so comical that all of us laughed. 



"Behold the antipodes!" I exclaimed. "Africa 

 and Baltimore Bay ! How I wish I had a camera ! " 



That was shortly before Christmas more than 

 twenty years ago. A look not inteaded for me 

 flashed across the table between my husband and 

 daughter, but I saw it. Christmas brought me-'a 

 small hand camera. Of course among the first 

 pictures I attempted was one of the Major. That 

 was a most amusing picture, sadly undertimed 

 and overdeveloped; but before the weak streaky 

 print left its first bath I was shouting through the 

 Cabin like an insane creature, for although the 

 picture contained almost every defect of a be- 

 ginner's work I could see clearly that it was a 

 perfectly natural, correct reproduction of a living 

 bird. I had found my medium! I could illustrate 

 what I wrote myself! I knew that with patient 

 work the camera could soon be mastered in detail. 

 How to make friends with the birds I knew better 

 than any other one thing on earth. 



Immediately I ordered a supply of chemicals 

 from one of the leading drug houses of the country, 

 laid in a heavy stock of print paper, and began 

 work in the most intense earnestness. By spring 

 I could make a technically perfect reproduction 

 of the Major or any flower in the conservatory, 

 while I even succeeded in photographing the fish 

 in the aquarium, and, through the window glass, 



