Many amusing stories are told by artists about their sitters, but as a rule the stories are told with this absurd restriction: "but you mustn't publish that"--which, of course, takes the point absolutely away. [Illustration: [_By Annie G. Fletcher._ "SWEET GENEVIEVE."] Mr. Alyn Williams, the President of the Society of Miniature Painters, to whom the Society owes its origin and prosperity, tells a good story which he does not claim to be original. He tells it rather to show the difficulties which an artist is sometimes made to overcome by his client. A man who distinctly came from the provinces once went to an artist who had painted a celebrated picture of David, and said that he wanted him to paint a picture of his father. The artist consented, and suggested that it would be necessary for the subject to come to his studio. That, however, the son declared to be impossible, and at last the fact came out that he was dead. "Have you a photograph?" asked the artist. No; a photograph had never been taken. "Then I cannot paint him," declared the artist. "But you painted David," retorted the man, "and he has been dead much longer than my father!" This was irresistible, and so the artist consented to do his best. When the fancy picture of the father was finished, the faithful son came to see it, and liked it very much. "It is very good," he said. "But," he added, after a little reflection, "how he has changed!" [Illustration: [_By Mabel E. Hankin._ A PORTRAIT.] [Illustration: _By A. R. Merrylees._] A BONNIE BAIRN.] [Illustration: [_By Alyn Williams._ A "GAINSBOROUGH" PORTRAIT.] Miss Merrylees, whose miniatures, seven in number, make a fine show at the Academy, once had to paint a miniature of a clergyman; but the only way of getting his right expression was to make him recite long poems and dramatic scenes from Shakespeare. While he was doing this, Miss Merrylees "went on painting madly." Another time she was painting a little boy, who was sitting very still and silent. Suddenly he convulsed his painter by propounding this tremendous query: "Do you like your groom to sit _so_, or _so_?" And he indicated two varieties of the akimbo manner. A charming portrait of a pretty child indicates Miss Merrylees' style of work. This was exhibited both in the Royal Academy and the Paris Salon. Holbein, who was a great miniaturist, had a very summary method of dealing with people who troubled him while he was painting miniatures. A nobleman once came into his studio while he was painting a lady, and was promptly thrown downstairs, like Daddy Longlegs of immortal fame. The King, Henry VIII., heard of it, but sympathised with the painter. "Of seven peasants I can make as many lords, but not one Holbein," he said.