to alter it. People who did not understand Gibson used to say in
his later days that he loved money, because he made much and spent
little. Those who knew him better say rather that he worked much
for the love of art, and couldn't find much to do with his money
when he had earned it. He was singularly indifferent to gain; he
cared not what he eat or drank; he spent little on clothes, and
nothing on entertainments; but he paid his workmen liberally or
even lavishly; he allowed one of his brothers more than he ever
spent upon himself, and he treated the other with uniform kindness
and generosity. The fact is, Gibson didn't understand money, and
when it poured in upon him in large sums, he simply left it in the
hands of friends, who paid him a very small percentage on it, and
whom he always regarded as being very kind to take care of the
troublesome stuff on his account. In matters of art, Gibson was a
great master; in matters of business, he was hardly more than a
simple-minded child.

Sometimes queer incidents occurred at Gibson's studio from the
curious ignorance of our countrymen generally on the subject of
art. One day, a distinguished and wealthy Welsh gentleman called
on the sculptor, and said that, as a fellow Welshman, he was
anxious to give him a commission. As he spoke, he cast an admiring
eye on Gibson's group of Psyche borne by the Winds. Gibson was
pleased with his admiration, but rather taken aback when the old
gentleman said blandly, "If you were to take away the Psyche and
put a dial in the place, it'd make a capital design for a clock."
Much later, the first Duke of Wellington called upon him at Rome
and ordered a statue of Pandora, in an attitude which he described.
Gibson at once saw that the Duke's idea was a bad one, and told him
so. By-and-by, on a visit to England, Gibson waited on the duke,