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1729 Mt. Vernon St Sept 13 /1912. Dear Mr Hart, I received from the Union League a commission to paint President Hayes. The portrait was finished [[strike out]]finished [[/strikeout]] accepted delivered paid for and hung and I never saw it again The portrait was far from the conventional. Mr. Hayes knew nothing of art and when I asked for time for sitting, he told me that he had already sat for a distinguished artist who had required ony [[strike out]] my [[/strikeout]] 15 minutes of sitting. I saw work by the distinguished artist. His method was to make a rapid sketch for the color and then use the photograph altogether I told Hayes this, but all I could get out of him was permission to be in the room with him as he attended affairs of state and received visitors As I was very anxious to please my patrons, I accepted the President's terms fool-