Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-01-08
THE E,THEFE APOSTLE.
Oscar Wilde dnd Some Of HIS Eccentrici-
tieS- That s. Viii 10 ia Arse9ico.
IN. Y. Cor. Philadelphia Times.]

ties-W That Re VII 10 ia Anserico.
n Y. Cor. Philadelphia Times.]
The long looked for poet high priest of
aesthetic culture and philosophy, Oscar
Wilde, has come to town in all the glory
of fur lined ulster; light blue, flowing
neckscarf, and dainty, patent leather
boots Having just landed from the
Arizona he still has his ''sea legs on"
''Sea legs' are not the most graceful
things for young man to wear when
posing as an apostle Of the intensely in
tense and the soulfully soulful. His first
American experience was with the re-
porters. His second was with the hack
men and the gaping crowd at the wharf,
who have no appreciation OF the correla-
ton Of all the arts involved in the search
for the beautiful. While opening his
soul to the reporters on board the vessel
he was philosophically bland and atheti-
cally polite. But after he had read in the
morning papers what these sinful and If.
reverent fellows had said about him he
seemed to have a profound contempt for
them, mixed with disrespect for the
papers they represent. The hackmen an
moved him and the crowd bewildered him.
He sought meditative solitude and refuge
from the reporters, interviewers and the
public at large.
To-day he has been breakfasting and
seeing the sights of the city, avoiding as
far as possible the curious gaze of those
who sought to catechise him, and not
even revealing, for the benefit of the in
Quisitive, the place where he is to be
found. Having visited picture gallery
or two, he was taken to Central Park
After this event in his first days history
the newspaper men sought him at vari-
Gus hotels whether he was said to have
found retirement and repose. They
sought in vain. At one of the principal
hotels frequented by British guests the
gentlemanly clerk said he had never heard
of any such man.
Wilde is not a bad looking man. He is
as straight as one of the new cleo
trio light poles on Chestnut street, and
looks as if built like those rigid highway
ornaments-in sections. His chin leans
forward about as much as the
light does from the pole. His eyes are
blue and of the kind called by the
aesthetics soulful" AS seen this morn
ing they were expressive of deep soul
longing to be let alone. His shoulders
ale broad and his hands are large, al
though not clumsy. His teeth are prom
inent and as white as milk His voice is
musical in its tones and his gestures are
easy and graceful when he is the
center of an admiring circle. Yet he
looks as if he were one whose angry pas
sions could rise if stirred from the very
base of the uttermost depths of his soul.
An example of this was seen when he
raised his voice to check the operations
of the dreadful hackman who was Off
ciating as baggage smasher and recklessly
tossing the poets packages to the top Of
the hotel coach. Then intense earnest
ness was manifested in elevated tones
and in conspicuously active gestures,
which had their effect on the impression
able souls of the bystanders
1t is an unusual thing for youth OF
twentysiX to have made the mark in the
social and literary world which it must be
conceded that Mr.. Oscar Wilde has made.
That he has made such mark is evidence
that he is not altogether the ridiculous
person whom some of the severest critics
would picture him. He is Young man
of superior education. His father was Sir
William Wilde, an eminent surgeon. His
mother, Lady Wilde, acquired some repu-
tation as a poet, her lines showing some
of the queer and pedantic elements which
are so apparent in Oscars compositions.
The young man has travelled
extensively in Europe, and has
been closely observant both
of nature and art. He has many ideas in
common with John Ruskin, especially in
the direction of preferring stage coaches
to railroads, and medieval things to
those of the present day. He cannot
always comprehend a joke unless it is
explained to him, and as to the play of
Patience" he freely says that he thinks
! it is nonsense and has no point to it.