The Portland daily press., 1882-03-22
Magazine Excerpts.
Some Goods Things from the April
MonthlieS.
MR.. wILDE's MISSION,
IC1r+ss - rTaw0arsc


[Curtis in Harpers.l
1t must be curious America to which GER
tain of our European visitors suppose them
selves to be coming. How singularly mistaken
even those may be who have had some knowl-
edge of us we recently pointed out in some
comments upon Madame PATHS amusing en-
deayor to repeat in the United States to-day
the career of JennieJLind thirty years ago.
Madame PATHS arrival was quickly followed
by that of Mr. Oscar Wilde, young gentle
man who had won some literary distinction at
Oxford, and who was obscurely known as
kind OF leader in certain extravagancies OF
costume and conduct which have been satirized
in Punch, and which are known as sestheti-
cism. So far as these phenomena were Illus
trative of the spirit which we mentioned last
month as renaissance of art in England, of
which Turner was the conspicuous chief in
painting and Ruskin in criticism, and which,
like the earlier renaissance. was visible in ev-
cry sphere of literary and artistic activity, they
were interesting, however amusing. Bat
they were not meaningless.
From Benjamin West to Burne-Jones is GER
tainly an a1vance. The lank. scrawny, angu-
lar, pre-Raphaelite, pre-Fra Angelica figures OF
some Of the extreme pictures of the p. r. b.
may have seemed an affectation and an un-
promising imitation. But there are pictures of
Burne-Jones whose figures are no more lank
than Giorgione's fgures-indeed, OF as pure
and Joyous beauty as Correggios angels. A
renaissance which produces works so exquisite
and of a charm so Ineligible and universal as
that of Burne-Joness procession OF beautiful
women descending a winding staircase and
playing instruments of music restores to us the
world Of the Decameron, of a cloudless Arcadia,
"of unimaginable realms OF faery. 1t is
picture as perfect as Keatss odes to the night
ingale and the urn. A renaissance which
bears such flowers and fruits is not laughable.
None the less the fun of Patience, as we
have already said, is delightful. 1t is fair
satire of extravaganza. And the fun levelled
at Mr.. Oscar Wilde, whom not coarse and un-
gentlemanly, as in the instance of the Roches-
ter students, as reported in the papers, is not
undeserved. A man who wishes to show the
worth of the modern renaissance is bound, hrst
of all, not to makel 1t or himself iaugnaole.
Mere eccentricities of dress or conduct are cure
to prejudice any good cause. The cheapest
distinction is that which the tailor or barber
can furnish. The mission of Mr.. Wilde to
this country has been quite lost under the acci-
dents and incidents of his career. What kind
of country did he suppose himself to be about
to visit? If he had gone through England in
knee -breeches and other oddities OF apparel, he
could hardly have hoped to win more favor
able audience for his views of the uses of beau
ty and the desirableness of the cultivation CT
ths sentiment of beauty in every form and de-
tail of life than if he had forborne all extrava-
gance. And had he lectured quietly in Ameri-
ca, he would not have been relentlessly chaffed
from one end of the country to the'other.
But nobody would then have ever heard OF
him, and no one would have gone to hear him,
says a cynic of the club Yet the greatest OF
Englishmen who have come to us have not
found it necessary to cultivate an external od-
dity, and Americans awho have been chiefly
noted in Europe for peculiarities of costume or
any form of extravaganza have not most hon.
ored the name of their native land. nor most
strongly commended it to respect and admira-
ton. my young friends" said wise teacher
to ohis pupils, ''if God give you talents remem-
ber not to bury them in napkin. But il He
give you only napkin, don't think SO to -four
ish it that it will seem to be full of talents"