The Benton weekly record. [volume] (Benton, Mont.) 1880-1885, 1882-01-26
OSCAR w HIDE.
'Ahe AzstRaetfc Apostles First AID.
Rse&an'nRaee Inn New York
Society,"
New York World, January 9th,

II, Mr' aud Mrs. A. "A. Hayes, jr., Of
s. East TWenty-fifth street, held a receptit
h, yesterday afternoon in honor of Mr. Osc
as Wilde. Mrs. Hayes's pretty suite Of Jal
anese rooms furnished pleasant surrount
as lngs tor the now famous apostle of Ems
q llsh estheticism. Their careless artist
is grace must have commended them to NJ
70 Wllde's good opinion. Personally Ml
ID Wide, not being a japanese young maj
; suggests entirely different surrounding:
d 1t is allowable to consider himin this ligh,
T. since he is supposed more fully than an
v one else to embody in his person his view
:. OF life, which is to say, the relation of tn
# man to his aesthetic environment.
g personally Mr.-Wilde suggests Gree
e porticos and Doric columns, with oDel
t space looking towards the blue Hgean
: and near by the Venus of Milo or a chast
Diana to furnish the necessary antithesis
10 consider Mr.. Wilde from an even NOR,
artistic point Of view, he might itly make
third of this calm group. His face il
" that OF colossal maiden untroubled BY
heated visions but over which at times
beams certain joyousness wholly Greek,
at the sight Of the largeness or beauty OF
nature. In its lines it is essentially femi-
nine, but these are ON such large scale
that their soft curves indicate none of the
weakness which might hastily attach to
the adjective. Otherwise his broad sturdy
physique is as English as if trained in
athletics instead of aesthetics.
Practically Mr.. Wilde accommodates
himself with great amiability to the more
contracted limits of modern life. at least
| In a foreign country, in spite of his pfysi-
ognomy, and adopts without constraint
the current coin of society. Not to men
zion with greater circumstance MIR. Wilde's
personal appearance would be inconsistent
with alluding to him at all. He wore q
Prince Albert coat, tightly buttoned, and
neld in his hand pair of light gloves.
Ills broad collar was half hidden by his
coat, though revealing blithe blue scarf.
out was not worn as low as that of Mr..
Nicholas Smith, nor was his hair of great
en- length than the cut usually adopted by
the philosophers OF the Tribune. Il short.
his manner exhibited the unconsciousnegs
OF gentleman, and in that respect was
unlike the indigenous aesthetic not to saw
asthmatlc types with which we are familiar.
lhe lion Of the occasion, he was very |
appropriately lionized, towering above ali
the women who clustered f7Eettssi;&5+ fEetts;z
MN, ana above most of the men, but roar
ing very gently. He expresses himself
very graclously concerning our country,
ana evidently expects more sympathy. for
ms views IN our broader, less crystallized
opinions than he has found among. the
British PhiIistines. OF these views he
speaks with great seriousness, as if their
lay like a. burden upon him.
out ne expresses himself with a rhyth-
mlcal f1uency, which shows he has long
grown used to it, and this takes the edge
OH ones sympathies in admiring the liter
ary form.
Mr. Wilde is enthusiastic in his adnira-
lions OF others, and especially OF Mr.. Whis-
Ier, whom ne declares to be the first paint
er in England, but he .n1aliciously adds,
1t will take England 800 years to find it
'ut." In Paris Mr.. Whistler finds appre.
'lation, is at home; but Paris is artistic
lnd recognizes art when it reveals itself in s
guise. Of Mr.. Whistler's in t
antlle simplicity Of character Mr.. Wilde S
even more generous i'm praise. Such a
ITS OF conversation were tossed hither and b
hlther among the crowd which surged
Dout che stranger, although after. yester-I q
lay the term is scarcely appropriate, and 3
With Mr. Wilde at least the conversation +
areIy dropped below certain level. lifted 8
nto a somewhat rarer air than is usual at IH
fternoon teas. To Mr.. Wilde this seemed O.
pc native ether, and however short Y
reathed were those he conyersed with 81
1e circumstances of the situation did not +,
low il to appear, as group effaced group :
efore him.
wherever he moved the crowd naturally -,
Fayed, leaving breathing room behind. E E
blowing him into the dining-room with :,
eII-ored curiosity, making a faint axeuse =
yer the punch bowl, to see him quaff his =
a. This attention the hero of the occa- !,
on received with that calm unconscious- -
,ss which distinguishes his actions. and -
ne perceived the agreeable impression
created, heidi not let it=appear. ).
During the5reception Mr.. Wilde stood ii ~ ~
g middle paflor,. and back OF him was q -
gantlc Japanese umbrella covered with sel
otesque figures Of gayly colored paper, ~
le long, thick bamboo handle rested on
moor under table at Mr.. Wilde's left 40
nj and ,,rotaa4aa -. - ale
other side was the partition dividing al
two parlors, and in the enclosure thus
med Mr.Wilde remained, like d heafhan W
II, most Of the time between 8. and 6 p u
DaylghG was excluded from the room '@l
neaVy dark curtains closely drawn, and
aVy portieres fell over the deers. Tha W.
was lighted within, but it fell anon on
: " llde softened and tinged to a delicate ma
x Dy the eolored shades fastened 1,pon der
globes of the chandeliers. This rosv fiye
% softened whatever there might be 81 go
shness IN Mr.. WiIde's features and bed
&c more gentle the expression of his
lle' us posture was full Of grace, and ~ "