Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-03-27
OSCAR ARRIVES.
THE Af3srIE OF EsrHET1cIsM TALKS
Plainly.
He Develops as the Poor Mans Friend
What He Believes-The Greed
Of BIS Religion.

down to breakfast and had 8 chat, which
being unconcluded when train time was up
the apostle and the news-gatherer, having
found themselves upon plessantly.debatabl
ground, continued the conversation in tn
cars as they went hayward. Mr.. Wilde
enc of the
BEST TALKED ABOUT MEN
OF the day. This cultured young Englisl
poet is, his friends claim, the most misrepre
ented of foreigners that ever visited the
country. The Oxonian, who is genial com
panion and an admirable conversationalist
showed no Discrimination to unbosom himself
and the determination beiog announced tt
give him for once perfectly fair show IL
a representative American newspaper, re-
sponded to the questions propounded TO him
with ready fuency and sincere esrnestness;
He is scarcely 26 years OF age, very TAI ana
quite slender. This "build" gives him the
appearance of slightly STOPPING In the
shoulders when he addresses men OF
ordinary stature. He dresses plainly, to
severity, INDUCES in broad turn down col
lar, simple kuotted scarf without ]swelry,
and wears a broad-brimmed white sombrero
decidedly Spanish in style. His clean-shaven
face is long, broadest at the lower jaw, with a
full, round and diversified chin; large and
well-developed nose, a broad mouth. with
full lips opening over large, prominent teeth,
the upper lip shade too short, and eyes very
full large and handsome and an apology be-
tween gray and blue, are arched by deli
cately lined eyebrows. His forehead Is high,
narrows as it asc5nds, and on either Side his
straight brown hair, which from middle
L lie, 1sv-a N II
studied negligence, and shades a neck rather
long and with tendency to crane slightly
forward.
THE EXPRESSION
OF his counteuance is very amisble, and a
constant smile of perfect content rests upon
his over-full features, which are almost
effeminate in apparent lack of vigor and
force, but which in that respect belle the
man, whose conversation proves him to be
shrewd, perfectly seltpossessed, and entirely
able to take care of himself in this world.
With a Chesterfieldisn how, he returned his
thanks for bueton-hole bouquet Sacra-
mento lady sent by the news.man for the
lover Of the beautiful, and tbs esthete settled
himself in the cushions of a palace car, and
signifed his readiness to be put upon the
categorical rack.
WHAT he BELIEVES.
The news-gleaner opened the ball: Are
we to correctly understand yo1, Mr.. Wilde,
that your belief is that true love for art for
It's own sake, and in its highest development,
marks the best forms and systems ef clviliza-
ton most easily attainahle 7"
The Esthete-Yes Life without industry
is barbarism industry without art is barren.
We should first teach the people to use their
hands in the work of art. All that Is artis-
tic must begin in handicraft.
DEVOTION TO BEAUTY.
"You have been quoted as pronouucing
the devotion to beauty and the production OF
the beautiful as making mans lite lmmor-
tai. Would you be understood as erecting
that into creed of religion of culture p
The Esthets-The best service of God is
found in the worship of all that is beautiful.
Such worshiper can do no wrong willfully.
We should remember that all things worthy
should be satisfying. The religions OF the
world too often tell us to love the Creator
without keeping in view the created thin IS.
How starved is such belief-it sees the
Creator and is blind to His work; it teaches
of Him, but makes no effort to teach of His
works beauty and grandeur.
PLEASURE.
SIN one of your addresses, MIR. Wilde, you
speak Of the necessity of every household
possessing the things that give pleasure to the
user and were pleasure to the maker. DO L
understand from you by that, that If we sur
round ourselves and children by beautiful
things, and keep both within, as you put it,
the atmosphere of fair things that we will
soonest bring the race to the purest state, and
to despise and utterly forsake the vulgar and
coarse and wicked?"
The Poet-yes, indeed. The man who
q. no aft
man. a better workman, better citizen and
there will follow such better civilization.
The mistake in our educational systems has
been that we have sought to teach
truth abstractly. Great special truths
must grow up in US. Truth comes
to the child through the atmosphere
of his surroundings. Purify that, and you
purify him. Surround him by the beautiful,
the useful and the good, and what must re-
suit? The theory OF beautiful surroundings
that finds expression in Europe is true of
nations. The life of every nation is infu-
enced by its surroundings. Tame, In the
history Of literature, is constantly turning to
the hills and the valleys-to the scenery of
England. He could not resist it, nor disas.
sociate them from his theme. Formerly the
products of the mans mind were treated abb
stractly-the man was treated abstractly,
and rot as to his surroundings. The first
thing to teach the boy is to use lis eyes, his
ears and his hands. But we are always try
ing to educate his mind before we give him a
mind. for mind is creative. The child is en-
lowed with intellectual faculties, bat the
mind is the result of growth; and need not
say to what extent we control that. To a
child the teaching of abstract truth is folly.
THE SECRET OF LIFE.
"You conclude one of your lectures with
the words: The secret of life is in art.
Would you add word, and tell US how the
masses can best attain a knowledge and love
of art?"
Mr.. Wilde-I hope that the masses will
come to be the creators in art. That is what
| mesn-that art will some time cease to be
simply the accomplishment and luxury of the
rich but the possession, as it is the rightful
heritage. of ali, poor and rich alike. The
difficulty have felt and met in America is,
not that there ia o lack of interest in art not
that they do not Lore it; not that they are
not receptive-no, they have great love for
the besutiful-but the difficulty is thst
thew do not hold the handicraits in greater
honor and respect. / would dignity labor by
stripping it OF its degra lation, aud that by
developing all that is beautiful in the laborer's
surroundings and opening his eyes to it. All !
[ would speak to the hard.working people,
who m | wish L could reach through the prelu-
dice that shuts them and me away from each
other. Why, it is to the mechanics and
workers of your country that l look for
THE TRIUMPH
That must come. Why, back here in the
West met a railroad-repairer-a man work
ing GU. on the line at hard, laborious task.
Ii was his daily business. He talked with
me, wanted to know what we are
trying to do. Why that man quoted
Pope to me, analysed his method,
discussed my positions with me, understood
me. and where he doubted gave his reasons
in homely phrases. but Enthusiastically and
clearly. He took an interest IN the best oil
life was keen, kindly. receptive and pug
nscious in need, withal-altosthers charming
fellow. Now, in England, in men OF his class
such a conversation would be simply imPos-
sible. Here l learn that man Is fairly
representative of myriad.
THE DECORATIVE "cRAzE."
"Mr. Wilde, the decorative art rage, as il
is called, is thought by many to be iodulged
in to the extreme. Do you think there Is
danger to true art culture in the rush and
push in the former lire, or is it one OF the
signs Of our renaissance"
The Poet-Oh, of course; for the people
have not had the opportunity, in all respects,
as yet to get on well. 50 they are constantly
going wrong Still the desire to go at all Is