New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-08-26
A CH1NGED MN.

| = The public do not seem to have appreciated
| the full significance Of the fact that MIR. Oscar
| Wilde has at last enrolled himself among the
working classes Up to this time that young
man has been engaged, If it must be confessed,
in the attempt to gee living from the world
without doing anything for the world in re-
turn. He succeeded in building up for himself
O considerable notoriety by wearing knee
breeches and fancy waistcoats; by having his
hair long and by talking a jargon about art
which was impressive to those to whom it was
incompreheusible. Having thus aroused an in
terest in his personality, he proceeded to ex-
hibit it over the country at fifty cents look
in order that neither he nor the sDectators-they
can hardly be called an audience-should suher
any embarrassment, he provided himself with
so-called lecture upon art which served the
purpose of keeping him IN an erect posture, 10
that th spectators could see his legs, and also
brought occasional animation to his features,
which was a relief to the audience when they
grew tired of looking at his legs. He also had
himself photographed III many attitudes, some
times against dado, sometimes with his cheek
laid caressingly on his folded hands, and no
doubt drew thrifty percentage from the sale
OF these portraits. During this time no pro-
duced little or nothing, even in tho way OF
those poems of which it was delicately said in
Boston that they were perhaps too strongly I'M
proynated with classical fire. q fact viii Oh
led some good ladies there to endeavor to purify
his literary taste by giving him large receptions,
and thus bathing his soul, as it were, in the
limpid society of Boston's brightest and best.
All this time Mr.. Wilde was on exhibition, and
usually for money, and it cannot BIO said that
his position was intellectually much better than
that of the Tattoed Man or the Hirsute Lady.
But now all this is changed. Mr.. Wilde has
cut his hair, wears trousers and seersncker
coat. and has written play. All these are signs
that he il no longer to TO regarded rs mere
curiosity, but has resolved to work for lly-
ing, like other men. Nobody would pay fifty
cents to see him in trousers, AID nobody would
buy photograph of him Ia n seersucker coat
and a straw hat. A seersucker coat against
dado. now, would never do. The change Is
final, and cannot be uDmade. But good por-
ton of the public do not seem TO realize that
there has been n change at all The crowd at
the Union Square Theatre tie other night
seemed to think that the same old game Of hum
bug was going on still. The gallery jeerrd
and called for oscar" and the audience in
general appears to have regarded the occasion
"a one of rather hilarious character. 1t Ia not
the custom of audiences to summon playwrghts
before the curtain by their first names, and
when play fails, IA this seems to have done,
the eject upon the audience il likely to be de-
Dressipg Things went by contIares that
night. and have continued by cOntraries, at
least in the newspapers. This 10 one Of the mis-
fortunes that must attend oven brief career
of charaianism. Ii will take the public little
time 10 find out that Mr.. Wilde has left OF.
If he has the dramatic faculty, however, he
has only to perseverc. An audience is no re-
specter of persons in the shape of the authors
OF plays, nor does it cherlsh any grudges against
them. "The plays tho thing; the author Is
nothing Mr. Ternyson's plays wero jecred
far worse than Mr. Wilde's. and If the latter will
but write good plays, lie will soon find that the
pnblic has forgotten his knee breeches and
other nonsense. He can have recognition as A
serious literary workmen, If he really wants it,
and can show that he deserves it. II he
succeeds, he will probably find his royal
ties liberal, and will he mentioned fire.
oncntly in the newspapers In II respect
full manner and will be called before the
curtain by his Last name, and will have tile sat-
isfaction of rejecting that his position in the
world has improved greatly since the time
when he consciously and deliberately exhibited
himself as a laughing stock fOr cash con-
sideIation.
LEFT AT NOME
Now that most people have turned them