Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-10-10
TALK.

| very promising pO6try auu, Wiilio ouo SiCdo
and determinate jury of critics was set
thing his claims to the serious and ire
versible recognition of fame, the young
genius was stricken by deaths petriic
mace''-i. g. he died.
By one delightful little book entitled
Summer in Skye" is he specially endeared
to me, and, if any one makes note of it
as new to him, can quite envy the charm
| it will have for him when he finds it a
specimen of the most exquisite prose ever
written. Well, only wanted to speak of
an essay of his on growing old finding
the first grey hair, and seeing the first de-
liberate and abiding wrinkle, which no
art can outwit of its sombre meaning.
| To be cure these outward indications of
the encroachments of years are harrow
ing enough because they ara legible to
every one, and perhaps not often matter
of kindly comment, especially if we seek
TO palter with the record by subterfuges of
cosmetics, toilette, borrowed, or blended
hair and SO on.
However when all is said in Alexander
Smiths admirable essay, and out of it by
all the observers since Adam there is no
gainsaying the statement that we alone
are conscious of the ravages of time with
poignancy which has no utterance, and
is the most pathetic knowledge in the
world to an audience Of one.
For instance when you are forced to
believe that the first keenuess and
certainty have gone from the eyes-when
you have doubts as to the integrity ofyour
vision in the matter of speedy recognition
then, indeed, you draw sore breath at
tae unwelco e and impoverishing &
covery.
You link my privation but that, and
you walk t.s streets with perplexed
feeling that you are not sure whether you
see people and things as they really are,
and as you used to ses them-not SO long
ago either. Time was and you saw with
pre- Ra phaelite minuteness and finish, but
now fln-a vague misty something
scarce perceptibie yet, but Enthusiastically
there-has come between you and your
observation.
are always sad and surprising in the grad
| ual decay of ey esight--for it wouid3 seem
as if much desirable apprehension
were clipped, and the wayo of life hence
forth hazy route, sighted by headlights
which are an annoying and depressing re-
minder of visual decadences.
Perhaps this hazy medium is the very
intervention needed for the inspection of
many things-as, for one instance, the pic
ture of francesca di Rimini. There is q
glib preface of description, and some
newspaper hints of one Dante who was the
first artist who gave US the picture,
but he drew it in he'll, and he sorroWed over
it and left it there.
Now this is the artistic glorifcation of
sin, and it may be said thai
Fanny of Rimini is having a reg
ular boom ct present. Boxer, of Philadel-
phia has dramatlzed her story, and Law
renee Barrett is playing Lanciotto to
crowded houses night after night for weeks
and weeks at time.
Byron translated the episode into mem
orable English, and Leigh Hunt also gave
it his fine and delicate touch. AIRY Schefer
painted the lovers as they may be i'm
agined to float on the sulphurous fumes of
the inferno, Paelo with his gaping wound
showing through rift in the murky sur
roundings, and Fan, poor Fan, white and
mournful alongside.
Now, then, what have we to do with this
bloody old story? Why, if that trio were
alive to day, Lanciotto, instead of being a
rash and CORY monster, would have calmly
got divorce, and Fan and Paul would
have paired, and separated again for no
end of fresh loves-if they listed-but that
precipitate and bloodthirsty humpel was
just bent on getting up a
part for Larry Brannigan alias
Lawrence Barrett to play, in
New York and Philadelphia, during the
season of 1883 and 1S84-or while the
Lord shall spare him his facility of impetu-
Gus utterance.
Of course all this is cult1vating that
sterile quality called "public TASTE" To
see murder done artistically in full dress,
with gorgeous draperies, marble floors,
velvet cloaks and all that sort of thing is
much more refining than-for example,
the killing of Rose Clark Amber down in
Connecticut-if her taking off could be re-
alistically pictured.
The persons who furnish US such sum ptu-
Gus opportunities for the scenic display of
adulterous murder are public benefactors,
and we ought to appreciate the pure phi
lanthropy which contributes to our art Gull
ture, and stimulates our limp morality by
seeing that retributive death can strike at
sinners who are so nicely dressed for the
occasion and surrounded by such uphols
terry effects, The name of one Dante car
ries the tragedy a long way, and there are
many persons who think ne never wrote
much of anything save that episode which
is prossically condensed for Us, and paint
ed by F. Russell Green, with suitable dra-
peries by an accommodating dry goods
house Art is reflex of the beliefs of
people, and our beliefs. have queer but
appropriate refexes.
Anyway, the painting of francesca di
Rimini is an odd sort of travelling append
age to theatrical young lady star-and it's
n our;0u, piotura IN tha r,afte- of enIaotiop