Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-08-18

| only IN his own brain. Vus VI ~ s"''
came "The Seven Lamps Of Architec-
ture,r published in 1919, and the
Stones OF Venice ~ in 1928. These
works only stamped deeper and deeper
the image Of this mans genius on the
face OF England and the world, and,
though often abused and disagreed with,
no man has arisen with strength Of mind
or with accomplished labor enough to
question the truths that Ruskin uttered
or in the least to dim the fame he then
won. In 1867 he was appointed Rede
lecturer at Cambridge, and in 1869 pro-
fcSsor Of fine art at Oxford, where he
afterwards endowed chair Of drawing.
BY successive reelection he held his po-
sition at Oxford until May, 1870, when
he retired On account OF poor health.
This position he was persuaded to re-
sumo in January, 1888, but he again
retired in April last. In characteristic
public letter he gave his reasons for
resigning. lie said
"Whatever may be my failure in
energy or ability, the best l could yet
do was wholly at the service Of Oxford,
nor would any other designs or sup
posed duties have interfered for . mo-
ment with the perfectly manifest duty
Of teaching in Oxford as much art as
she gave her students time to learn. |
meant to die in my harness there, and
my resignation was placed in the vice
chancellor's hands on the Monday fol-
loving the vote eDdowing vivisection in
the university, solely in consequence Of
that vote. with distinct statement to
the yice-chancellor, intended to be read
in conyocation, of its being So"
In word, the conscicntiousness in
him, which was always even stronger
than his love Of nature or OF art, would
not let him work side by side, and
hence an apparent justification of what
seemed to him an unnecessary cruelty
to animals in order to keep up the repu-
tation Of modern human science, the
pretensions Of which he deeply de-
spised.
OTHER WORKS.
In tracing these two lines OF his
work Ruskip is traced from the begin
ming to the end Of his career. But the
works mentioned only indicate a part
Of his labor and do not touch some Of
the bitteIest and hardest thinking Of
his life. During the same period he
also published Elements of Draw
ing" Elements of Perspective"
The King of the Golden River"
juvenile fiction; Architecture and
Painting" "The Crown of Wild
Olives" "Giotto and His Works."
1.-The Two Paths" 1.-The Ethics Of
the Dust" Sesame and Lilies"
Notes on the Construction of Sheep
folds" "Unto This Last" The
Queen Of the Air." and " Aratra Pen
tilici," besides several pamphlets and
articles in reviews, and in 1880 col
lection Of his own letters under the
title Of Arrows Of the Chace." In
many Of these, as in his "Fors Claw
gera; or, Letters to Workingmen,"
published in 1871, Mr.. Ruskin returned
TO the fanciful sort Of title chosen for his
first Oxford poem, and it is only in one
or two little works which he has of late
edited for Miss Francesca Alexander, a
young American woman of rare ability,
and for whom Ruskin had contracted a
passionate admiration, that he has in
title and in his words returned to the
direct, simple English speech of his
Il" Modern Painters - and Stones Of
Venice" Thus in The Roadside Songs
of Tuscany, translated and illustrated
by Miss Alexander, and edited by John
Ruskin, LII. D., we have something Of
the directness Of his early manhood's
splendid powers.
DOMESTIC TRIALS.
The story Of Ruskin's domestic lite
has been told as follows: When be-
tween thirty and thirty-tive he met and
was delighted with very pretty and
graceful young woman Of social position
and culture. lie admired her sufficient
ly to ask her to be his wife, and she.
approaching his gifts and scholarship,
and fattered by the preference Of so
distinguished man, accepted his offer.
He questioned her, it is reported, as to
the nature of her affection; expressed
the hope that it was spiritual rather
than emotional, mainly platonic in char
acter, as he confessed his own to be.
AS may be inferred, she answered in the
affirmative, and doubtless believed firm
ly every syllable that she uttered.
With the mutual understanding that
theirs was to be a union Of minds, they
were married. They seemed to get on
pleasantly for few months-at least it
seemed so to the husband, absorbed as
usual in study and writing. He greatly
admired her beauty, and never tired Of
praising it. DESTROYS Of having her
portrait taken, he chose his friend Mil
lais, one of the pre-Raphselite brother
hood, which had been founded as the
result Of his teachings, to transfer her
features to canvas. She gave the painter
number Of sittiDgs, and the husband
was so much concerned in the work
that he sometimes watched its progress.
Millais was drawn at once to the young
and lovely wife Of his friend-an at
traction that appears to have been re-
ciprocated. In plain parlance, Millais
and Mrs. Ruskin fell head over heels
in love with one another without
the least intent OH their part. Rus
kin himself is said to have per-
ceiyed the fact, although the lovers
had not been in the slightest indis-
Greet or conventional, or even to have
intimated one to the other the condition
Of their hearts. The author Of Mod
eIn Painters" did not, as ordinary
men would have done, fly into a jealous
rage, nor did he have scene with his
wife. lie told her gently what he had
perceived, and assured her of his con-
tinued friendship and esteem, and OF
his earnest desire to promote her hap
piness at any price. Under the pecu-
liar circumstances there was no trou-
BILE in obtaining divorce. The matter
was managed privately, without any
scandal, and in due time Mrs. Ruskin
became Mrs. Millais. They have
proved, from all accounts, a most har.
monious couple.