The Arkansaw traveler., 1888-01-07
RUsKIN's ROMANCE.
New York Graphlc.

New York Graphic. The Atlantic cable and the breexy European correspondents of the great newspapers are bringing John Rus kin's home before the public once more, Lately the report has been that he is insane, Up to a short time ago they were satisfied to call him eccen- ;ric. Perhaps he WAS, But then hc was rich. and fortune such as he had was like charity-it covered a malti- tude of eccentricities. When he began 10 dSbble in litera- ture he had no need to write for the money his work would bring him. He is not as rich to-day, for ho has lav- ished his wealth on art, on charities. on thousands of deserving men and women w hnm the world never heard about.
 John Ruskin did strangely way ward thing when he consented to get married. He did most cratic and to the public a most ineNplicable thing W hen he arranged for his divorce.
 He had accepted some of the lo;ti- est traditions about womanhood that men sometimes read of and talk about, and he looked for his ideal com panion. One night he met her in the draw ing- room of London friend. who, with out his knowing it. had brought the young lady 10 meet the eyes al the great writer.
 It was June night. he was thirty. five, and she looked like Greek god dess.
 He was da7zled. She was tall. graceful girl ot nineteen. with face and figure us faultless as one of the statues of old. No one ever expected Ruskiu to fall in love, and he did not. She was poor. needed home and it's comforts, aud so they were married
 Their welded life was peaceful, friendly, kindly to the hig ghest degree, but there was not spark ot affection to tighten their existence. She ad- mircd the great man she had married, and was grateful for the wealth and comfort he showered on her. He wor- shipcd her as he would the marble made life-like by the sculptor's rhiscl
 There was nothing human about the life they led as husband and W fife. and she was woman who in her heart, like all true women. laughed at the traditions that made her sex love dis tant worship.
 One day Ruskiu brought m Artist to paint his witc's picture. And the man was Millais, and he was a bright. chccry, handsome fellow, human every inch of him, with great and absorb. ing love oi the beautiful. and a wiling ness to tell of his love
 He began to paint the portrait of the magnificent woman, and when he had finished he was in love with his friends wife.
 Wonanlike she saw 1t, and perhaps she was not full of sorrow and rc. real manful love that had been laid at her feet
 And Ruskinf His wide eyes saw the romance that was weaving around those two lives and his heart realized how little affection he had to lavish on the woman whom he hnd made his wife.
 How he told her the story of his pride in her and the sacrifice he was to make for her, while she iay prone ai his feet. is one of the things which only he or she could tell.
 It Is difficult to obtain divorce in England, but John Ruskin secured it for her, and one hracing morning in the early winter, a month after the di- yorce was granted Ruskiu stoou be- side the couple in one of Londnn's quiet churches and saw them made man and wife.
 That was good many years ago, and since then Millas has become rich and famous, and is now Sir John and his wife is my Lady Millais
 The warmest, sturdiest friend the struggling painter had in his toiling days was the man whose wife he had married, and through all the years of Millais' later success and great honor John Ruskin has been the welcome guest and almost daily visitor to iht man and wOman whose lives he s0 uH- selflshly crowned with happiness.
 IL l. "A strange story and the world knows little about Ii, and some men have condemned him as some women have censured her. But the two men and that one woman who know h@st have been happy and eontented with the change that John Ruskin'- pure unseltishBess brought into their lives.
 And so the world should not com plain.