St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1890-05-17
RUSkIN'S e0vHo0D.


Ne Had to Seek Ells Own Amsssaeaea.
aad He Found Then.
As one reads Pr8terita it seems - Il
John Ruskin wrote his history not with
ink, but painted it down with light and
color; he brings the very atmosphere Of
his life and its phases before US with
such an instantaneous mastery as few
besides have ever reached-the life
within and the sight without the sweet
eternal horisoms (even though they be
but Norwood hills and ridges), the iv-
ing and delightful figures in the fore
ground.
Its author has chosen to christen the
story haterita, but WAS ever . book
less belonging to the past and more en-
tirely present to our mood than this one?
Not Goethe's own biography, not eten
Carlyle's passionate reminiscences,c come
up to it in vividnesA There arc 80 few
words, such limpid images are brought
flashing before us that one al.
most asks: rs it . book or il
1t something out Of our own secret
consciousness that We remember IS We
read?' Are Nc not actually living in its
pages. in the dawning light Of that
ausaere yet glorious childhood? Half .
century rolls back. and We see the baby
up above at the drawing room windows
standing absorbed, watching the water
carts. and that wondrous turn-cock,
who turns and turns till fountain
springs up in the middle Of the street."
aAd as we still watch the child. gazing
out with his gray, deep-set eyes, the
brown brick walls somehow become
transparent, as they did for Ebeneser
ScroORe, and we are in the Same mys-
teriOus fashion absorbed into the quiet
home and silent life. We get to know
the inmates with some immaterial
friendship and intimacy. The father.
that entirely honest man" Of rare
gifts AID refinement going and coming
to his wine-merchant's ofice in Bill
Letter street; the mother, combining
the spirit Of Martha and Of Mary, un-
dinching. orderly, living for her huS
band and her son, not rejecting the bet
ter part, but forcing every member Of
her household to conform to hsr views
of both worlds, and binding down their
power. But how soon the child born to
such liberty Of thought, to such absolute
obedience Of will, learns to escape
from his bonds, to create his own life
and world! His very plsythings (all
others being denied to him) he makes
for himself out Of the elements, the air
above, the waters beneath, the craters
of the coal-heavers rs they empty the
sacks at the door. MY mothers gen
eral principles of the first treatment
were tn guard me- with steady wAtchful-
ness from all avoidabie pain or danger:
and for the rest to let me amuse myself;
but the law was should find my own
amusement No toys Of any kind
were 9. 6fst allowed, ard ::ssss-
pity OF my Croydon aunt for the monas-
tic poverty in this respect was hound
less. On one Of my birthdays, thinking
to overcome my mothers resolution BY
splendor Of temptation, she bought the
most radiant Punch and Judy she could
find in all the Soho Bazaar, as big q .
real Punch and Judy, all dressed In
scarlet and gold, and that would dance.
My mother was obliged to accept
them, but afterward quietly told me it
was not right l should have them, and
never saw them again."
This Croydon aunt must have been q
good and loving aunt to little John.
Whenever my father was ILL.," he says
land hard work and sorrow had al.
ready set their mark ON him-we all
went to Croydon to be petted by my
homely aunt and walk on Duppas Hill
and on the heather Of Addington."
He dwells with affectionate re-
membrance upon the house and its
gables and early destinations for him.
MY chosen domain being the shop, the
back room, and the stones round the
spring of crystal water At the back door
ClOng since let down into the modern
sewer), and my chief companioa my
aunt's dog Towser, whom she had taken
pity on when he was . snappish starved
vagrant and made . bravo and aiYec-
tionate dog of, which was the kind Of
thing she did for every living creature
that came in her way all her life long,
Mrs. Ruskin, with all her passionate
devotion to her son, seems to have had
no idea whatever Of making little child
happy. The baby's education was ter.
ribly consistent; he was steadily
when he was troublesome or
when he tumbled downstairs. 1--WE sci. !
dom had company even on week days,
and was never allowed to come down |
to dessert until much later In life, when |
! was able to crack other peoples nuts |
for them, but never to have any myself,
nor any thing else Of dainty kind. Once
1t Hunter street recollect my mother
giving me three raisins in the forenoon
out Of the store cabinet" But not all |
the rules and rails and restrictions OF |
street and brunswick Square |
could prevent the child from finding out
for himself that brick walls do not .
prison make, nor iron bars . cage. He
stands in the light of the window, in his |
silent, thoughtful fashion, creating his /
own existence for himself, and just as
the turn-cock turned and turned until .
sprang from the pavement, so
even in baby-life does Ruskin lay his
upon the stones. and 10!
the stream Of life begins to flow. In
later days he smites the rock, and bids
the children drink living waters from
The spring Of life eternal. sometimes
also to be mingled with those waters of
strife called '.Meribah. Thack.
cray Richie. in Harper's Magazine.
Indiana'a Great Hiekorses.
Not many Eastern people, uAless they
ire acquainted with the fonssts of the
valley, and moro especially
hose found on the higher Allegheny
knov what n rea1lv 1..ro /