The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-03-02
NYE as 4 PUNTIST.
A Punk and a Smile. but the Lat
ter was not His.
IMPRESSIONS OF OSCAR WILDE.
The Vinegar Hill Desarte Class-Thinks In
spired by the Great Masters Teachings
Imported and Domestic Etiquette

For TEE SUNDAY HERALD. By special arrange
merit with the author.l
Art should interest by the true.
Art should move by the beautiful
Art should persuade by the good
Art should interest by the true to ilumine the in
telligence,
Move by the beautiful to regenerate the life,
Persuade by the good to perfect the heart
-DeIsarte.
One beautiful day in July last 1 foated
along down the bosom of the Thames in
d brown study, also in a canoe that had
tried the sllnlit waters of nearly every
American river before it came to visit
this quiet but rather noted English
stream. Harry Welcome padded and
smoked an American cigar. did not
paddle for the reason that do not know
how. I enjoy industry, but there are
lines of industry with which am not
familiar. This is one of them. To pad
die birch bark canoe so that it will run
straight is not an industry, however. 1t
is an art. Punting seemed to be more
in my line. Punting looks more simple.
Punting on the Thames is conducted by
means of long pole and a fat bottomed
gondola.
The puntist rams this pole into the bot
tom of the river, and by dextrous push
sends the boat along at an even and de-
lightful gait. I had poled raft on the
upper Mississippi, broken jam and been
director on a rope ferry, twenty-five
years ago, so / knew enough of aqua
tics to punt, l should say. Mr.. Fisher
said might punt awhile, SO he yielded
his place to me. Irose to my full height,
and as l did so, barring my brow to the
soft kiss of the clover scented afternoon,
Twas recognized by other Americans who
were assisting ME last summer in max
ing times easy in Paris and also in bring
ing about an era Of prosperity in London.
A round of applause greeted me from
along the river bank also, for 1 am al
most as well known abroad as l am in
my own country, and in fact all sum-
mer long it was nip and tuck between
me and old Bouillon Jay to see which
would get the most press notices.
So l bowed Delsarte bow and spat
on my hands in languid way. An
other burst of applause that echoed
down past the lock and out toward
Hampton court swelled my heart with
pardonable pride as I raised the punt
pole high in air and socked it into the
brunette bosom of the historical stream.
The swift and rather slick craft shot
away with its gay and well dressed bur
den, but did not join them Remained.
The punt pole has a tendency to stick
in the clay bottom Of the Thames, but |
did not know this. Ciinging to the pole,
Of course l missed my connection with
the boat, and loud PUNK, followed by
merry peal of laughter, closed the sad
scene. l did not furnish the laughter.
supplied the PUNK. 81
A beautiful but rather inpulsive dog
belonging to Mrs. Sheldon plunged in
and saved my life. He dragged me out
on the bank by my clothing, as he
thought, no doubt, but my clothing was
not SO thick as he had supposed. That
is if dog ever supposes. So | will al
ways carry the marks of that rescue
even to my grave. Dogs are very intel
ligent animals, but they do not know al
ways to dead moral certainty whether
one has his winter or summer fan
nels on. 2
Punting is very healthful exercise,
but one should have set of dry clothing
at hand, so that he may change as soon
as Ln GETS his nI,ntioe, DOM
But started out to say that among
the faces l seemed to recognize was one
that was very English, and yet l thought
| had seen it in America. 1t was the
face of man of forty odd, l would say.
It was the face of Il very homeIy woman
on the shoulders and body of man.
The features were as plain as those of a
hippopotamus in repose, but when light
ed UP with a smile they were as beauti-
fGl as those of pariah. The hair was
abundant and about the color of maple
caramel that has been exposed to the
elements all summer. 1t had evidently
been worn long, but had been cut off at
the neck by means of pinking iron and
a set of burglars tools. His complexion
was Opaque and his teeth hung in rich
clusters on the outsideo of his mouth when
he smiled. lie wore an Elton cap and
lolled back in the canoe while talented
hired man at three bob a day and
shandy gaff padded the frail bark along
the Thames and exhibited this gifted
curiosity to the wondering crowd The
gifted curiosity was Oscar Wilde.