The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-11-13
PAINTER AND POET.
Two Sisters Whose Art Has
Charmed the World.
LADY BUTLER AND MRS. REYNelL
1rsmsndsus Success Of "Ths Roll
The Sonnet That Kossetu Praised.

LoNpoy, Nov. l-rSpecial Correspond
ence. lin the summer OF 1875 the two
conspicuous successes Of the year in art
and poetry fell TO two hitherto unknown
young sisters. both in the early twentles.
Ine success of the elder was extraordi.
nary In its suddenness and enthusiasm,
and can only be explained by the fact that
she had touched England in her national
pride. in her glory that the Crimean war
was still near enough to make mournful.
suppose no picture of modern times is
as well known as The Roll Gail. 1t be-
came that curious and unreasonable
thing, q tremendous popular success. Peo-
pie who. perhaps. have never heard Of
any other picture, have heard of and seen
The Roll Gail. II was bought by the
queen. other eager would.be purchasers
standing aside TO make room for her
majesty, but it Travelled, by gracious per-
mission. up and down the British Islands
before seeking glorious rest in Windsor
Castle, and for those who were not picture
seeing seventeen years ago, 1t has been
made familiar by countless reproductions
in one form or another. People mobbed
the young painter at railway stations; if
she was calling at a house, the street had
% be cleared before she could escape.
Scarcely any young girl has ever had such
al emergence into extraordinary publicity
and popular applause.
The success of the younger sister was Of
less conspicuous, but, perhaps, more ex-
ouisite kind. Her portfolio of poems,
which she had gathered during her girlish
years IN Italy, were, at the earnest desire
Of NJ. Ruskin, published in volume
called ''P-eludes." Those exquisite minor
song. have had as yet no successors. But
i is 10. because very 1t circle does not
xsi- for them with eager anticipation.
Her poetry is little likely to be popular.
Il Is too subtle. too Infinitely delicate in its
meanings for widespread popularity. Cur
lousy enough, while q large public is
found Tor the most subtle music-a Wag-
ne- or Schumann concert will give
you ! myriad of eager enthusiasts
and lovers 10 look upon-subtiety in
poetry will always appeal to the few as
though the many asked only for the ready
male IN emotion. But the praise OF the
praised Eel. TO Alice Thompson's lot. The
laureate. the most arrogant of elder poets
TO the young. asked for a copy; Rossetti
sen: his own volume, Poems" which l
have seen in very fine livery of grey
padded morocco and silver. The reviews
rivalled each other in the fulness and sin
cerity of their Iaudation.
The two girls were the daughters of an
English gentleman, who. whine in close
touch with the English masters of litera-
ture OF his time, elected to live in Italy
for beauty sake, perhaps. Their mother
still lives. and in meeting her one realizes
1 A4 Al.
are. She is a most devout musician, and
her published songs and pieces are full of
quaintness and q delicate purity. She is
impressionabla to all artistic sensations,
in love with poetry, painting and all the
arts. One cannot listen to her for ha.f an
hour without hearing the most delightful
and original thoughts. l remember her
seated at a piano. running over the
various bird songs with faultless accuracy
and purity OF note, while she told Us
she was sure the songs were the same
as those of the angels in heaven. The
charms o. briiliancy and vivacicy which,
as a bride. made her adored by her hus-
bands friends-Dickens among them-has
not failed her in her later years. She is
the youngest of women, and in her joyous
daughters, who, dark-haired and dark
eyed, have good deal of very sweet mel
anchoiy IN their unforgetable faces. Their
voices, too, have something of a haunting
melancholy. something they might have
caught as dreamy children in Italy from
the olive groves and the grooming of doves
and the passion of the nightingale.
Lady Butler married, in 1877. Sir Will
liam, then Major. Butler. already known
TO fame rs the author OF The Great Lone
Land" and other books of travel and ad-
venture. Since then husband and wife,
while leading an unusually busy and oil.
versfed life. have held fast by their re-
spectlve talents. Sir William Butler ad-
vanced steadily in tie army. where he has
ever been Lord Woiesley's right hand. He
has been in Egypt since the troops went
out after Gordon's death, when he COM
manded the expedition that went in boats
over the Nile .cataracts. He - at present
brigadier general. in command OF the
troops At Alexandria. and published, not
long since, the most nearly perfect oiog-
raphy of a soldier-"The Lie OF Napier
that il is possible to conceive. Next year,
with his promotion TO major generalship.
his command AZ exandria will cease.
What that Eastern kaleidoscope OF
coIors, the ever-shi;ting men and
modes that are IN the caravanserai,
Alexandria, have been Il his vile time,
no doubt, will show IN her work. Sne IS,
as usual. gajating q picture for the acad-
emv. Sir William, who is an enthusiastic
Irishman, and avows his birth and his
pride in il er ali manner of TIMES and
places. as for some years had an irish
home al De- garry, in County WICKLOW.
Here his wife retires from the official
duties OF ne- life at Alexandra 10 paint
her plctuves Degarry is lovely spot in
the garden of Ireland. The sea is out 10
the east. over stretch OF silver sand.
ben nj one a-e the wooded masses OF the
zen OF the Downs, dashed here and there