St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-03-19
UNCONSCIOUS LIFE.
The Strange Things We See
in This Great Country
Of Contrasts.
Mr.. Swinbourne Writes an Ode
to the Chicago Expo
sitiOn.
The Crinoline the Last Incon-
gruity Of an Artistic
Age.
Something About the Pretty
New York Fashions for
Spring.
Special Letter to the Globe.

Special Letter to the Globe.
New YORK. March 16, 1893
gaze upon the city where is rife
The incongruities of modern life;
l see the poet of ambiguous talk.
Trying to glority the land of pork;
The bard, in whom plain common sense is
lacking,
Doth eulogize the mighty town of pack
ing;"
Yea, he whom laurel wreaths so lightly wi MS
Writes couplets upon swine, when placed i'll
tins.
Sweet poet take this wise advice Of mine
Lay not thy dainty pearls before the swine.
To do an unusual and startling thing
is more fashionable thing, in our gen.
Grafton, than to do meritorous one.
To do a thing which no one ever expect
ed you to do attracts more comment
than to do 4 thing which has properly
been regarded as your duty. Re-
cent events go to prove that
get notoriety get lit through de-
voting themselves to some profession
for which nature has so eminently dis
qualified them. A society lady, whose
real vocation is evidently acting as lay
figure to exhibit smart gowns, under
takes to interpret the subtletleS OF
Shakespeare to the crowd. A man who
would have done conscientious duty as
a reporter on Police Gazette, sets forth
the squalOr and crime of the garnet and
cellar in the form of novel. Verify.
they get their reward. 1t Is notoriety.
The same may be said OF certain
noted clergymen who, with elocution
worthy of the footlights, seem to have
got into the wrong niche. and yet gain
more applause because they seem mis-
placed. | fancy l hear some cynic
murmuring that the same talents
are useful to church and stage,
preacher and actor, and that the
two professions use the same effects.
Well. be that as it may. the dramatic
preacher is characteristic figure of the
times, and draws a fashionable and
wondering audience. Sketches of his
gestures appear in the Monday papers,
and he gains the double reputation that
he seeks.
Perhaps this desire to surprise the
masses 0f poets have such material de-
sires) seized Algernon Swlnbourne and
| inspired him to write an ode to the Chi
caro- exhibition. Certainly it is thing
that no one expected him TO do.
| 1t is very good subject for
minor poets who have tendency
| to whimsical doggerel, destined
| to appear briefly in a'comic paper, but
| for poet who is so great as TO turn
aside in scorn from the laureateship,
who writes such wonderful, winding,
| incom prehensibe verse that it conveys
only the soothing sound of musical
| lullaby to the average mind-why, the
idea is absurdly incongruous.
There are some points that seem firm
| ly connected in all minds with Chicago,
and these are pork, dust, timed meats
and large feet. Common ideas. L adj
mit-ideas that perhaps large mind
would hardly notice, but then whatIs
| there to inspire poetry?
However, rumor says, in whisper.
of course, that Mr.. Swinbourne's ode
would have done just as well for any
other place or any other exhibit
| ton. That is the best of great mind ;
| it is above such details as locality and
products.
we are all off to Chicago.
And we're in no state of cargo.
| For we hurry, and we scurry, ana we talk;
| We look upon the city,
With mingled pride and pity.
! On the buildings, and the roadway, and the
pork.
EVERY one will talk about it.
| Artists paint and poets spout 1t,
| From the Redfern artists chic, to John Hill
| ais.
| Then every little ranter
VIII say his little chanter,
Zen Swinbourne contributes his dainty lay. '
Speaking of incongruities. leads me tC
notice that in spite of the artistic age
we are living in, when we thought the
clinging empire gown would be the
most favored, we suddedly find our
selves surveying. with startled eyes
the crinoine. Don't think that
am about to enter Into discus
sion on it. Everything that can be
said has been said. But we are making
it as artistic as we can. The upper par
of the new skirt is fitted closely to the
hips, and it increases very gradually as
it reaches to the feet, falling inland ou