New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-08-05

thor Alongside Of this mild but firm scepticisii'
resenting doctrine for which no reason Is gwen
II is amusing to observe how dogmatic the youth
full Ruskin could be in another domain OF
thought His friend asked him about the merits
OF n certain book on art and the future Critic re-
plies without a msglving: Il have not seen the
book you speak Of but If 1t praises Turner I'M
qualifedy you may trust to it, And when
some Of the fancifu pages In his later writihss
are considered It would be well for the reader 70
remember what he thought as young man on
the subject Of symbolism.
Tell your sister, with my kind rememorances,
that symbolism, although very interesting anu
doubtless actual in creation. Is a dangerous pay .
thing: II has wasted the time or the wnole Oh
Europe for about two centuries and should only
be pursued when 1t H. either perfectly plain-or
az helpful to the feelings at any given momen,
when IL suggests itsef-without being insisted
upon as more than fancy. Ladies symDoilsns
are nearly always sure to be false, from their
careless way Of reasoning Thus in your sister
first idea she saws THE head is addressed
through the eye and the hand" Why does she
miss the ear? Probably because her real mean
ing was not that the heart IL addressed. Dut az
dresses through the hand. Nobody Is usually al
dressed through their (sic) hands. except IoVer
allowed 10 touch his MISTRESS fingers Tor me
nrst time We work with our hands. and are al
times through the lips. should thnk-and occ1-
sionaIIv bv bastinadO, through the soIes OF the
loot don't think the doctrine Of the Trinity
can he deducei from these premises OF fact
The DAVIS when these letters were written were
the DAYS when Mr.. Ruskin still dalled little
VT, verse-making How very aged n must We
been I'm his own eyes when he could say away
hack IN Fortv-One II have long ceased even ID
road prIblIc criticisms" But he thanked MS cor
RESPONDENT for some candid fault-hnding. and pre-
eentod \ minute defense which ended with sort
~ farewell TO poesy you have only found three
faults" ne excaims land two OF those in one
couplet I know that there are hundreds You
might fix upon: and II you ever look at the things
again and will tell me what you notice believe
me I shall be Obliged: for, though | snail never
touch these things again. having written them
all in fatigued moments and without thought
I shall know what 10 guard against In future
Moments Of fatigue were numerous. The lines
quoted were written I'm Naples. and even there ne
was ANNOYED by pains in the chest ana occasional
hemorrhages His eyes would not permit con-
was not strong enough 10 climb. lie nad begun
work upon Modern Painters. bur hardlN WIN
tho homo Of living u finish the task He almost
abandoned the thought II completing ms resi-
dence AZ oxford and taking his degree ana 50
remain" he added. "in jog-trot, sufflcleht,iol-
the-day style Of ccupatiOn-lounglng planless
undecided and uncomfortable except when can
get out - sl<etch-my chief enjoyment one
can forgive him all his poetry under suca condi-
tIors as he describes. II Is worth renerpberlne
too that when ne became stronger ne turned
not 10 verse-making but to more useful ana none
the less poe,ical tasks. His prose Is better IMAM
most p,e;ry. including all his own