New-York tribune., 1895-01-20

como or at least greatly chastened by religion
(Which was with her passion) and by large ac-
quantance with grief. resulting in a long meditation
over the mystery OF pain In worldly matters her
generosity may be described as boundless, out per-
haps II Is not difficult for poet TO be generous
in a worldly sense-to be free In parting with tnat
which can be precious only TO commonplace s"u's'
What however is not easy is for one holding
such strong religious convictions as Miss Rossetu
held to cherish such generous thoughts and feelings
az we're hers about those 10 whom her shb5oeths
meant nothing. This was what made her lie 80
beautiful and such blessing 20 all. The ihdurating
effects Of a selfish relgiosity never wthered her
soul nor narrowed 1t. With her. indeed, religion
was very love
A iarsess universal like the sun.
In most things Christina Rossetti seemed to STAND
midway between Gabriel and the other two
members OF her family. and 1t was the same
In physical matters. She had Gaortels eyes,
in which hazel and blue-gray were marveiously
blent one hue shifting into the other answering
to the movements OF the thoughts-eyes ike the
mothers And her brown hair. though less warm
In color than his during his boyhood. was stili
ike IT, When young girl at the time that she
sat for Virgin In the picture now In the National
Gallery she was as both her mother and Gabriel
have told me. really lovely. with an extraordinary
expression OF pensive sweetness She used to have
In the little back parlor portrait OF herseir ~
eighteen by Gabriel. which gives all these quaites
Even then. however the fulness In the eyes was
somewhat excessive. Aterward her III health look
a peculiar FORM the effect OF which was that the
eyes were In manner OF speaking pusheu tor-
ward. and although this protuberance was never
disagreeable, Il certainly took a good deal OF
beauty from her face
While Christmas poetical work may be descrioeo
as being symbolcal she was not much gwen IKE
her brother. to read symbols into the everyday
Incidents OF life. Gabriel. on the contrary, tnousn
Hsnrse sowed his Instinct for symbolizng his
70 IN
a party OF us-includLng Mrs; Rossetti Christina
and myseif~were staying for Christmas with Ga
brel Bogno tree fell in the garden en- aIrs"E
as storm SIGN OF future disaster Christina, whose
poetry is so full of symbolism. would smile at such
sySCnns nS,Gn yet {as sASre in S0ua
being absolutely and hopelessly eccentric ana ana
have thought that it impossible to read those
extraordinary works Of the elder kossss shiStW
Of the Italian schSs 2t ar sasyns tns
ID denSa SISshe' Botn Sr s born london and during
childhood saw Nature only as hShay hay grand
fathers cottage retreat about thirty miles from
London to which she used TO go Tor a honaay III
around But these expeditions we're not numerous.
and came to an end when she WAS chiia OF servn ,
SIDE sr efo Eondon on1 before srhoOd have my
self heard her speak xaouHe ot OF the Sight OF
prmroses i growing in a railway cutting 1t Is s OF
c,tYbopn poet can never be- as in the case
oy Nase wnISIns wsGns snST"f Ms friend nsr
at Herns sdy ;nroSss Sne
and her mS,hsr we're ,hs ak ram Shell
a eys skyark poem which she adSred ,Ss f,,sns sns
showed Tas 'iss that he was able to tell from certain
change Of sound IN the the nprs moment % when the bird
s %na ss@sS 10 e se as amo
ns,ursl TO ,ns esrsn s and yet an WIN
often be able TO do the same thing tn THIS Kind o.
animals, nevertheless she had a strange kind Of
sympathy OF her own Young creatures sspeearSy ranS
ss
her and puppies and kittens ana prds hsr ,s
f%n' from that OF wordsworth and Tennyson-was Of
the kind have described on previous occasion lSs
but not entirely for itself; she loved IL account
OF its symbols OF another world beyond And !e'
she was no slave TO the ascetic side OF Christian
ity No doubt there was mixed with her spiritual
Ism or perhaps UNDERLYING IT, RI rch ,s msns hays
made Itself manifest and also rare poentiann.ys
s sse dGsp STUDY of her and noble s"
II is. however. II may venture to Soy 50. a mis-
poetic artist Exquisite as her Dest things are. ~
one had more uncertain hand than she when ss -
Bake whose influence upon her was very grsa rn an.
occasion. many years ago now. she expressed wsn
10 have some OF ne, serfss hsr sendns them to
No. ls Cheyne Walk her brothers house.where
then used to spend much time In STUDY that
occupied there. said that her brother and ,nr wona1
read them together and submit them TO the EDITOR
She sent several poems Il think about SKI not one
OF which was In the least degree worthy OF sn nea
This naturally embarrassed me, but Gabrlel, wnvv
entirely shared my opinion OF the poems wrote a.
once to her and told her that the verses sem we,,
both I'm his own Judgment and mine. unworthy %
her and tina, she had better buckle TO az once snr
write another poem She did 50. snd me Iss". s,ns
was an exquisite lyric which appeared In the Atnre
naeum Here is where she was wonderfully unIsss
Gabriel whose power OF seif-criticsm In poetry ss
almost as great Tennyson's own Bu, in n,oSs sSs
matter OF inspiration she was. ] musi think aposJ
Ciabriel-above almost everybody n EngIsn ry,aan
metres had been as easy TO wo.k IN as i,arxsr
rhymed metres her imagination was 80 yivid' her
poetlc Impulse was strong ana, uidee!' ..vs
noetic wealth so inexhaustble that she would nav
stood In the front rank Of English poets.