The San Francisco call., 1896-10-18

has lost q great laborer for art and for
humanity. Years ago, when both were
young men, Dante Gabriel Rossetti called
Morris "the greatest literary identity of
our time," and there seems a peculiar ap-
propriateness in his phrase. Morris has in
deed for the past forty years been, among
men and letters, very distinct identity. His
strong individuality pervaded all his work.
Were he writing poems, manufacturing cart
stuffs," throwing himself heart and soul into
the ''socialistic League" or printing books,
everything he turned his hand TO was done
with an earnest tness and yigor of purpose
which left on each, civilian Morris, his
markI"
The news OF his death has come with some
thing of shock to those who thought of him
as invincible in his splendid vitality as one of
his own Morse heroes. He was struck down in
the very prime of life. We had counted upon
his living on well into the twentieth century.
Morris was born near London only sixty-two
years ago. He was an Oxford man and in col
lege during that time when the Pre-Raphaelite
movement-started in London by Rossetti-
was making such a stir in the university
center. Paul Bourget in his "Outre Mer'' ret
marks that the two situations containing the
greatest possibilities of human happiness seem
to him that OF young Englishman of good
family at Oxford, OF an American girl with
rich and indulgent fatherl The first of these
blissful aIterpatiyes was William Morris. He
was in those years a young Oxford man of
good family and easy circumstances. Like
Burne-Jones he was destined for the church.
Both these young men, friends at that time as.
always after, coming under Rossetti's in
fuenee were diverted from dogma to art, and
to the larger study of humanity. For those
who see in the movement of the "Pre-
Raphaelites" only the desire for asincerer and
less conventional form of art have failed TO
understand its entire significance. Instead,
as has been truly said:
''In humanity itself, with all its possibili-
ties; in its tr1umphs and its degradations, its
labors and its sufferings, they rediscover
'God'-an unknown God,' it may be; fncon-
ceivable,' If we will, but evident in the quick
ened conscience of a growing world and in the
invincible instincts of human pity and love.
MiIIais sees young Christ in the delicate boy
with wounded hand, in the dreary and COM
fortless carpenters shop. Hunt sees cruel
fed Christ in the tired workman overtaxed
and despairing amid the calm sunlight of
eventide. Rossetti sees a risen Christ in the
noble poet whose great love could conquer
death and enter upon the new life at the pres
ent hour. The true Pre-Raphaellsm does not
take the halo from the head OF the Christ of
history, but it puts the halo upon the head of
every suffering child, of every faithful man
and woman since the world began
This was written in direct reference to the
painters and their work. Tt applies with
equal truth to other aspects of this ''second
renaissance" as it is sometimes called. Any
estimate of the subject which does not take
this into account is Unfair and only partial
William Morris in his first reaction from
latter-day problems, which, we suspect, even
then began to press heavily upon him, turned
back to pagan and medieval subjects. He re-
told in glowing words stories of the Greek
gods and Morse heroes of a young world and
the adventures of knights and ladies in that
middle age" which was at once more sensu-
Gus, more superstitious and less complete
than our own. His work was Infused with the
true Greek love of beauty, and in the preface
TO his Earthly Paradise" he expressly pro-
claimed himself naught but "the idle singer
of an empty day" In that most exquisite
and musical of all dedications he says:
Dreamer OF dreams born ont Of my due time;
Why should try to set the crooked straightf
Let it suffice me that my murmuring rhyme
Beats with light wing against the ivory gate,
Telling a tale not too mportunate
1t is singular to remember that these words
were written by the man whose whole after
life was devoted to an intense humanitarian
ism, whose "soul was consecrate' in the SUI
preme effort ''to set the crooked str aight"
Those Oxford days were before all this, and
they are good to remember. It was during
Morris time there that Rossetti and Burne-
Jones and Arthur Hughes and some other
ardent but inexperienced souls engaged in the
great fresco scheme for the Oxford Union De-
batting Hail. The young artists gave their
services and the city paid their expenses. Be-
ing loftily ignorant of all mere technical
knowledge of fresco work they did their paint
ing on the raw brick wall, with the appalling
result that in a few months time it was all
soaked in. We are led to suppose, however.
that they were easily consoled for this fasco.
though the loss to art was a somewhat grayer
matter Rossetti's poor obliterated face of
Guinevere was said to have been one of the
Finest things he ever did. But such youth
such high spirits, such JOY in life-at the city's
expense-were theirs at the time. Morris was
one Of this band, though he does not seem
to have taken any active part in the decora
tion. But all together they discussed art, and
life, and great plans for the future over mid
night pipes. 1t was during this time that they
first saw, in a theeter, the lady who afterward
became Mrs. william Morris. She posed for
Rossetti more than once, and her face can be
recalled by all who are familiar with his "Day-
dream"
Morris about this time was greatly interested
in the Oxford and Cambridge Magazine. This
was sort of successor to the Germ, and, like
that journal, fated TO an early death. Morris
contributed to its support with pen and purse
for something more than year, when it be-
came defunct. He wrote delightfully."- archaic
tales, which found few readers outside of his
own particular circle. The stories are chiefly
interesting to-day because they indicate
Morris preference even then for strong and
simple Saxon words, and his delight in the