Evening star., 1896-08-15

tor!a's court has been to receive no di-
vorced woman. no matter how innocent or
how wronged- Doubtless the relaxation Of
the rule to cheer the last hours of Eng
lands most popular painter will be heartily
approved by all but the most censorioas
OF II. b. NJ s subjects.
If ever the circumstances surrounding
divorce We're romantic they were so in
the case Of Euphemia Chalmers Gray OF
Bowerswell, Perth. She married, while still
quite young, John Ruskin, then considera-
bly, her senior. and now a bent, gray and
broken Old man of seventy-seven, waiting
his summons to go from his beloved West
moreland hills to heaven that cannot
be much more beautiful
In 1851 Ruskin. already an art critic and
writer of splendid power, espoused the
cause of the pre-Raphaelite band OF paint
a---the mystic seven headed by d. e. Ros-
1etti. Holman Hunt and Millais-and be-
gan excusing their doctrine and praisins
their work in his lectures and writings. 1t
was at this time that the young disciples
OF Ruskin In and about oxford distinguish
ed themselves by attempting TO do some
thing useful and got good exercise building
a very bad highway. known to fame by the
unmeiod.ous title of the Hincksey road.
MnIafs II Prodigy.
Millais at this time was only twenty-five
years of age but incredible as 1t may
seem, had been a medaled artist for thir-
teen years He Won his first medal at nine
and exhibited his Inca in the Academy
when only seventeen. Matured beyond his
years, Millais was beautiful an angel"
In Rossettfs phrase. He was six feet tall
and powerfully built His face, then un-
bearded. perfect in tint and outline
and his hair clustered about 1t in a frame
Of close ringlets. Naturally he was a ia
v9rite with the fair sex. and anyone but
philosopher might have thought twice be-
fore proposing to the young Antinous to
paint young wife's portrait. This was
what Ruskin did. There Is evidence
fled with her match. except that she had
no children When she fell In love with
Millais. however. Ruskin saw It, and, as
has always been supposed. aided his wife
to obtain divorce by co!lusion. Since that
day. Ruskin has been something of a mis-
anthrope and all of a recluse. Since then.
too. Milllais. who born as far away
from Scotland rs possible. in Southampton,
has become an ardent Scot. His summer
home has been in Lady Millais' birthplace,
Perth and his best pictures have been of
hemely Scottish scenes. In some Of which,
painted years ago. Lady Millais' fresh, fair
face appears This was especially the case
n the pot boiler. Milais did for masa-
zlne Illustrations early in his welded life
Lady MiiIsi. as Model.
In ;heEe hasty sketches II was no rare
thing for his wife to pose in succession for
ell the female figures Of group Mil!ais
has been fortunate In his other sitters.
Mrs. Henry NJ Stanley. then Dorothy Ten
nhnt. sat Tor NO. his son for Raleigh,
that grand Old man. Capt. Trelawrey, for
the sailor man IN The Northwest Pas
sage. while his own grandson Is the chub-
by lad with clustering curls whose face
gazing aloft at the soap bubble he has
blown, is familiar In cne Of the most wide
ly published advertisements ever prepared.
Lady Mllais' life has been almost en-
tirely domestic. She has been blessed with
eight children. the Oldest of whom, Ev-
erett. will succeed to the title
Return TO Conservation.
After Miilais' marriage there was no
mere nonsense about prs-Rap pha clit!sm In
his case. The British public consents to
forget and forgive the fact that he was
tor short time In his youth an artist, he
has 50 long been 4 commercial draushts-
man and coiorer of popular pictures"
The Royal Academy Is exactly like your
own National Academy in New York, a
close corporation of old foxies. some of
whom paint and all Of whom hail con-
seryatism as tbs only artistic virtue. Mil
lsis election as president WAS his reward
for never having kicked over the traces
sinoa his election an associate, forty
three years ago, OF late years he has been
Ia dress, manner and appearances the tTpl-
Ga! burly BPiton OF $40 pounds weight,
This relations of Rushia and M.Ilais Stree
ths divorce would hs interesting, II thsy
had any, Neither, Of COURSE alluded to ths
aLbsF, but 1t is Hetieed how opposed In
almost everything are the opinions of the
two msh who were oHes master and dis