New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-01-29
RTSKIN AND ROSSE777.
SOME INTERESTING NOTES ON THEIR
FRIENDSHIP LATELY PUBLISHED.
From The London Daily News.

From The London DAILY news
Ruskin's Intimacy with Rossett is the story
of come of those unnumbcred acts Of gener-
osity by which," as Mr. William Ros3etti mas
elsewhere said he will be remembered haruly
less long than by his vivid insg ut lnto hiany
,hinqs and his heroic prose" He had been orig
inally introduced 10 RossettIs WORK ny piD
Cracken the Belfast packing agent ana picture
BUYER Early in 1871 Ruskin called on the
artist 81 of course strokcd him down. writes
Rossetti "he seems in a mood TO make my
fortune" That IA task beyond any man
power. but MIR Ruskil certaIhiy alu n,n -.
He bought Rossetti's drawings in advance IN
troduced him to other patrons; procured MN
commissions and provided funds for the publ
cation OF ROsSctti5 TRANSACTIONS from the itatly
Italian Poets" Presently Mr.. Ruskin was in
4 troduced to Miss Siddal-that remarkable
, woman who was TO become Rossettis WIRE
whose rare type of beauty passed into ms soul sour
and lives on so many Of his canvases. ana VINO
herself under his masterful influence, developed
no small ability both as a poet and az an artist
Miss Siddal-the "Guggum" Of Rossettfs IA,
rnilar letters, or Ida" Mr.. Ruskin called
her-was duly taken down to Denmark nm
"All the Ruskins were most delighted WIN
Guggurn J. r. said she was noble glorious
creature and his father said that by her look
and manner she might have been born count
ess. Her mother. who he tells me mas nuch
medical knowledge was closeted with her "a
/ while and says she thinks her illness principally
weakness but needing the very greatest care.
Mr.. Ruskin greatly admired her designs and
water coOrs. and for some years settled an
annual $50 on her. She In return was 10 mana
over her drawings to him up to that amount
Mr. RuslIin's letters on these subjects TO KOS
setti and Miss Siddal show how delicate was ms
generosity
RUsKIN TO ROsSETTL
+ I'm case ! should be run over, or anything else
happen to mo- | have written to my lawyer to-
day so that the plan we have arranged at pres
ent cannot be disturbed by any such accident
IL may he as well that you should keep ms
letter Gf you can Keep anything saie III ; Inn'
disreputabe litter Of yours in order to lden-
tfy yourself the Mr.. ID. Gabriel 1osSelI
narned i'm nv letter. My pleasures are in
seeing, thinking, reading ana making peoplc
happy 0f | can consistently with my own com
fort). And | take these pleasures. Ana sup
pose if my pleasure were in smoking betting
dicing and giving pain, should take tno5c
pleasures. 1t seems to me mat one man -
made one way, and one another-thc measure
Of effort and solf-dcnial can never be known
Besides. | have theory Of life when IL
seems to me mpossi bic as rational being W
be altogether without. namely that we are al
sent into the world To be Of such use 10 each
other we can and also that my particular
use is likely to be in the things mat kno"
something about-that is to say. in matters
I connected with painting IL seems 10 i'c
that among all the painters | know. you' on
the whole, have the greatest genius IL
seems to me, then. the proper and nee essary
thing il | can to make You more HAPPY, ana
( that / should be more really useful in ena DING
you to paint properly, and Keep your room III
4 order than i'm any other way. If it were neces-
sary for me to deny myself. or to make any
mighty exertiOn to do this. Of course. it might
no a
should accept it or not But as don't happen
/ to have any other objects in life. ana as nave
comfortable room and all l want IN tanI
more). IT seems to me just as natural | should
/ trv TO no OF use to you as that | should offer
you a cup Of tea if l saw you were thirsty ana
, there was plenty in the teapot. and had got
all / wanted.
RUSKIN TO MISS SIDDAIA
Perhaps have said too much Of my
wish to do this for Rossetts sake. But II you
90 not choose to be helped for his sake con-
! slider also that the plain hard fact IS that
! think you have genius; that don't think there
/ IS much genius in the world: and L want TO Keep
! what there is in it. Heaven having suppose,
/ enough for all its purposes. Utterly irrespective
/ OF Rosscttis feelings or my own. should simply
| do what / do. IL l could, as l should try to save
a beautiful tree from being cut down. or BIT
OF a Gothic cathc iral whose strength was fail
ing If YOU would be 50 good 10 consider
! yourself IS a piece Of wood or Gothic for few
/ months | should be grateful to you. Send
/ me a little with signed promlse-I Will be
gcOd'--by ROssetti."
/ Rossctti though immensely attractive. was In
/ some ways n little difficult. Very amusing are
/ some OF Ford MADDOX Browns experiences OF
him as a friend and a visitor Here are some
! extracts from Browns Diary:
MAY 20-To town to see IL Rossetti would
Join In n newly projected exhibition being OF
/ opinion that unless ne and Anthony would it
/ could have nc chance. or course he would not,
being the incarnation Of pcrycrsonesS. Miss Sid
dal there, looking better. Rcssettl. after much
desutOry conV ersation. began abusing Cave
Thomas's picture At last lost my temper.
. II ended in my telling him to keep TO his
friends, as. to me, his ways were dsagreeabe.
So ! went Off for the first time parting in
dudgeon. He has left Oft abusing his enemies,
that apparently having lost its zest from over
Use and now vituperates his friendS-or those
of the person addressed. as more provoking.
May l6.-Cailed on Dante Rossetti. Saw Miss
Siddal. looking thinner and me re death-like and
more beautiful and more ragged than ever.
December 2I-Out to buy pewter spoons in
( honor OF william ROssetti coming to dinner;