New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-03-05

mlch-neede1 practical help Ruekin annea-.
have been something much more than o..
Gus patron. The young Preraphacllte n ~.
he gave his time. his money and his friends.
with so much freedom was then onlv 8, -
twenties; but his gifts were already "a,
yeloped and his curious character was n -
extent formed. Rossetti even in his Garlic,
more wholesome years was improvldent ..
erratic. except when. at rare intervals. he c,,.
to put eccentricity In his pocket, and lob. i
after his own interests with a sharp and -
nesslike eye. Ruskin appears to have been !.
ignorance Of the shrewdness and decision a.
which his prot6ge showed himself 10 be can.u
when occasion demanded. There is Iet,e,
this volume from the painter to Gambart IN,
picture dealer in which Rossetu lays DOM .,
law as to what he will or viii not do with ;,
cearness worthy OF an experienced man q, .,
fairs; but elsewhere we find him amazing sv..
Ruskin by his naIvete in money matters Pa.
kin had asked him to make journey into w,,..
for the purpose Of executing a sketch for HI
there and promised to find the needed fpns,
ROssetti calmly proposed that ne should On ..
Paris, presumably using part II not all Of n,
money. You are very odd creature thar,
fact" wrote Ruskn and he goes on to scos
him and Miss Siddal too. for their PARISH,
plans You are such absurd creatures both
you" he says. Il don't say you do wrong. b.
cause you don't seem to know what Is wr,,,
but just do whatever you like as far az possI.
ble-as puppies and tom-tts do However 4,
it is so. must think for you" Looking at Ro,
settis life as whole, one cannot help thinku,
that the puppy and tom-tit attitude was po
altogether artless. Rossetti, we fear. was ro
only self-centred, but a selfish man. We M,
admit however. that In the period dealt x,.
in this volume the Latin acuteness in his cha,
acter was generally Obscured by more enga.irr
traits. He Is surely not unpleasing fgur. !,
that small group which was building the fou..
dations Of the Preraphaelite school in Ene,a,
Even Ford MADDOX Brown, who is much quo,.,
here. cannot be angry with his friend. though
Rossetti gave him abundant cause coming 10 hi,
house just when il was most inconvenisut fr
him 70 be received borrowing Browns great
coat and breeches. o. say nothing II his cash
and keeping him up until In the morning sA
dogmatic talk Rossetu invites the Browm %
the theatre. saying that be- has free passes.s,.
forgets until they reach the door that the nasa
are worthless unless presented earlier han 1,
hour AZ which the party arrives The upsho 4
this escapade was that Brown found himself or
f2 los. which he could i'll afford. But the wor
came when Browns chimney took fire Z.
mounted the roof and poked d blanket doz-
upon the flames In the mean time R0ssettl was
in the house and was making himself use.s
Emma found him raking the live Goals out a. |
over the room. Large holes in our new Kiddsr |
minister Of claret powdered with chocolate ieui |
de-lis" Alas, poor Brown Yet he bore no ma. |
ice, nor can the reader restrain a smile as b |
beholds the romantic young Preraphaelite Dis.
porting himself with the joyous abandon Of
happy bull in a china shop Brown bewails hi
loss, and reflects with pathos that ROssett dos
not talk of paying the tlj he has borrowed Bat
he gaZes with delight, nevertheless upon aa
swell" appearance of the borrower RADIANT
new suit Of clothes. To Brown. as 10 Rlal
the artist was veritabe tom-tit. All FSa'
ment Of Rossettrs peculiarities was turned ssN
by what would seem TO have been kind by
ish freshness and simplicity. He was alss!i
neglecting appointments. borrowing money al
getting his studio into worse and worse dsorcS'
but he could be at times very kind, and Whs''
even more surprising. he could be very d''-s
The drawingg and paintings he made Tor hzA'
were criticised by that individual as treeV
though they were boots sent home rom "
shop; and it must be said that he usually u
his best to satisfy his patron, modifying ~
sages in his work and sometimes painting ~~
over and over once he took his critic W.
awful literaness. Ruskin had sent back wa"
color because the head Of Beatrice IN "
white faced and like a skull He wanIel
slightly changed. and when he called a, -
studio he found, to his horror. that the hea' -
been taken entirely out Il was in sucn =
sion," he writes that | was Ike to tear eve
thing in the room TO pieces" In another F'-
he declares to the artist: You are eoi''".
monkey, thinking your pictures right Sn''
all va, ,,,eiti,alxy thew are wrong What 90 "