The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-02-28
OUT AND ABOUT.

On the eighth day of the current
month the author of Modern Painters"
entered upon his eightleth year. His
splendid mind has long been in eclipse.
| Occasionally, it is said, he breaks out
| into the vigorous, flowing speech of
| his prime. then the fire of intelligence
| fickers and seems 10 go out, and he
| lapses back into his long. unbroken ST.
| Ieneei but art, painters, politics, his
| old-tlme passions, fail to rouse him,
| only Switzerland and the Alps seem to
awaken him.
There is something terrible in the
| collapse of mind like John Ruskln's,
| because, If such dire catastrophe may
0Fentake a brain SO DassioEately alive
as his was, what may not be the fate
| u the poor average brain, only half
lIlVe at best? Here was 4 man fierce
after beauty, quick TO every aesthetic
and ethical vibration, alive with
white heat Of enthusiasm for the no
bier things of existence; one who did
not stare vacantly at The tremendous
spectacle Of human life, but who faced
the facts of things resolutely, intent
upon Fighting the wrong and giving
! beauty for ashes. And to fade away
in slow decrepitude after ell that! TO
dribble and trickle ont, not to be able
even to die with dignity and distinc-
toni
Some correspondence between Ruskin
and Dante Gabriel Rossetti that has
been recently published by the London
News, gives a pleasant glimpse of the
Ruskin of former days. 1t seems that
Ruskin had been originally introduced
TO Rossetti's work by McCraeken, the
BeIfast packing agent and picture
buyer. Early in 1854 Ruskin called on
| the artist. I, of course, stroked him
down." writes Rossstti; "he seems in
mood TO make my fortune" That was
a task beyond any mans power, but
Mr. Rusldn certainly did his best. He
bought Rossetti's drawings in advance;
introduced him to other patrons; pro-
cured him commissions and provided
funds for the publication of RossettPs
translations from The Early Italian
Poets" Presently MIR. Ruskin was in
PRODUCED TO Miss Siddal-that remark
able woman who was to become Ros-
setti's wife, whose rare type of beauty
passed into his soul, and lives on so
many Of his canvases, and who her
self, under his mastArful influence, de-
veloped no small ability both as a poet
and as an artist, Miss Siddal-the
"Guggum' of Rossettis familiar let
ters, or Ida as Mr.. Ruskin called
her-was duly taken down to Denmark
Hill:
All the Ruskins were most delighted
with Guggum. J. R. said she was a
noble. glorious creature, and his father
said that by her look and manner she
might have been born a countess Her
mother who he tells me has much
medical knowledge, was closeted with
her while and says she thinks her
illness principally weakness, but need
ing the very greatest care
Mr.. Ruskin greatly admired her de-
signs and water cOlOrs, and for some
years settled an annual G150 on her
She in return was to hand over her
drawings to him up TO that amount.
Mr.. Ruskin's letters on these subjects
to Rossetti and Miss Siddal show how
delicate was his generosity.
In case l should be run over" he
wrote TO Rossetti, "or anything else
happen TO me, l have written to my
lawyer today, so that the plan we have
arranged at present cannot be disturbed
by any such accident. 1t may be as
Well that you should keep this letter
Of you can keep anything safe in that
dlsreputable litter of yourSl, in order TO
identify yourself as the Mr.. d. Gabriel
Rossetti named in my letter.
My pleasures are in seeing, thinking,
reading and making people happy Gf
l can, consistently with my own com
fort). And 1 take these pleasures. And
l suppose, If my pleasure were in smok-
ing, betting, dicing and giving pain. l
should take those pleasures. 1t seems
TO me that one man is made one way
and one another-the measure of effort
and self-dental can never be known.
Besides, | have a theory of life
which it seems to me impossible as a
rational being to be altogether without.
namely, that We are all sent into the
world o Df 20,
as we can, and also that my particular
use is likely to be in the things that
/ know something about-that is toI
say, in matters connected with paint
ing. 1t seems to me that,
among all the painters l know. YOU,
on the whole, have the greatest genius.
II seems TO me, then, the proper
and Decessary thing. if l can, to make
YOU more happy and that I should be
more really useful in enabling YOU to-
paint properly and keep your room in
order than in any other way"
Miss Wallberg of Boston. formerly
Of this city. is to give a concert March
II in Association Hall, Boston assist
ed by Mrs. Lofgren of Boston soprano.
and Miss Eliza Lothuer pianist. of this
city.
7. c. w. Dufault, the brilliant young
French tenor. who went from Worces-
ter TO New York last October, has met
with remarkable success in the me-
tropols He is now singing Saturday
forenoons at the Fifth Avenue Syna-
gogue with such singers as Miss Cath
crime Hike. Mrs. Leonard and DR..
Clark Duff and Sundays at a Unita-
rian Church. He has Just been en-
gagged for the coming musical year as
solo tenor at the Church of the Pill
grims Or. Storrs' church In BROOKLYN.
at salary OF $500 In addition. he
has many concert engagements. on /
Christmas day he sang at st. Pat
riCk's Cathedral. and he has sung at