Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-03-24
THE FOURTH LECTURE
By DR.. jerome L, Raymond. at tho High
School, Last Evening.


School, Last Evening.
"Ruskin and Aesthetics was the sub
ject of DR.. Raymond's fourth lecture in
his course on "A Group Of Social Phil
osophers," at the High school last
night. The speaker began his address
by saying that Frederic Harrison, one
of the keenest OF English critics, at
tributed to the influence Of Ruskin the
great change which has come over Eng
land during the last fifty years, the
change from ugliness to beauty, from
vulgarity TO love Of art.
DR.. Raymond then proceeded to show
that Ruskin has indeed by his life and
work given mighty impulse toward
O. new national life for England. The
whole message of Ruskin'S life might
be summed up in the word beauty,
for it was beauty which Ruskin tried
to interpret to England throughout d
long and laborious life. The speaker
then gave an account of Ruskin's child
hood, showing that Ruskin was an ex-
ample Of the power Of heredlty and
early training. From his father he IN
herited his love Of refined literature, OF
beautiful pictures and romantic seen
cry; from his mother his systematic
methods of thought and action. 1T.
Raymond cited a number OF instances
showing that "the child is rather OF
the man''-the pleasure of the chlld
Ruskin in the colors of bright carpets,
his delight in watching the sparkle OF
water drops, his curiosity at the change
Of color in the pulpit cushion when the
minister thumped it! When but four
wears old, on the occasion OF his por-
trait being painted, the artist asked
what sort of background he would IKE.
The little child replied Blue hills!
Love of beauty had already daWned IN
his soul.
In closing, DR.. Raymond said: we
have considered at some length Rus
kin's social theories and experiments.
VIII they, on the whole, be Of perma-
nent value? Have they made men ana
women better in the Work or helpinS
and humanizing the world IN It's neeu
Ruskin himself bitterly lamented that
his work had been a failure; that the
public wanted to be entertained, not
criticized and convinced OF the error
of it's ways If to fail means to De
priest and an evangelist in giving actual
and tangible aid to those in need o. II;
in counselling the poorest and most
ignorant in the ways OF health and IN
dustry; in going out into the world S
want and misery and sickness and try
ing to do his part toward setung
things right, then Ruskin has failed.
Would that we had more such failures!
What are a few mistakes, few unwlse
words, in the grand sum total of the
work of this great, generous humani-
tartan? In the seclusion OF their
libraries some men have lived studious,
quiet lives, while they wrote wisely
about the regeneration of society and
the uplifting of social ideals; but have
given no practical illustration Of what
they fought, nor ministered to those
whom they so tcuchingly commiserated.
Ruskin did more than this, and if he
failed to do all, he had aimed at the
highest, and Not failure but low aim
is crime Ruskin, as few men Of his
time, has prepared the way for clearer
social atmosphere, more generous
recognition of the needs CT others, a
general renovation and uplifting of
society,""