New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-02-17
ABOUT RUSKIN.
GIIMPsES OF THE MAN AND THE
THINKER.

Friends acquaintance and admirers continue
20 ill the English journals with stories about
Mr. Ruskn, appropriations" Of his abilities and
laudations OF his career II is noted by The
London Times that a great part of the secret OF
his influence is to be found in his extraordinary
personal fascination. Never. ii declares. was
any man so sympathetic, winning. uni
fornly and invariably courteous: never was
taIler so unfailingiy and miraculousy eloquent.
1T was the same at all times. and 10 all men.
There is an authentic story told OF his under
graduate days that illustrates his instructive
courtesy and it's effect. He was, as we have
said a retiring youth, shy, and more given to
talking over Turner with Mr.. Wyatt, the print
seller, than 10 such subjects would interest
HIS brother gentlemen commoEers' Of Christ
Church. So one night dozen Of those lively
persons and their friends determined to draw
the genius. II was a habit of his TO go TO bed
early mindful OF the precepts and the practice
of Denmark HILL so at IL the invaders broke
down his oak and rushed into his room. He
was there to receive them. in his dressing gown.
"sGentlemen,' he said with sweet smile and
with his exquisite voice. j sm sorry l cannot
now entertain you 1 should wish; but my
father who is engaged in the sherry trade. has
put Il into my power to invite you all TO wine
tomorrow evening. VIII you Gomez
'sThe rioters were overcome, and withdrew
with three cheerstfor Ruskin.' So throughout
his life he possessed this power OF disarming all
opponents with whom he was brought into per-
sonal contact; only, II it question not of
speech, but Of the pen. his urbanity seemed to
leave him and his eloquence was speedily stepped
IN gall. But over sensitive and enthusiastic nat
ures. especially over ladies and very young
men, his influence, when he chose to exert It,
was extraordinary.
Courteous as he was to persons who differed
from him in talk, he was never. in later life at
least, persuaded by them or turned one hairs
breadth from his own predetermined way. The
prophetic temper grew upon him. The more op-
position he saw in the world around him the
more absolutely persuaded he that he was
right and the world wrong; while at the
same time he could never see that what he pro-
nounced right to-day he had just as fervidly
pronounced wrong a month g. year twenty
years before. But this is of the essence Of the
prophetic disposition"
RUsKIN AT OXFORD.
Mr. Ruskin resigned the Slade Professorship
at Oxford in consequence OF and as protest
against a vote OF conyocation endowtng phys
biological laboratory wherein the vivisection OF
animals was intended TO be practised. He loved
his work there for he was true son OF OK
ford, proud of his boyish training there and
glorying in his professorship. He had been'
says MI A B. Walkley. "a gentleman com
7noner Of Christ Church-one Of the last OF the
gentlemen commoners. think-and he never for
got It He retained the velvet cap and silk
gown which distinguished his class-and a vel
vet cap IN my time at Oxford, quarter of a
century ago, was almost unexpected 6. sight
as helmet. There was only one other such
cap in the Oxford OF those days, and that was
worn by Prince Leopold. The pair, by the way.
were great friends constantly to be met driving
together in the Princes little pony phaeton
along the Woodstock Road. At the professors
lectures the Prince-faIniliarly known among IT.
reverent undergraduates Luppy'-was reg
ular attendant Ruskin had just been appointed
Slade Professor. and at the same time an hon
Orary fellow OF Corpus. where he occupied rooms
in the little garden Quad at the back looking
on Christ Church meadows frequently dined
in hail. and gave occasional breakfasts to par
ties Of undergraduates"
Naturally, his young guests were more than
q little afraid Of him. but he was the most
adorable Of men, and unlike the TRADITIONAL
ghost was quite willing to speak without being
first spoken to. Consequently his breakfasts
were much more lively affairs than those given
by another famous of those days-the
Master of Balliol. 1 still haunted by the
terror I felt Of Jowetts breakfasts-four
silent undergraduates miserably trifng with the
orthodox Oxford baked herrings and "sqush,"
while their most chirruped out little common
places.
sharp lines OF his face were untouched by age.
And his costume was JOY to behold-a smart
OF the neck dixie Colonel Newcomes coat in
Thackeray's drawings, with a rolled collar He
wore an old fashioned stock Of sky blue satin.
which you could see q mile off. All Corpus men
took, IL We're a proprietary interest In this
remarkable costume; they felt 1t to be much
a college institution the Pelican in the Quad.
The famous costume he never varied, at any
rate while he was up" He wore it even when
experimenting his strange roadmaking expert
I1ents in the neighboring villages.
.'Ruskin lectured" adds Mr walkley 'in the
theatre Of the Chem New Museum; in the af-
ternoons OF course, so as not TO interfere with
the regular business Of the place; and before
an audience consisting largely Of young ladies.
He would pace up and down restlessly he
talked, get the photographs he had brought as
illustrations into hopeless muddle, and finally
do without them. That did matter IN the
least for he never by any chance dealt with
his announced subject. The theme OF the course
attended was supposed TO be Early F1orentine
Art; and the lecturer certainly did make one
or two casual remarks about Cimabue and
Giotto But his diversions the real thing
With sweeping gestures Che had graceful rhe-
torical gestures) he detained whole passages
from the Psalms which were understood to ex-
plain, in some way, how the bad weather We
were then experiencing was punishment for
the Industrial denominations Of modern England
Then ne would launch into a TRADE against our
ideals Of Gentleman and Lady as illustrated by
the latest Nude novel And 1 remember that q
Christmas card, popular at the time, represent
ing buxom young woman in her nightgown
clinging a cross, came IN for some particu-
larry violent denunciations. It was all extreme
exaggerations and antipathies, in the style that
hlf nv fbezl irdlN hal