, 1900-02-12
ROMANCES OF RUSKIN'S LIFE.
His Loves Numbered Three and Dis.
appointments the Same.

far distant-he will be remembered as
the man who gave away his wife" 1t
was a great deed. that, and m that
only such a great spirit could have con-
ceived and executed.
1t was in the early '40s, says the
Philadelphia North American, that the
young author met Euphemia Chalmers,
daughter of a Perthshire gentleman.
She was a girl of surprising beauty and
the first volume of Ruskin's Modern
Painters" had already made him ia
nous. Their acquaintance ripened and
Ruskin. picturing her as his ideal wO-
man, fell in love. The physical blight
that had already darkened his life was
forgotten, and he asked her t. become
his wife. He was rich and famous,
chivalrous and brilliant, but the girl
rejected him. 1t is said now thai her
parents forced the match, and they
were welded in 1913.
Mrs. Ruskin was a woman Of spirit
and activity, and it soon became ap-
ga II AAAN ~ a nv y hABdAlN "
her husbands aims and ideals. but
there was no break in their relations
until the young painter. John Millais,
appeared. He was one of Ruskin's
soonest mar in England. He, too, was
rapidly winning fame. and time has
since fulfilled the promise of his early
career.
Ruskin brought Millias to his home
to paint a portrait of his wife. They
were thrown into constant companion
ship, and were often alone during the
sittings. Then there was n tour
through rural England, in which Mil
las accompanied the husband and
wife. Before they returned the young
wife and the young painter had fallen
desperately in love with each other.
John Ruskin OWNED the truth al
most as soon as they did. There was
no scene no jealousy, wrath or re-
elimination. He blamed his own dull
ness for believing that the purely pla-
tonic union existing between himself
and his wife could have been natural
or satisfactory. The new love was
true and real and should be consum-
mated. 1t meant the wreck of his
dearest hopes, but he was %steadfast.
Both the wife and Millais protested in
vain against the sacrifice. A divorce
was nhtainaI nnI without anu prh
licity or scandal, the second marriage
was effected in 1854. Ruskin went in
to seclusion, but the young couple lived
together happily until four years G O
when Millais-then Sir John-died.
This vas not Ruskin's only love dis
appointment. When he was only II
years old he became enamored of a
young Parisienne, Adele Clotilde Dorm
eco, who, with her father and sisters,
was visiting his parents. Young Rus
kin was a shy and awkard swain and
the girl laughed at him.
In September, 1889. he heard of her
engagement to a French nobleman,
Baron Duquesne. Then he wrote the
long poem entitled Farewell" A fort
night later he was taken seriously i'll.
In May he was pronounced consump-
tive and had to give up Oxford. For
nearly two ears he was dragged about
from place to place. Then he freed
himself from the spell, returned to Ok
ford, took a past degree and fifty years
afterward could look back upon the
story as a pretty comedy of mis- youth
full days.
Again, when Ruskin was SO years
old and still smarting from the Millais
episode, he became deeply attached to
Francesca Rosetti, sister of the poet,
She returned his affection, but there
was a difference in their religious
views.
h was an evangelist of the straight
est and narrawest views. In her eyes
he was little better than an infidel. In
his early youth he had, indeed, con-
templated entering holy orders, but
doubts had assailed him, he had re-
nounced the priesthood, and after many
years of great mental suffering had
come out of the ordeal an agnostic, or,
at best, a desist, though always pre-
serving a deeply reverent and relig-
ious spirit.
One of his most serious illnesses fol-
lowed h waking from this dream, and
from that time he became almost a re-
cluse from the world.
Meanwhile the woman's sacrifice for
conscience sake cost her her life. Three
years later she lay on her deathbed.
Ruskin sent her a message imploring to
be allowed to see her once lore. In
return she sent to ask whether he
could yet say that he loved God better
than he loved her. When he said
No" her door was closed upon him
forever.