New-York tribune., 1900-01-28
preston Of profound horror; And Tor tnat MT
i you are resolved upon moral suicloeF
THE HICKSEY DIGGINGS-"


--7be Hinksey Diggings' still remains, and
VII long remain. among the dvellest oxford
rrskfn traditions. Fer some reason connected
With DarochiaI red tape, a certain road in the
-s,ghbo-bood Of the university city was allowed
% rsmain almost impassable to wagons, much
% the inconvenience Of the farmers and cot
+.ga-s tbereabouts. Professor Ruskin resolved
that as 50 many undergraduates were prevented
,ron attending his drawing classes by the i'm
-e-s+ive necessity Of open air exercise in the
ss-e-Doon. they might and should take their
exercise with benefit to their neighbors. Ac-
cordingly he laid in supply Of digging lmple-
uents. and set an example Of road mending in
which many Of his disciples" among the
goEned youth were ashamed not to follow. So,
atter much tri5Ulation. the Hinksey road was
eventually made fit for use, and Oxford learned
6 lesson.
Though perhaps not an accomplished fore
man OF q road gang, Ruskin was according to
his oEn account still less an accomplished
courier. When the Princess Of Wales visited
the university the Slade professor OF the
fne arts was Of course, presented, and was ex-
pected to give Her Royal Highness much inter
esting Information on his own special topic
In the drawing room Of the deanery Of Christ
Church, after a dinner given by Dean Liddell,
when the Princess stopped to say her appointed
-few words TO Ruskin, he, II characteristic
fashion burst into lamentations about the in
difference Of the undergraduates TO the holy
AT Of drawing few girls really formed the
strength Of his classes, he said. The Princess
could not vel either dispute the Professors
position On arr at oxford OF cordially sym
pathizz with his structures on the university
Jus then and there. All she could do was TO
smile and pass on 10 the next Don on her list.
And the effect was somewhat embarrassing for
Ruskin and for every body. But among the few
girls OF whom he had made al honorable ex-
cepJon were the daughters Of the Dean-Alice
("ALce IN WoEderland) Edith and Rhoda.
Very soon after the Professors somewhat IN
fortunate interview with the Princess Miss
Rhota, the youngest Of the three entered the
drawing room. fresh from the skilful hands Of
The nursery firing woman. All eyes turned 10
the door where This vision Of ad0lescent feIni-
line loveItness appeared. and Disraei, who was
n ATTENDANCE upon the royal party, stepping
toward her with one Of his own Disraelesque
gestures took her by the hand This is IN
derstand, The young lady in whose art education
Profess RUskl Is so deeply interested" That
brought laughter TO the rescue.
From about that time, through the last twenty
years Of his active life, Ruskin went on work
Ing, metaphOrcaIy speaking, more and more
with pIckaZe for the ends he held sacred and
thereby he made, with many enthusiastic dis
apes, many neutrality-suspicious. enemies.
Punch" had this versiied comment upon one
Of Ruskin's sharpest reproofs TO indolent wealth:
To the HeaFy Swell:
are you what Ruskin says you are
The parasite Of your own cigar? it
Tie 6. rSs
! don't think much Of Wuskins Joke
II in has m Cd 70