Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-01-21


tons.
1t will no doubt have been evident
that the spirit which animates these
pages Is not utilitarian- 1t would he
an error to suppose that the simplicity
we seek has anything in common with
that which misers impose upon them
selves through cupidity or narrow
minded people through false austerity.
To the former the simple lie is the
one that costs least: to the latter il Is
fat and colorless existence whose
merit lies in depriving oneself Of ev-
erything bright. smiling. seductive.
1t displeases us not a whit that peo-
pie of large means should put their
fortune into circulation instead Of
boarding it. so giving life to conn
merce and the fine arts. That is us
Ing ones privileges to good advantage.
What we would combat Is foolish prod
igality. the selfish use OF wealth and,
above all, the quest OF the superfiuous
on the part of those who have the
greatest need OF taking thought for the
necessary. The lavishness of q Mace
mas could not have the same effect In
n society as that of n common spend
raries by the magnificence OF his life
and the folly Of his waste. In these
two cases the same term means very
different things. To scatter money
broadcast does not say 1t ut all. There
are ways Of doing 1t which ennoble
men and others which degrade them.
Besides. to scatter money supposes
that one is we'll provided with it.
When the love of sumptuous living
takes possession OF those whose means
are limited the matter becomes
strangely altered. And a very strik-
ing characteristic OF our time Is the
rage for scattering broadcast which
the very people have who ought to
husband their resources. Munif1cence
is benefit to society; that we grant
willingly. Let us even allow that the
prodigality Of certain rich men Is
safety valve for the escape Of the SUI
perabundant. We shall not attempt to
gainsay II. Our contention is that too
many people NEEDLE with the safety
valve when to practice economy is the
part of both their interest and their
duty. Their extravaganza Is private
misfortune and a public danger
90 IOT tue utlIIty VI
We now wish to explain ourselves
upon the question Of aesthetics-oh.
very modestly and without trespass-
ing on the ground of the specialists.
Through a too common illusion sim
plicity and beauty are considered as
rivals. But simple Is not synonymous
with ugly any more than sumptuous.
stylish and costly are synonymous with
beautiful. Our eyes are wounded by
the crying spectacle of gaudy orna
ment. venal art and senseless and
graceless luxury. Wealth coupled with
bad taste sometimes makes us regret
that so much money Is in circulation
to provoke the creation Of such prod
igality of horrors. Our contemporary
art suffers as much from the want Of
simplicity as does our llterature-too
much in II that is irrelevant. over
wrought, falsely imagined. Rarely Is 1t
given us to contemplate in line. form
or color that simplicity allied to per-
lection which commands the eyes as !
evidence does the mind. We need to |
be rebaptized In the ideal purity Of |
immortal beauty which puts its seal |
on the masterpieces. One shaft Of its |
radiance Is worth more than all our |
pompous exhibitions.
Yet what we now have most at heart |
Is to speak of the ordinary aesthetics |
of life. of the care one should bestow |
upon the adornment of his dwelling |
and his person, giving to existence that |
luster without which IT lacks charm.
For 1t is not a matter Of Indifference
whether man pays attention to these
necessities or whether he
does not: ii is by them that we know
whether he puts soul into his work.
Far from considering 1t as wasteful to
give time and thought to the perfect
ing, identifying and poetizing of
forms. 1 think we should spend as much
as we can upon them. Nature gives
us her example, and the man who
should affect contempt for the epfem
eral splendor Of beauty with which
we garnish our brief days would lose
sight of the intentions of him who has
put the same care and love into the
of the lily of an hour and the
eternal hills.
But we must not fall into the gross
error Of confounding true beauty with
hat which has only the name. The
beauty and poetry of existence lie in
The understanding we have of 1t. Our
home, our table. our dress, should be
he interpreters of intentions. That
these intentions he so expressed II is
irst necessary to have them. and he
who possesses them makes them evil
lent through the simplest means. One
need not be rich to give grace and
harm to his habit and his habitation.
Il suffices to have good taste and good
Will. We come here TO n point very
important to everybody. but perhaps
II more interest 70 women than to
men.
Those who would have women con-
,eaI themselves In coarse garments of
he shapeless uniformity Of bags vio-
ate nature in her very heart and mis-
understand completely the spirit Of
hings. II dress were only precau-
ion to shelter us from cold or rain a