Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1905-02-15
CHAPTER xI.
SIMPLE BEAUTY

service of luxury, that providence Of
business, fostering mother Of arts and
grace of civilized society. We shall
Try briefly to anticipate these objec-
lions.
It will no doubt have been evident
that the spirit which animates these
pages Is not unitarian. 1t would be
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 life is the
enc that costs least; to the latter it 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, 30 giving life to COM
merce and the fine arts. That is u.s.
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 superfuous
on the part of those who have the
greatest need of taking thought for the
necessary The lavishness of Mace
mas could not have the same effect in
a society as that of common spend
thrift who astonishes his contempo-
raries by the magnificence of his life
and the folly of his waste. In these
two cases the same term means very
broadcast does not say it at all. There
are ways OF doing 1t which ennoble
men and others which degrade them.
Besides, to scatter money supposes
that one IS well provided with it.
When the love Of sumptuous living
takes possession of those whose means
are limited the matter becomes
strangely altered. And n very strik-
ing characteristic Of our time is the
rage for scattering broadcast which
the very people have who ought TO
husband their resources. Munificence
Is a benefit to society; that we grant
willingly Let us even allow that the
prodigality OF certain rich men is a
safety valve for the escape of the SUI
perabundant. We shall not attempt to
galnsay it. 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 a private
misfortune and Il public danger.
So much for the utility of luxury.
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 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
4 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 literature-too
much in 1t 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
ulster without which it lacks charm.
For 1t is not matter of Indifference
whether man pays attention to these
superuuous necessities or whether he
does not; it 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, think we should spend as much
es we can upon them. Nature gives
US her example, and the man who
SHOULD affect contempt for the ephem-
eral splendor of beauty with which
we garnish our brief days would lose
# slsAt OF the intentions of him who has
N put the same care and love into the
IA palnting of the lily of an hour and the
eternal hills.
III nut we must not fall into the gross
efror OF confounding true beauty with
.iial which has only the name. The
Ueauty and poetry of existence lie in
sne understanding we have of it. Our
Iome, our table, our dress, should be
.le interpreters Of intentions. That
snese intentions be so expressed 1t is
INST necessary to have them, and he
VINO Possesses them makes them evil
s uent through the simplest means. One
Ieeo not be rich to give grace and
arm to his habit and his habitation
sut1ces to have good taste and good
3 WI We come here to a point very