The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-12-28
RUSKIN ASA WRITER
His Works are True to Nature and They
Breathe the Spirit Of Christianity.
BY DIR. T. B.

Hail Va ASlSSiR -! AA%A
gifts. ! have been a reader Of his
works for more thar q half a century.
T began to study his writings some
where about 1852 or 1853. / know /
began to write concerning some OF
his works by 1854, and published what
had to say in the Raleigh Register.
The most attractive and illuminating
works OF his that interested me so
much at first were Modern Painters
Seven Lamps Of Architectural
.Stone of Venice and The Foun-
aations.' When 1 began their study
I knew but one person VINO was ac-
auainted with them, and he was a
Georgian whom met about tnat Iiine.
I do not know now how tar then
penetrated the reading public OF that
lime, but so far as l know these works
have not been generally read at any
time, one by those Who cultivated let
tiers and really knew the foremost
writers in Great Britain prior to our
own great conflict with the
ambitious. successful North. l am not
now informed in 1909. as to the pop
nlarity Of that remarkable work py
MIR. Ruskin. They richly merit con
sideration for they are replete with
genuine interest to the CLASS Oh read
ers who may be designated as Senu-
snelv cultured. "a Of the evan
rscent productions of our times are
not expected to read or consult sucl
an author as Ruskin in his Garner ana
more remarkable writings. IT is no
doubt true that a class of readers VINO
rarely peruse works Of true and prom
inent merit and eScheW the tranSltofy
notifications of the day that 'd1e
aborning" have even so much dipped
into them, and hence have 1alied 70
acuuaint themselves with the real
beauty and even mastery ~eloquence
which decorate ~profusely the bright
EST pages OF Ruskin. / do not now
Durpns to enter upon an actudl
eritiQue upon his many works, TOT 20
do that effectively / would have 10
be learned above most scholars, not
ONLY in the written books OF men, but
In the broad and richly stored book OF
nature. l should be compelled 70 nave
no small amount OF hnlc knoWI-
edge, both of printing and archltec-
ture. In what l shall say, simply
propose TO offer some general remarks,
OF quite q desultory c~haracter, to the
attention of some readers, ana 10 give,
il / have space, some solutions that
the reader may be the better enabled
to form for himself some IDEA, now
ever limited, OF the vast and olVersl-
fled genius Oh my author
His first appearance in the field OF
letters, was in his book on "Modern
Painters" There was, indeed, no lit
sle boldress some herOism, in the
youthful student stepping forth from
around the classic shades OF cHioru
University and boldly challenging the
attention of the entire critical world
upon the delicate and exclusive sub
iact of art. and especially OF Land
scape Painting. II exhibited no feeble
daring in his proclairning with the DIS
tinct urterance Of genius that from the
time upon the first caracaturist OF ma
ture daubed the canVasS With ms I'M
tried and unskilled brush, until thea
the world had ever been III error IN
regard :. this great art-tnat the oio
and raVercd painters-lnasfers OF tine
ART as they are called) Claude, SaiFa-
tor Rosa. Tition, Tintovet, the PIrS-
slams and others, were comparative
humbugs Of the first water. and that
Turner, the English landscape painter,
was par excellence the only true paint
er cc nature-thc only artist that
properly read and understood the
theory OF the skies, OF water, or storms
and OF the earth. And it was not less
Tharnatenfelt to observe that for
many years Ruskin's views and
theories were widely accepted, and
when adopted was not for years sue
cessfully contrOvcrted.
He appeared as the e£er OF
new theories. and it seemed to many
then that it was the end
he sought. But really that was
untrue and unjust in its limitations.
1t was not the end that htuskin sought
HIS purpose was higher, more ennob-
ling. It was our calculation to call
into fun play his really poetic mind.
The true and peculiar mission then
Of Ruskin, it seems, to me-. was to
awaken in the heart of every one q
love. deep and ardent, and sincere, for
the beautiful-to convince man IS he
walks under the ample and expanded
heavens, and brcathCs its pure ana
br1cing air. that there is a thousand
things in nature, generally, ~unobserNed
and uncared for, that are indeed full
of beauty, OF power, Of inspiration, OF
goodness. and that in then w. should
trace success of the existence OF an
Almighty Ruler. No one can read
inInrHt2nl cnInEfLil~ q the NOThS.