New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-09-18

her celebrity. never, | think. forced her
way into the never crowded ranks Of the
professional beauties of whom Mrs
Langtry was the Acknowledged queen.
she passed early in life from the stage
OF the Gaiety Theatre TO the ranks Of the
aTistocTaCy. becoming Countess Of oTk-
ney in 1892 She is still living What
has happened to her portrait l know not
On the stage she had. before all things,
IN beaHft dH diablC-that Is. the beauty
of youth-havins begun her career or be
come known to the public and TO the
gilded youth vho then thronged that
theatre at fourteen.
I STAYED on after the company had
drifted away. and Whistler began Al
once with his explosive questions:
OF course you knew Mrs. Langtry7-
Il had never seen her
Then you had never seen the loveliest
thing that ever was. Don't tell me you
don't think her perfect Il doesn't mat
ter what you think She IS perfect. Her
beauty is simply exquisite. But her
manner is more exquisite still. She Is
kindness itself"
I MAS in no mood TO dispute eny OF
these propositions. but as I saw much Of
Mrs. Langtry afterrard whistlers &C
count Of her did not seeln 10 ma quite
complete But with or without Mrs
Langtry. whistIer's breakfasts we're like
none other ever given. You could not
have a Whistler breakfast without
Whistler. Certainly. his conception Of
the duties OF most was not d conventional
conception In social life as in art con
ventions We're to him so many objects
OF contempt. He too. like Mrs. Lang
try passed private Acts Of Parliament
for his private use. He was hosritable
kindly. but despotic- The Acts of Par
4 lament were for our use too: No were
70 obey them. None of us minded. only
Il was sometimes difficult to know when
they were passed. and what they were
and when they we're repealed. and when
a new Act came into force. Whistler.
from the head Of his tabIe-or at any
other table. II mattered not Hllich-Iaid
down the law. His stTident voice domi-
mated all others.
IN that he was like Hayward or
Browning both Of whom, when they
chose TO assert themselves. could over
power the whole company. But both
Hayward and Browning were men of the
world and Of society Whistler was
neither. He went much into the world
and often into society. But he went
where he liked: never for any lesser rea-
sen. The circle in which he moved was
OF his own creation. Hayward was self
made. but for forty years a great social
force in the best London. He would
raise his voice if he had q story to tell
for which he wanted q gallery. Brown
ing was content with those nearest him
till he had d proposition in Metaphysics
or z theory OF music to announce, and
when that moment came II was useless
TO compete with him. nor did many men
ITy--Or not twice.
But Whister's flashes and impulses Of
inspiration We're continuous The sub
ject did not matter It might be q dish
. which he had just been into the kitchen
, to superintend. Il might be an out
rageous Iampoon on some one Of those
Enemies the making Of whom he held
I
in the title of his book 1t might he
sentence of homage to Mrs Langtry.
In any Of these cases or hundred
others he disdained privacy He de-
sired 10 give the world Of his best. and
desired that the world TO be benefited
should be as large as possible He
poured out the riches o. his mind
Never. l should think. was there d man
/ whose confidence in himself was so COM
piete and 50 completely justified He
was match for anybody. His power of
Tetort was tremendous and multitude
nous. For this man he had 4 raDier-
thrust and for the next bludgeon. and
he would use one with Just the same
sense OF artistic delight as the other. I
am not sure that he ever met his match
People used 10 pit Mr. Oscar Wilde
against him. but Mr.. oscar Wilde went
down before him as often as he tried TO
stand Up 10 the Master. Men whose
wits were far inferior to WhistIer's
would bowl Wilde over with case. Mr.
Bernal Osborne did.-nay for long
time Mr. BernaI Osborne made Wilde
his butt. and Wilde had no defence He
had no courage Bernal Osborne had no
very wonderful intellectual equipment
though ne was for q long time d dis
tinguished figure in London society, both
before ana after his accomplished
daughter married the late Duke Of ST.
Adams. But Osborne had dauntless
soul. He did not care whom he al
tackled; nor was he an easy man to
arouse, still less TO put down can
not recoIlect that ever saw him in col
iision with Whistler, but I have no
doubt what the result would have been
for / have seen Whistler in many Il duel
tin many man Of whom Osborne was
not the equal. and never knew Whist
Ter TO leave the field defeated That is
true Of him in all the circumstance
and they are many-in which have met
bim- =. W. :.