The Washington times., 1922-12-17
OSCAR WILDE IN
ELABORATE
( EDITION
Work Of the Great Master OF
Epluram Complete In Five
Volumes Bearing the cosmo-
politan Imprint,
BY AMES KENDRICK.

BY AMES KENDRICK.
IN HE new edition OF Oscar
wilde's works recalls many
anecdotes about Wilde In
the heyday Of his literary and
social success. Picturesque mem
eries still remain of a famous
Ylum-colored velveteen knicker-
booker suit. and Of Wilde stroll.
ing down Piccadilly with lily
81 his hand. When all the young
esthetes of Oxford were getting
themselves up like 80 many hu-
man orchids and decorating their
lodgings in. fantastic and exotic
fashion. Wilde outdid them all in
buying a fine set Of blue china.
and declaring that 1t was to be
his life occupation to live up
to It,"
Yet with this youthful posing.
Wilde came to be recognized as
London's most brilliant converse
tionalist. the most fascinating,
original and sometimes shocking
celebrity which any London hos
tess could corral and exhibit to
her dinner guests.
wilde's epigrams. like Ben
Franklin's proverbs, have been
quoted all over the world. A
good example of his charming wit
IL his famous characterization Of
American girls and American
character. American girls are
little cases Of pretty unreason-
ableness in q vast desert Of prac-
tical common-sense." This re-
mark, made to Ellery Pennock in
Denver while Wilde was lecturing
in the United States, Is still
quoted on the Continent, accord
ing to American tourists.
In the more audacious mood
which delighted and scandal'zed
London society in the 1905 Wilde
used to say that nowadays all
married men live like bachelors and
all bachelors like married men,"
Other celebrated utterances
were these:
"The real drawback to marriage
II that II makes one unselfish."
"A man can be happy with any
woman 30 long as he does not
love her."
Perhaps most famous Of all 10
his paradox:
Even things that are true can
be proved"
No one of the literary classics
Of the last generation has held
place so well as Wilde. His bril-
liant. piquant personality has
been remarkably preserved in his
writings. which exhibit him az
supreme master Of our language.
His works have frequently been
demanded in new editions by the
p6blic since his death in 1900,
and have now been reissued COM
plete. except for a few minor
prose works. in small. hand
somely bound. five-volume set
which bears the Cosmopolitan i'm
print.
ssT leave you well content that
you have two accomplish
ments, my son. that are most
needful to a Christian man. skin
With the sword and . way with
the mandolin" With these last
words from his father. Don Rodri-
euez set out on his Journey Of
romantic adventure.
saAll very well ''in the Golden
Age Of SPAIN" where Lord Dun
akny places the story; but he'd
Rave been run IN sure - shoot
ing in these unilnaginative days.
6tin ''Don Rodriguez" II . grand
outlet for twentieth century In
hibitions. Once out on the sunny
plains with the svash.buckiing
Aodrigues and his good Morano
the rough places of modern life
smooth out miracuiously at the
bshest Of Duhsany's magic wand.
AN extremely sound writer on
literature is Hon. Stephen
coleridse. whoseI genial book Tho
GLORY Of English Prose- b made
mp Of letters to his grandson. In
our youth we should have been
delighted and helped. more than
We could suspect. II the great
books OF the past had come to
our attention in 20 friendly and
I pleasant . way. But, then. we're
always regretting the things No
didn't read as q child. At least
tho book pleased US now. We've
no right to demand more.
REPRESENTATIONS Of Lady su-
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