Year: 1879

How He GAVE HIS PRETTY WIFE TO


HIS FRIEND MIII4AIs-HIs PLA-


TONIC MARRIAGE.


Between thirty and thirty-fivc, Rus
kin met and was delighted with very
pretty and graceful young woman of
social position and nice culture. l
should say he had fallen in love with
her were he not of so peculiar q physi-
cal temperament. He admired her suf-
ficiently to ask her to be his wife; and
she, apprcciating his gifts and scholar
ship, aud flattered by the preference Of
SO distinguished a man, accepted his Of
fer. He questioned her. it is reported.
as to the nature Of her affection; ex-
pressed the hope that il was spiritual
rather then emotional, mainly platOnic
in character, as he confessed his own to
be. As may be inferred, she answered
in the affirmative, and doubtless believ-
ed firmly every syllable that she utter
ed. 1t would be strange, indeed, if any
to be less ethereal of sentiment than any
man ON the planet. With the mutual
understanding that theirs was to be a
union of minds, they were married.
They seemed to get on pleasantly for a
few months-at least it seemed so 10
the husband, absorbed as usual in study
and writing. He greatly admired her
beauty-he probably regarded her as a
picture or statue more than woman
and never wearied of praising it. De-
sirOus Of having her portrait taken. he
chose his friend Millais, who. with Hos


man Hunt, Charles Collins, Dante. Rus
sell and others, formed and still form
the pre-Raphaclite school, to transfer
her features to canvas. She gave the
painter number Of sittings, and the
husband was SO much concerned in the
work that he sometimes watched its
progress. Millais, as is well known. is
handsome and winning-he was espe-
cially so when Young, he is barely fifty
now-and was drawn at once 10 the
young and lovely wife of his friend an
attraction that appears TO have been re-
ciprocated. In plain parlancc, Millais
and Mrs. lfuskin fell head over heels. or
heels over head, if you like, in love with
one another without the least intent on
their part. Ruskin himself is said TO
have perceived the fact. although the
lovers had not been in the slightest in
discreet or conventional. or even to
have intimated one To the other the COLI
dition Of their hearts. The author of
''Modern Painters" is as generous as he
is chivalrons. lie did not. us ordinary
men would have done, fly into jealous
rage. nor did he have scene with his
wife. He told her gently what he
had perceived and assured her of his
continued friendship and esteem, and
of his earnest desire to promote her
happiness at any price. She turned
crimson at the words, as if they had
been revelation of her own soul, which
in part they may have been. She could
not believe the thing possible at first
the surprises Of the heart are generally
ovcrwhelming-bu very soon she ac-
knowledged the truth, and the painter
did likewise. The critic condemned
himself for dullncss in thinking pla-
tonic marriage natural or satisfactory.
and announced his willingness. yea glad
ness, to assist the pair 10 felicity they
were obviously fitted for. Instead of
putting any obstacle in the way. he
would remove the only one to their love
and appiness--himself- he kept
his word faithfully. Under the peculiar
circumstances their was no trouble in
obtaining divorce. The matter was
managed privately, without any scan-
dal, and in due time Mrs. Ruskin, who
was, became Mrs. Millais, who is. They
have proved from all accounts most
harmonious couple, and they are as
much to one another to-day as they were
during the honeymoon. Moreover.
Ruskin continues to be firm friend of
both, visiting them regularly and shar-
ing in reflected manner in their hap
piness--a fact which demonstrates the
largcness and nobility of Ruskin's ma
ture. Millais' famous picture-it has
been Engraved and is very common
1.-The Huguenot Lovers" is almost a
faithful portrait of the artists wife. and
the alleged fact has added not little &c
its popuar;ty.