Sketcher. THE ESTHETE ON HIS TRAVELS.

Waikato Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1568, 22 July 1882, Page 6

Sketcher. THE ESTHETE ON HIS TRAVELS.

Any European of note or notoriety who goes over to America is sure of a hearty welcome. As a nation, the Americans are exceedingly hospitable, and they arc, morcver, very curious to &ec in the flesh those whose names are familiar to them. Mr Oscar Wilde is a cognate personage, not as much because he is one artistic movement, which goes by the name of fustheticism, What that movement, is I never exactly knew, except that ifc had to do with lilies, sunflowers, dados, frizzy hair, clinging garments, and angular movements. Lectuie on lusthetiuisin have never, to my knowledge, been given in England by any of its prices, nor have its ai'erna been revealed except by the jeers of its opponent. In America they arc more fortunate. They have the High Priest amongst them, and the newspapers are filled, not only with his more familiar outpourings to leporters and others, whilst his mode of life and his attire are dwelt upon exhaustively. A fow extracts from these newspapers will, I think, prove amusing and instructive. Here is a picture of Mr Wilde "at home," being interviewed : — The apartment was intensely warm. A hot coal fire in the low-down grate burned fiercely though the intense blaze was prevented from scorching the cheeks of the young .v&theto by a screen of iron and brass. The sofa on which Mr Wilde reclined was drawn up to the fire. An immence wolf -skin-rug, bordered with red and stitched with thesame colour, thrown negligently over the back and scat of the sofa, also served to half encircle the giaccful form of the poet in its soft embrace. Mr Wilde was wearied. There could be uo doubt about this, from the languid, half enervated manner with which lie sipped hot chocolate from a cup which stood on a chair by his side, or in the way he occasionally inhaled a long, deep whiff from a smouldering cigarette held lightly in his white and shapely hand. The aesthete was attired in a smoking jacket of dark velvet, faced on the lappcls witli red quilted silk. The ends of a long dark necktie floated over the facing like seawead on foam, tinged by _ the dying sun. Dark brown pants, striped with red up te the seam, and patentleather shoes, with light-coloured cloth uppcis, completed the rest of the poet's costume. The dross may be open to criticism, but the face of the poet disarms adverse opinion. Long masses of daik hair, parted in the centre, fell in cold curves of beauty over the broad shoulders of this super-tosthetical poet. The lines of the face are not married by moustache or beaul. The full, lather sensuous, lips, now pressed close together with momentary decision, now parted in kindly smile, show to perfection the mobility of the countenance. A Grecian nose and the well tinged Hush of health on the poet's face add all that is required to make it a truly remarkable one. The eyes are large, dark, and ever changing in expression. One thought of a lion -when Mr Wilde tossed back the thick hair on his head as it fell over his face when he reclined foiward ; one thought of a woman when he waved his hand gracefully in the air, or sighed because he was so utterly wearied. Mr Wilde is neither lion nor woman, but a paiticularly clever young man who is creating a sensation — which is moicthan one clever young man in a million is able to do. At parties, however, he adopts a different costume, for thus was he attired when he took part in an e^ ening party got up in his honour by Mr Davis at Philadelphia : — Mr Wilde wore a dress suit, the pants of which were cut off a little below the knee, the rest of the leg being encased in black silk stockings, low patent-leather pumps completing that portion of the attire. A loose rag of a white necktie was wound round the throat of the aesthetic expounder of high art and socialism. The full oxpance of skirt front, which in an ordinary gentleman's evening attire cannot be too immaculate and rigid, in the case of the poet consisted simply of a wilted ribbed pique. Thus does he explain to a reporter what restheticism is, and what are its aims :— The philosophy of asstheticism is that the secret of enjoyment in life is to be able to understand and appreciate the beautiful. People cross continents to see a lake or a mountain or a waterfall, while the simple creatures who live about these scenes are able to discern only earth and water. The four great poets of the early part of this century — Wordsworth, Shelley, Keats, and Byron — were grossly misunderstood in 1 their lifetime by the British public, so much so • that one was driven to the Cumberland wilds, and the others to foreign graves. Even to-day the masses of the people, owing to their grovelling and am beautiful surroundings, are not' able to appreciate tlie poets, • I woukb like to see every one able> to appreciate ' the>' artistic quality of the simplesfcthiugs around them, 'and- 'thttsy'lefru; of "higher than money'' getting^ "Mjr greate&t.objectj in visitras; i this Jeountry'us <£6.: Bee .what effect 1 thfese, ideas have upon* ,an iihprejudiceclpeqple, who 1 aro not/ wedded 'tq'bUl 'conventionalism. /-I'desire'pacticu-' laifly «to' targe* tb.e t^mjpjp'rta'nbef fjdfy leadings ] children^ estimate f tHet}]i6autifdlvt f fi»<L tea6hin^tyem¥'t^i/s'e>iiheif.Jßyel^df{ea^ ftrtake, ">£ io^^tjhgmMygs Jth^^n^ea^if nit 'objects ihey 1 bfe"g from^tHe rolder^wqtjSt;

The key-note of this ace is discontent People are not satisfied because they do not enjoy life, and to enjoy life they must be able to understand the beautiful in the simplest things. The ladies are taking the right step in the decoration of their names, and in the draperies of their persons, but the men will be slow in receiving impressions. Ido not believe in making society a fancy ball, but I see no reason why men should not wear brown or black velvet instead of cloth, nor do 1 see vhy knee-breeches are not more becoming and dignified than ridiculous trousers which men adhere to. " What are your politics ?"' asks the reporter. 0, do you know, these matters are of no inteiest to mo. I know only two terms— civilisation and barbarism ; and I am on the side of civilisation. It is very strange that in the House of Commons you never hear the word "civilisation." They spend night after night squabbling over petty things, when they ought to be working against barbarism. Then, in our country there is seldom a piece of legislation that does not benefit one class moie than another : and that, perhaps, makes the wretched paity spirit more bitter. But Gladstone is the greatest Prime Minister England ever had. A shoit time before I came to America, he said to me that from the United States would come at once the greatest danger in the vast accumulation of capital, and the greatest good in the perfect simplicity of American politics, and in the fact that the only reason for the passage of a great law over here is that it is for the good of the whole people. The personal control of capital, with the povi er it gives over labor and life, has only appeared in modern Ameiican life. "We have as yet nothing like it in England. We call a man rich over thcic when he owns a share of Scotland, or a country or so. But he doesn't have such a control of ready money as noes an American capitalist. He is often pi essed even for a matter of fifty or sixty thousand pounds, said Mr Wilde carelessly. My last extract is a conversation, in which he gives his views upon velvet coats, "Patience,"' the beauty of American women, and the sympathies of Mrs Langtry. " Do you not hope to In ing back picturesque dicssing as one of the forms in winch the spirit of your art will work itself out." "All that must take time. We have to move very carefully, you know. Prejudice cannot be carried by storm. And, by the way, one of the most delightful things I find in America is meeting a people without prejudice — everywhere open to the truth. Wo have nothing like it in England. But to return— we must get the women to dress beautifully first ; the men will follow. Velvet is such a beautiful matciial — why do not men wear it? Grey, or brown, or black velvet is always beautiful," " You have been quoted as saying that the women's dresses in ' Patience' are not exaggerated." " Oh, the embroidoiy an 1 paintings on the dresses ait) made for t-tago effect, and iiro larger than are worn in what is called good society. But in design they are correct. ' Patience,' by tho way, has done our ciuse no harm. Ridicule may be a serious weapon, but there should b9 that in a true poot or a genuiuo cause which is indestructible ; and there is iudcstruetibility in our cause. Oh, no ; pooplo understand that ' Patience is merely a burlesque i enjoyed it very much. Tho music is delightful, and that is certainly on our side, even if the wordb are not." " Speaking of dresses — how do you like tho beauty of their American woarers." " I am charmed with American beauty. American women possess u certain delicacy of outlino surpassing English women. And there is a charm about this curve hero," said Wilde, diawing his finger from check to chin, " that is peculiarly fascinating. But the color of English women is richer and warmer, I think. I Raw Clara Morris on the stage in New York one evening, and I was as delighted with her as with Sara Bernhaidt, who had told mo very much about her charm ; and I have met many surpassingly beautiful young ladies since my anival. Mrs Langtry, I may tell you, is quite with me in all this movement. She has an artistic house, deserves all her rcputatiou for beauty, and sympathies thoroughly with the aesthetic school. Altogether Mr WilcTo so^ms to bo having a " high time" in Ainorica. — Truth.