| OCR Text |
Show Last Years of Ruskin I mnao a short visit to England In 1883, and again In 1884. Ruskin had changed greatly n the ton years' Interval In-terval slnco our last meotlng. I had loft him In 1873 a man in vigorous mlddlo llfo, young for his years, erect In flguro, nlert in action, full of vltnl-lt, vltnl-lt, with smooth face and untlrod oyos; I found him an old man, with look oven older than his years, with bent form, with (ho beard of a patriarch, patri-arch, with habitual expression of weariness, with tho geni air and gait of age. But there was all tho old affection and tenderness; tho worn look readily gavo Way to tho old animation, the delightful smHo quick-ly quick-ly kindled Into full , and at moments tho unconquerabio youthful-ncss youthful-ncss of temperament rcas!orted Itsolf with ontlro control of m and ox-presalon. ox-presalon. Ho had becom! moro poal- 'I tle, moro absolute In manner, moro Irritable, but tho essential sweetness prevailed, nnd now nnd then tho old gayoty of mood took possession of him with its irrcslstlbfo charm. No ordering of llfo could havo been moro happy for him. Ho waB tho object of tho most loving and watchful sympathy sym-pathy and caro. His cousin, MrB. Severn, was at tho head of his household, house-hold, and no daughter could havo boon moro dear and devoted to him. Her children kept tho atmosphere of tho homo fresh and bright; tho homo Itself was delightful, beautiful within with Innumerable treasures of art, and Biirrounded without by all tho beauties of ono of tho fairest scones of tho English lnko country. A moro peaceful homo, or ono moro lovely In its surroundings and moro appropriate for him, could not havo beon desired. Prof. Norton, jn tho Atlantic. |
