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Touching this question of mere technique Mr。 Ruskin has a word to say （it appears that he said it 〃in his earlier and better days〃）； and Mr。 Higginson quotes it： 〃No weight； nor mass； nor beauty of execution can outweigh one grain or fragment of thought。〃 This is a pro… position to which one would cordially subscribe if it were not so intemperately stated。 A sug… gestive commentary on Mr。 Ruskin's impressive dictum is furnished by his own volume of verse。 The substance of it is weighty enough； but the workmanship lacks just that touch which dis… tinguishes the artist from the bunglerthe touch which Mr。 Ruskin； except when writing prose； appears not much to have regarded either in his later or 〃in his earlier and better days。〃 Miss Dickinson's stanzas； with their impos… sible rhyme； their involved significance； their interrupted flute…note of birds that have no con… tinuous music； seem to have caught the ear of a group of eager listeners。 A shy New England bluebird； shifting its light load of song； has for the moment been mistaken for a stray nightingale。
THE MALE COSTUME OF THE PERIOD
I WENT to see a play the other night； one of those good old…fashioned English comedies that are in five acts and seem to be in fifteen。 The piece with its wrinkled conventionality； its archaic stiffness； and obsolete code of morals； was devoid of interest excepting as a collection of dramatic curios。 Still I managed to sit it through。 The one thing in it that held me a pleased spectator was the graceful costume of a certain player who looked like a fine old por… traitby Vandyke or Velasquez； let us say that had come to life and kicked off its tar… nished frame。 I do not know at what epoch of the world's history the scene of the play was laid； possibly the author originally knew； but it was evident that the actors did not； for their make…ups re… presented quite antagonistic periods。 This cir… cumstance； however； detracted only slightly from the special pleasure I took in the young person called Delorme。 He was not in himself inter… esting； he was like that Major Waters in 〃Pepys's Diary〃〃a most amorous melan… choly gentleman who is under a despayr in love； which makes him bad company；〃 it was en… tirely Delorme's dress。
I never saw mortal man in a dress more sen… sible and becoming。 The material was accord… ing to Polonius's dictum； rich but not gaudy； of some dark cherry…colored stuff with trimmings of a deeper shade。 My idea of a doublet is so misty that I shall not venture to affirm that the gentleman wore a doublet。 It was a loose coat of some description hanging negligently from the shoulders and looped at the throat； showing a tasteful arrangement of lacework below and at the wrists。 Full trousers reaching to the tops of buckskin boots； and a low…crowned soft hat not a Puritan's sugar…loaf； but a picturesque shapeless head…gear； one side jauntily fastened up with a jewelcompleted the essential por… tions of our friend's attire。 It was a costume to walk in； to ride in； to sit in。 The wearer of it could not be awkward if he tried； and I will do Delorme the justice to say that he put his dress to some severe tests。 But he was graceful all the while； and made me wish that my country… men would throw aside their present hideous habiliments and hasten to the measuring…room of Delorme's tailor。 In looking over the plates of an old book of fashions we smile at the monstrous attire in which our worthy great…grandsires saw fit to deck themselves。 Presently it will be the turn of posterity to smile at us； for in our own way we are no less ridiculous than were our ances… tors in their knee…breeches； pig…tail and chapeau de bras。 In fact we are really more absurd。 If a fashionably dressed man of to…day could catch a single glimpse of himself through the eyes of his descendants four or five generations re… moved； he would have a strong impression of being something that had escaped from some… where。 Whatever strides we may have made in arts and sciences； we have made no advance in the matter of costume。 That Americans do not tattoo themselves； and do go fully cladI am speaking exclusively of my own sexis about all that can be said in favor of our present fashions。 I wish I had the vocabulary of Herr Teufelsdrockh with which to inveigh against the dress…coat of our evening parties； the angu… lar swallow…tailed coat that makes a man look like a poor species of bird and gets him mis… taken for the waiter。 〃As long as a man wears the modern coat；〃 says Leigh Hunt； 〃he has no right to despise any dress。 What snips at the collar and lapels！ What a mechanical and ridic… ulous cut about the flaps！ What buttons in front that are never meant to button； and yet are no ornament！ And what an exquisitely absurd pair of buttons at the back！ gravely regarded； never… theless； and thought as indispensably necessary to every well…conditioned coat； as other bits of metal or bone are to the bodies of savages whom we laugh at。 There is absolutely not one iota of sense； grace； or even economy in the modern coat。〃 Still more deplorable is the ceremonial hat of the period。 That a Christian can go about un… abashed with a shiny black cylinder on his head shows what civilization has done for us in the way of taste in personal decoration。 The scalp… lock of an Apache brave has more style。 When an Indian squaw comes into a frontier settle… ment the first 〃marked…down〃 article she pur… chases is a section of stove…pipe。 Her instinct as to the eternal fitness of things tells her that its proper place is on the skull of a barbarian。 It was while revolving these pleasing reflec… tions in my mind； that our friend Delorme walked across the stage in the fourth act； and though there was nothing in the situation nor in the text of the play to warrant it； I broke into tremendous applause； from which I desisted only at the scowl of an usheran object in a celluloid collar and a claw…hammer coat。 My solitary ovation to Master Delorme was an in… voluntary and； I think； pardonable protest against the male costume of our own time。
ON A CERTAIN AFFECTATION
EXCEPTING on the ground that youth is the age of vain fantasy； there is no ac… counting for the fact that young men and young women of poetical temperament should so fre… quently assume to look upon an early demise for themselves as the most desirable thing in the world。 Though one may incidentally be tempted to agree with them in the abstract； one cannot help wondering。 That persons who are exceptionally fortunate in their environment； and in private do not pretend to be otherwise； should openly announce their intention of retiring at once into the family tomb； is a problem not easily solved。 The public has so long listened to these funereal solos that if a few of the poets thus impatient to be gone were to go； their de… parture would perhaps be attended by that re… signed speeding which the proverb invokes on behalf of the parting guest。 The existence of at least one magazine editor would； I know； have a shadow lifted from it。 At this writing； in a small mortuary basket under his desk are seven or eight poems of so gloomy a nature that he would not be able to remain in the same room with them if he did not suspect the integrity of their pessimism。 The ring of a false coin is not more recognizable than that of a rhyme setting forth a simulated sorrow。 The Miss Gladys who sends a poem entitled 〃Forsaken；〃 in which she addresses death as her only friend； makes pictures in the editor's eyes。 He sees； among other dissolving views； a little hoyden in magnificent spirits； perhaps one of this season's social buds； with half a score of lovers ready to pluck her from the family stem a rose whose countless petals are coupons。 A caramel has disagreed with her； or she would not have written in this despondent vein。 The young man who seeks to inform the world in eleven anaemic stanzas of terze rime that the cup of happiness has been forever dashed from his lip （he appears to have but one） and darkly intimates that the end is 〃nigh〃 （rhyming af… fably with 〃sigh〃）； will probably be engaged a quarter of a century from now in making simi… lar declarations。