Part 4 (1/2)
” ” p. 36. ”A penny Plain--But Oscar Coloured.”
February 2, p. 54. A Wilde ”Ideal Husband.”
” ” p. 60. A G.o.d in the Os-Car.
” 23, p. 85. The O. W. Vade Mec.u.m.
March 2, p. 106. ”The Rivals” at the A.D.C.
” ” p. 107. The Advisability of Not Being Born in a Handbag.
” 16, p. 121. The Advantage of Being Consistent.
April 6, p. 157. April Foolosophy. (_By One of Them._)
” 13, p. 171. The Long and Short of It.
” ” p. 177. Concerning a Misused Term; _viz._ _Art_, as recently applied to a certain form of Literature.
1906
January 3, p. 18. Our Booking-Office. (R. H.
Sherard's ”_Twenty Years in Paris_.”)
This list at least spells, and spelt, celebrity and a recognition of the importance of the aesthetic movement.
Especially did the American lecturing tour of Oscar Wilde excite the comment and ridicule of _Punch_.
I quote some paragraphs from a pretended despatch from an ”American correspondent.”
A POET'S DAY
(_From an American Correspondent_)
OSCAR AT BREAKFAST! OSCAR AT LUNCHEON!!
OSCAR AT DINNER!!! OSCAR AT SUPPER!!!!
”You see I am, after all, but mortal,” remarked the Poet, with an ineffable affable smile, as he looked up from an elegant but substantial dish of ham and eggs. Pa.s.sing a long, willowy hand through his waving hair, he swept away a stray curl-paper with the _nonchalance_ of a D'ORSAY.
After this effort, Mr WILDE expressed himself as feeling somewhat faint; and, with a half-apologetic smile, ordered another portion of
HAM AND EGGS
in the evident enjoyment of which, after a brief interchange of international courtesies, I left the Poet.
The irresponsible but not ungenial and quite legitimate fun of this is a fairly representative indication of the way in which the young ”Apostle of Beauty” was thought of in England during his American visit.
The writer goes on to tell how, later in the day, he once more encountered the ”young patron of Culture.” It is astonis.h.i.+ng to us now to realise how even the word ”culture” was distorted from its real meaning and made into the badge of a certain set. At anyrate, Mr Punch's contributor goes on to say that ”Oscar” was found at the business premises of the