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May 1882 141 37. “Aesthetic: An Interesting Interview with Oscar Wilde,” Dayton Daily Democrat, 3 May 1882, 4 A representative of the Democrat paid Mr. Wilde a visit in his room at the Beckel House just after he had finished his dinner yesterday. A more opportune moment for an interview could not have been chosen, for the old truth, well known, that a man’s sociability and talkativeness are at their best when the inner man has been supplied with all that nature demands or culinary skill can supply was here amply proven, and promptly in answer to the reporter’s card sent up from the office came the invitation to walk in. There sat the great Oscar Wilde, half reclining on a sofa, a small table before him bearing writing materials in the use of which he had evidently been interrupted by the entrance of his visitor. Papers were strewn about his feet in profusion. The remains of his dinner stood on another table beside him, and the whole character of the room presented an air more of comfortable utility rather than orthodox neatness. Mr. Wilde himself was in perfect keeping with these surroundings as he sat there, whiffing a fine cigar. His face is well known to our readers through the thousands of pictures that have been scattered over the country since his arrival upon American soil. He looks exactly like these pictures with his long scraggy brown hair, wiry and oil-less, falling over his ears and neck, about his shoulders, his mild blue-grey eyes, his graceful nose but large lips, his soft effeminate flesh, but withal his very large, massive head and graceful form. He is odd and eccentric in his dress and style, but it is an eccentricity which loses its conspicuousness in the charm of his conversation, the depth of thought, and brilliancy of expression. Eccentric, it is true, but it is the eccentricity of a great man and not the eccentricity of affectation, or else he could not have won for himself the commendation of the greatest artists and literati of this continent and the old world as it undoubtedly has done ere he has reached the age of three decades. His dress was peculiar, although he did not wear his much talked-of knee breeches. He had on a mouse-colored, corduroy blouse with grey worsted pantaloons. About his neck was tied an old silk tie of a warm green hue while from the left breast pocket of his coat protruded a silk handkerchief of the same color. i-xii_1-196_Wild.indd 141 8/4/09 9:11:56 AM 142 May 1882 “How do America and American institutions impress you, Mr. Wilde?” asked the reporter by way of opening conversation after self-introduction and cordial greeting had passed. “Oh, what is the use of generalities? This country is much like other countries ; we do not find much difference. I think the West is grand. I was far more interested in that part of America than in the East. The East is much more like the countries of Europe. But in California I was perfectly delighted. Everything is so new and novel and interesting. I was charmed with California and the West. But what a dreadful barrier of desert separates you of the East from the West. It seems as though nature had exhausted her resources on the West and had nothing left for those prairies. Oh, it is so dreary, so dissolute with those miles and miles of level plain sweeping across the country with not a tree, not a flower, not even an animal.” “I presume, however, that you do not find as much art in the West as in the East?” “No, but still there are some good artists out there. We do not want to teach the people how to become great artists. We do not want to take a fine Italian masterpiece and put it in the workman’s shanty. He would not appreciate it. He could not be made to appreciate it. It would give him no pleasure. What we want to do is to teach the people that they can have beauty in everything, teach them to open their eyes and look at nature, teach them to see the glorious panorama of color that is going on every day in the skies above their heads and in all nature about them. We want to get them to quit using these horrid forms of furniture...

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