Читать книгу Oscar Wilde: A Life in Letters - Оскар Уайльд, Merlin Holland, F. H. Cornish - Страница 72

[Circa 15 July 1882] Ocean House, Newport [Rhode Island]

Dear Mr Norton, I send you the young Greek: a photograph of him: I hope you will admire him. I think it is very strong and right, the statue: and the slight asceticism of it is to me very delightful. The young sculptor’s name is John Donoghue: pure Celt is he: and his address is Reaper Block, Chicago: any word of interest from you would be very cheering to him. I feel sure he could do any one of your young athletes, and what an era in art that would be to have the sculptor back in the palaestra, and of much service too to those who separate athletics from culture, and forget the right ideal of the beautiful and healthy mind in a beautiful and healthy body. I can see no better way of getting rid of the mediaeval discord between soul and body than by sculpture. Phidias is the best answer to Thomas à Kempis, but I wish you could see the statue itself, and not the sun’s libel on it.

When I had the privilege of dining with you you spoke to me, if I remember right, of Professor Morse, the Japanese traveller. As I am going to Japan myself it would be of great service to me to get any instructions or letters from him which would enable me to see their method of studying art, their schools of design and the like. I hardly like to ask you to do this for me, knowing how busy your days are, but I am so anxious to see the artistic side of Japanese life that I have ventured to trespass on your courtesy. I have just returned from the South and have a three-weeks holiday now before Japan, and so find it not unpleasant to be in this little island where idleness ranks among the virtues. I suppose you are still among your beautiful trees. How rich you are to have a Rossetti and a chestnut tree. If I happen to be in Boston pray allow me to call on you, and believe me yours truly OSCAR WILDE

Wilde used the little free time that he had to work on the scenario of a new play, The Duchess of Padua, a blank verse tragedy set in mediaeval Italy. Despite what he always said later about never having written a play for a particular actress, he appears to have approached his leading actress in early September in order to persuade the director Steele Mackaye and the producer Lawrence Barrett to take it on. Hamilton Griffin, Anderson’s stepfather and manager, finally agreed terms with Wilde in late November, $1000 down and $4000 on acceptance of the play to be delivered by p March 1883.