The Life of John Ruskin

Name: The Life of John Ruskin
Author: Collingwood, W. G. (William Gershom)

Collingwood, W. G. (William Gershom)

Authors, English -- 19th century -- Biography; Ruskin, John, 1819-1900

"I have to-night a packet of back letters from Viège ... but I have
     really hardly time to read them to-night, I had so many notes to
     secure when I came from the hills. I walk up every day to the base
     of the aiguilles without the slightest sense of fatigue; work there
     all day hammering and sketching; and down in the evening. As far as
     days by myself can be happy they are so, for I love the place with
     all my heart. I have no over-fatigue or labour, and plenty of time.
     By-the-by, though in most respects they are incapable of
     improvement, I recollect that I thought to-day, as I was breaking
     last night's ice away from the rocks of which I wanted a specimen,
     with a sharpish wind and small pepper and salt-like sleet beating
     in my face, that a hot chop and a glass of sherry, if they were to
     be had round the corner, would make the thing more perfect. There
     was however nothing to be had round the corner but some Iceland
     moss, which belonged to the chamois, and an extra allowance of
     north wind."

This next is scribbled on a tiny scrap of paper:


     "GLACIER or GREPPOND, _August_ 21.

     "MY DEAREST FATHER,

     "I am sitting on a gray stone in the middle of the glacier, waiting
     till the fog goes away. I believe I _may_ wait. I write this line
     in my pocket-book to thank my mother for hers which I did not
     acknowledge last night. I am glad and sorry that she depends so
     much on my letters for her comfort. I am sending them now every day
     by the people who go down, for the diligence is stopped. You may
     run the chance of missing one or two therefore. I am quite well,
     and very comfortable--sitting on Joseph's knapsack laid on the
     stone. The fog is about as thick as that of London in
     November,--only white; and I see nothing near me but fields of
     dampish snow with black stones in it."

And then:


     "MONTANVERT, _August_ 22.

     "I cannot say that on the whole the aiguilles have treated me well.
     I went up Saturday, Monday and Tuesday to their feet, and never
     obtained audience until to-day, and then they retired at twelve
     o'clock; but I have got a most valuable memorandum."

The parental view was put thus:


     GENEVA, _Monday, August_ 20, 1849.

     "MY DEAREST JOHN,

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

The Life of John RuskinCollingwood, W. G. (William Gershom)

Philosophy

The Life of John Ruskin

Collingwood, W. G. (William Gershom)

Authors, English -- 19th century -- Biography; Ruskin, John, 1819-1900

"I have to-night a packet of back letters from Viège ... but I have
     really hardly time to read them to-night, I had so many notes to
     secure when I came from the hills. I walk up every day to the base
     of the aiguilles without the slightest sense of fatigue; work there
     all day hammering and sketching; and down in the evening. As far as
     days by myself can be happy they are so, for I love the place with
     all my heart. I have no over-fatigue or labour, and plenty of time.
     By-the-by, though in most respects they are incapable of
     improvement, I recollect that I thought to-day, as I was breaking
     last night's ice away from the rocks of which I wanted a specimen,
     with a sharpish wind and small pepper and salt-like sleet beating
     in my face, that a hot chop and a glass of sherry, if they were to
     be had round the corner, would make the thing more perfect. There
     was however nothing to be had round the corner but some Iceland
     moss, which belonged to the chamois, and an extra allowance of
     north wind."

This next is scribbled on a tiny scrap of paper:


     "GLACIER or GREPPOND, _August_ 21.

     "MY DEAREST FATHER,

     "I am sitting on a gray stone in the middle of the glacier, waiting
     till the fog goes away. I believe I _may_ wait. I write this line
     in my pocket-book to thank my mother for hers which I did not
     acknowledge last night. I am glad and sorry that she depends so
     much on my letters for her comfort. I am sending them now every day
     by the people who go down, for the diligence is stopped. You may
     run the chance of missing one or two therefore. I am quite well,
     and very comfortable--sitting on Joseph's knapsack laid on the
     stone. The fog is about as thick as that of London in
     November,--only white; and I see nothing near me but fields of
     dampish snow with black stones in it."

And then:


     "MONTANVERT, _August_ 22.

     "I cannot say that on the whole the aiguilles have treated me well.
     I went up Saturday, Monday and Tuesday to their feet, and never
     obtained audience until to-day, and then they retired at twelve
     o'clock; but I have got a most valuable memorandum."

The parental view was put thus:


     GENEVA, _Monday, August_ 20, 1849.

     "MY DEAREST JOHN,

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

The Life of John Ruskin

The Life of John Ruskin

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