Oscar Wilde's Welcome Home

me news tnat Mr. W nao naa sauei for home did not excite tumultons re joicing in England. When the inform ation was sent by cable that he had lef America in sadness becanse of thc fail ure of his mission here, the Londor newspapers with one accord rofcrred te him and his visit to ns in terms vrhicl bordered on the contempluous. Tin Pall Malí QazclU said that "although liis mission is an admitted failnro he has beon allowed to leave the United States in peacc." Then quoting Madame Nilsson's remark that in England Mr. Wilde did not appear ciad as he did in America, becanse "that would not be tolerated therc," Tic rail Malí added with almost brutal diveetness: "Inthis the songstress does wrong to the measurcless toleration of contempt which prevails in this country. Except the Iittle street boys no onè would take any notice oí' tho way in which Mr. Wilde was ciad, so long as he condescended to be ciad at all." Krom The St. James' Qazettc he re ccived oven harshnr treatment. Tho editor hoped that Mr. Wilde wonkl profit by he melancholy failure of his visit, for "not to put too íine a point onit, he has been laughed at all through the States," and that on his return he would "fail into the hands of other !a.dies as sensible and as chastening to his ito SDirit afl Madame Nilsson. íorfromwomei. „i.„oia his ho G of salration. Men, who are oiieu í.v.nv brutally contemptuous of such creatures as Mr. Wilde, will have nothmg to do with him, even in the way of remonstrance. But, fortunately, it is not so with women. They are ever helpful to the weak and soft to the soft; and besides, there is much in Mr. Wilde's demonstrations which leads to the inference (hat he himself té -a woman spoiled." vv orst oí all wcre the comments m The Daily News. They represented Mr. Wildo as returning lo England :i "sadder if not a wiser man, learing thf 'iAmericans a mcrrier but not less wise people," who "laughed at him and when they wcre tired of laughing forgothiin." "Perhaps," continued the commentator." "Mr. Oscar Wilde may liave more synipatky witli tlifi Atlantic Ocean, as itself a gigantic failure, now that he is returning home despondent, Ihan lio liad when ho set outfullof hope and confidcnce in his mission. He raay hare a certain indiilgence for it as a inolancholy and onotonons impostor. The Altantic Ocean, Niágara Falls, the American people- they are all Tast deInsions, each as indifferent as the other to the majeatic ïiersonalitr of Jlr. Oscar Wilae." These are all painfully blunt observalions and savor strongly of that "dreadfnl personality1' which'so grieved Mr. Wilde in the American press. We are afraid he will be dissatisfied with his home when he gets back to it, and will iind existence there as "utterly drearj" as it was here. A prophet and an apostle cannot be said to be greatly honored in his own country when the news of his return prompts the press of the land to cali him such unpleasant ñames as "creaturc," "weakand soft," a "woman spoiled," and a "melancholv and monotonons impostor." That is not exaetly receiving a man with open arcns. It comes nearer to the "ferrid reception" with a basin of hot water whicli Artemus Ward's wife once extended to him, on his return from a Lectorías tour. We aro indebted to a "stafl correspondent" for the following anecdote eoncerning the recent registration of female voters in Boston. lts accuracy is vonched for by an eminent artist- one of the most distinguishod stone-cntters of the Hub. Enter old lady of a certain age. "I wish to register, sir." "Your name, please?" "Almira Jane Simpson." "Yonr age?" "13eg pardon," "Your age?" "Do I nnderstand that I must sriremv age?" "Yes, Miss, the ifcw requires it." "Worlds, sir, would not tempt me lu giro it! Not that I care. No; I had as loif wear it on my bonnet, as a haokman does his number; but I'm a twin, and if my sister has a weakness, it is that sho dishkes any reforence made to her areand I could not give my own, becatise I don t rish to oflend her." The following oecurred in a Lowell sabbath school on Sunday; Teacher- "On ivhat wero given the commandments to Moses?1' Littlc Boy- "On two marble-top tables "