Artist and Craftsman [By R.S.C. Chermside]. (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated.1860 Excerpt: ... CHAPTER XXX. VOCATION DECIDED. Viscount Windlesham was taking to politics at last, much to the satisfaction of the noble Earl, his father. Two considerations dashed, perhaps, that satisfaction a little. The one, a suspicion, not ill-founded, that his son and heir was taking to that noble pursuit rather as a "pis-aller" than otherwise. The second, a misgiving as to the soundness of the Viscount's party creed. Of a truth, that self-indulgent young nobleman was rather making an experiment to discover some object of new interest, than seriously betaking himself to the fulfilment of a recognised duty in entering upon public life. It would have been better had the reverse been the fact; but I cannot think it wholly bad that matters were even what they were in this respect. There was in the young man no kind of intellectual deficiency; but powers of shrewd observation, a varied experience of life considering his age, and a certain versatile faculty of entering into the feelings of other men, which might prove a stepping-stone out of the slough of selfishness, and was not, as it is in some, a weakener of his force of will. Taints of evil there be beyond a doubt in the atmosphere of politics. How not? since policy is of things human. And these, it is true, may fasten on the weak points of the Viscount's character, and poison all with the corruption of deadly disease. But there be likewise in that same atmosphere, infections--if the word be not itself invidious--of healthful and generous thought and feeling, such as may help to cleanse the plague spots, and, interpenetrating the whole character, may give it some new worth. I will hope it may prove so with Viscount Windlesham. And I think, which the noble Earl his father did not, that the creed to which the Viscount w...