la collection of Cypriote pottery, gems and
statuary had it not found a competitor in England. The luxury of beating
the Britishers was too tempting to be declined, and led to a result which
might not have been reached had the question been nothing more than one of
art and art-education. Competition supplied the stimulus which should have
been furnished by a sense of the desirability of securing a collection so
rich and in every way, historically and artistically, so valuable. The New
York public, again, was never really interested in the Castellani
collection. It grudged the additional entrance-fee of twenty-five cents
levied by the trustees of the Metropolitan Museum. No leader arose to open
its eyes to the true value of a complete collection of majolica and
mediaeval jewelry. The only known authority upon the subject of ceramics
proved to be a blind leader of the blind, and the only result of Mr.
Clarence Cook's interference was to leave the aforesaid gentleman in the
melancholy plight of a plucked crow. The collection was reshipped to
Europe while the feathers were still flying, and the public felt itself to
be a gainer to the extent of witnessing a piece of good sport. No sense of
loss spoiled its enjoyment of the fun.

When, some months ago, it was announced that a college of music was to be
founded, New York scarcely paused to examine the plans of the proposed
building. The scheme fell prone to the ground upon the day of its birth.
The few who were in earnest communicated none of their fire to the
community at large. Society looked upon Mr. Thomas in a precisely similar
manner. It complacently regarded him as the greatest conductor of the age,
and its complacency was fed by its having an imaginary proprietary
interest in him. But while the few who really understood him and the
themes he handled bowed to him as their Apollo, the many had no real
homage to pay either of heart or head. He educated the people, and the
people believed in him and in the dictum of judges more competent than
they. But he was always above them, the men of influence and wealth who in
all such matters represent and _are_ society. He led them to lofty
heights, but no sooner had they reached one than he was seen flying to
another loftier still and still more perilous. He worked, moreover, as
only a genius and an enthusiast could work. He began by winning his
auditors. He went down to their level, humored them, pleased them, and
then filled the