ith you, even when you
were among us. Indeed, I killed you quite, as who should say, without
seriousness, "A rat! A rat!" you know, rather cursorily.

[Sidenote: _The World_, Jan. 15, 1879]

Chaff, Tom, as in your present state you are beginning to perceive,
was your fate here, and doubtless will be throughout the eternity
before you. With ages at your disposal, this truth will dimly dawn
upon you; and as you look back upon this life, perchance many
situations that you took _au serieux_ (art-critic, who knows?
expounder of Velasquez, and what not) will explain themselves
sadly--chaff! Go back!

THE WHITE HOUSE,
Jan. 10, 1879.

[Illustration]

_"Balaam's Ass"_

[Sidenote: _Vanity Fair_, Jan 11, 1879.]

Mr. Whistler has written a discord in black and white. It is a strong
saying, excellent in diction, broadly and boldly set down in slashing
words....

The point Mr. Whistler raises and enforces is that criticism of
painting other than by painters is monstrous, and not to be
tolerated.... Mr. Ruskin's "high sounding empty things" would, he
says, "give Titian the same shock of surprise that was Balaam's when
the first great critic proffered his opinion." ... The inference ...
is that all the world, competent and incompetent together, must
receive the painter's work in silence, under pain of being classed
with Balaam's ass....

If, finding himself ill received or ill understood, he has to say,
"You cannot understand me," he must also say, "I did not understand
myself and you, to whom I speak, sufficiently well to make you
understand me."

There could be no better illustration of all this than that
Mr. Whistler has suggested of Balaam's ass. _For the Ass was right_,
although, nay, because he was an ass. "What have I done unto thee,"
said he, "that thou hast smitten me these three times?" "Because thou
hast mocked me," replies Balaam--Whistler; whereupon the Angel of the
Lord rebukes him and says, "_The ass saw me_," so that Balaam is
constrained to bow his head and fall flat on his face. And thus indeed
it is. The ass sees the Angel of the Lord there where the wise prophet
sees nothing, and, by her seeing, saves the life of the very master
who, for reward, smites her grievously and wishes he had a sword that
he might kill her.

Let Balaam not forget that after all he rides upon the ass, that she