GILBERT 



2493 



GILEAD 



GILBERT, SIR WILLIAM Sen WEN K (1836- 

 1911), an English dramatist who, in collabora- 

 tion with Sir Arthur Sullivan, a composer, pro- 

 duced some of the world's most popular light 

 operas. Among these are Pinafore, The Mi- 

 kado, The Pirates oj Penzance and Patience. 

 Theirs was the most successful artistic partner- 

 ship in history. 



Sir Gilbert, who was born in London, studied 

 at London University and later was admitted 

 to the bar. He was knighted by King Edward 

 VII in 1907. When Fun was first published in 

 1861, he secured in it a popular reputation, 

 chiefly by reason of his Bab Ballads. His first 

 writing for the stage was entitled Dulcamara; 

 or, The Little Duck and the Great Quack. 

 However, his real success began when he en- 

 tered into a producing partnership with Sir 

 Arthur Sullivan. Their first operetta was Trial 

 by Jury. Then followed the five above-men- 

 tioned operas, which ever since have delighted 

 theatergoers because of their clean, whole- 

 some, delightful fun, their sparkling wit and 

 tuneful melodies. The Savoy Theater, in Lon- 

 don, was built especially for the Gilbert-Sulli- 

 van productions. Pinafore became almost a 

 world-wide production. At one time ninety 

 companies throughout the United States alone 

 were singing it. 



The partnership continued until the death of 

 Sullivan, in 1900. See SULLIVAN, SIR ARTHUR. 



GIL'DER, RICHARD WATSON (1844-1909), a 

 poet, editor, orator and lover of art, one of 

 the most popular of Americans because of the 

 purity of his patriotism and his tireless en- 

 deavor to serve his city and his fellow men. 

 Born at Bordentown, N. J., in early life he 

 planned to follow the legal profession, but 

 the War of Secession made of him a soldier. 

 At its close he entered the field of literature. 



At the age of twelve he published a little 

 paper, which he not only wrote but set up and 

 printed himself. He helped to establish the 

 Newark (N. J.) Morning Register, and then 

 in New York City became editor of Hours at 

 Home. This periodical was merged into Scrib- 

 ner's Monthly, and he became its managing 

 editor; and when the latter was changed to 

 the Century Magazine, he became the editor- 

 in-chief, which position he filled until his death. 



On a par with Mr. Gilder's activities as an 

 editor ranks his work as a poet, and some of his 

 best efforts have been collected in Five Books 

 of Song, In Palestine and Poems and Inscrip- 

 tions. Although a poet rather than a man of 

 affairs, he always took an active interest in 



matters of public welfare, and became the head 

 of several reform organizations. He was the 

 first president of the New York Kindergarten 

 Association, and one of his most significant 

 services to his city was his devotion to the 

 children of the tenements. 



GILD 'ING, the art of applying gold leaf or 

 gold dust to metal, porcelain, wood, paper or 

 glass. The oldest and best method consists 

 in applying gold leaf to a surface previously 

 treated with sizing, which acts like a glue when 

 partly dry and firmly holds the gold leaf. When 

 applied to cardboard or paper, their surfaces 

 must first have another sizing, to prevent them 

 from absorbing the regular sizing, so the gold 

 leaf will adhere. The frames of mirrors, pic- 

 tures and moldings are gilded with gold leaf, 

 or a silver leaf to which a yellow varnish is 

 afterwards applied. The edges of books are 

 gilded by coating with glue, preferably fish 

 glue, applying the gold leaf and afterwards 

 polishing. 



In gilding ivory a warm sizing is used. In 

 gilding glass, china and pottery gold dust is 

 mixed to form a paint, and this is applied with 

 a brush. The article is then baked in an oven 

 at a low temperature, and later put in a kiln 

 at a high temperature, to secure permanency. 

 If such dishes are washed in soap a great deal 

 and not very well rinsed, the alkali in the soap 

 will gradually eat off the gold. In the gilding 

 of iron and steeV gold leaf is sometimes ap- 

 plied after the surface has been well cleaned 

 and heated until it turns a bluish color. In 

 Saint Peter's Cathedral at Rome and the Con- 

 gressional Library at Washington, D. C., gild- 

 ing forms one of the chief interior ornamen- 

 tations; the dome of the State House in Bos- 

 ton is entirely covered with gold leaf. 



GIL'EAD, the mountainous country east of 

 the Jordan River, where the tribes of Gad, 

 Reuben and a part of the tribe of Manasseh 

 settled when the Israelites took possession of 

 the Promised Land. It was a splendid pas- 

 ture, extending from the table-land of Moab 

 north to the River Yarniuk, and became the 

 refuge for many who disagreed with the gov- 

 ernment during the history of Israel. It was 

 the refuge for Absalom when he fled from his 

 father. Here, too, the Christians found safety 

 when Jerusalem was besieged. A famous balm, 

 obtained in this country from nuts, was used 

 as an ointment and was considered very pre- 

 cious. The expression, "Is there no balm in 

 Gilead" (Jeremiah VIII, 22), really means "Is 

 there no place of refuge" and does not refer 



