The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1871-02-18 00:00:00

TILE PEABODY 01 PARIS.

It lee ma to me that no journalist would do his dilly If he
did not allude to the noble work done by Mr Wallace during
this siege. A rich man, he has not spared his wealth, nor
has he spared personal exertions. At an expense of £12,090
he has established an ambulance; he has pain down £2.0,01
for the I.hoof of the victims of the bombardment; he Air
set up an hospital at his own expense; sad another hospital
for thirty patients he has established In his own home. The
grateful people call him the Peabody of Paris. They put his
same on the list of candidates for the Assembly, and, but
that he is ineligible, be might have been returned by a
swingeing majority. 'There are some practical people
across the water in our happy little Island. Mr.
Wallace's name for charitable actions has been cele-
brate. by Paris correspondents during the siege Ano-
ther victim, thought the astute begging letter writers. The
flret letter that Mr. Wallace opened on the resumption of
postal commuatcations was • begging letter, asking for £5O
lam worry to have to add that the enterprising correepon-
dent felled in his laudable object. The administrators of
her Majesty's donation for the benefit of British subject. In
Paris are Dn. Intim and Gordon. I understand that Mr.
Wallace has been asked to loin the committee, and to aid
these gentlemen with hi, advice. I much fear, however, after
all the good work that is doing—the hearty genial work Into
which everybody seems to enter with a pleasant zest—will
miss • very important clam. I refer so those middle-class
people, maiden ladies, widows with families, Ac, ordinarily
fairly wellto-de, but whose means of living the collapse of
France has dried up. These people don't and won't come &-
begging. They suffer. Aye good friends and they die of
want rather than expose the nakedness of the land. They
are hard to get at. Much like the Scotch folk before the
Poor Law regime, they have an honest pride, 'and they will
hang clean starched curtains at their windows when they are
starving You must go to work ins certain way to get at these
people, else you cannot thaw them. One deeply touching in-
stance of privation among such people has oome to my know-
ledge. Ihe day before yesterday a gentleman was distributing
bread in a certain quarter of Paris. Ile had • slice in his
pocket, scraps of which he was {brewing to a dog. It
stabled him when a woman ran out of • doorway and
begged him to give her for her child the bread he was
throwing to the dog. atm was • lady, God help her I the
wire of • surgeon, who is in the south with the army, and
her infante were starving. Take this fact home to
ourselves—for that is the only way to get at the con-
ception of the position. Just fancy a London doctor's
wife begging a bit of bread from a stranger. Yt.lll
can't I No more can I; and yet here is the counterpart of
the incomprehensible, flow are we to get at the doctor's
wives and such like people; We can't persuade them to came
to the place of distribution; we don't know where they live.
Delicate work this, not fit for rough men, however Mg their
hearts, In great hoots with loud voices and big beards; the
work Is women's work In heaven's name, let as see some
frank faced women with energy and dbcrtmlnation, yet with
soft voices and pleasant coaxing ways, and let them have the
means wherewithal to relieve the misery which they shall
encounter. They can do what with the best will In the
world we cannot do —Correspondent of Daily sew.

01.141 BON Of THE Cow:

The IMay Neva' Correspondent writing on the subject of
those likely to be elected to the National Assembly, nay.—
Among those considered certain for the trifle at Oise is M.
Oatobon, a disciple of the lied school, and of the deepest
colour. M. Gam bon is a landed proprietor, whose
patriotism developed itself suddenly some two years ago by
ft point-blank refusal to pay the property-tax. The amount
was lire franca. Like Bampden, he repudiated the Impost
upon principle. Ills point of departure was that all taxes
ought to be abolished; that to decree them wee tryanny—to
pay them weakness. The authorities were of a different
opinion, end as he persisted in his refuels, they laid fiscal hands
upon a cow of hie, and sold Money the tax and cover the ex-
penses of Iltagation. The Clociallete Immediately took him
into high favour; held him up as • martyr; subscribed
to purchase him a brand new cow, and have ever
since pointed to him as an example. The garielene—who
augh at, and contrive to get fun out et everything—lnvented
a phrase which, whilst commemorating the Incident, de-
signates its absurdity. C'est do /cc ratite a Giembon has 110 Ir
passed Into • proverb, to Intimate that suck or such • matter
is as ricliculou• Le the atfairof Clambon's cow. The worthy
individual wan further ennobled by the wags, who at once
christened him Gambon de la Vache. A turn of the political
wheel lifts Gambon of the Cow Into the rank of candidate for
a seat In the Assembly, where he will be expected to raise
hie eh quent voice &iceboat taxation in general, but of cows
111 particular As a rule it may be allirmed that Mb clue of
men will be more noisy and troublesome than dangerous In
the A ssembly. They have neither education, nor knowledge
enough of politics, to give their voice much or any weight,
and wIU find themmlves borne down by their colleagues of
the more moderate patty, and swamped by their natural
inn*/ at No LiburaiCasscrailv• or Momasohic school.", I