The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-01-06 00:00:00

THE FRANCO-GERMAN BLOOD FEUD.

In noticing the death of M. Gambetta the Daily
Telegraph questions whether it is a real loss to France
that the hour of revenge on Germany is by the event
of Sunday indefinitely deferred? What was the
probable issue of a new struggle? At the best
the French would win brilliant victories, reacquire
Alsace and Lorraine, and inflict on Germany a
tremendous penalty. But would the contest be then
closed for ever? Would the German people shake
hands with their foes and sit down content with the
thrashing they had received? All history and human
nature say No. If Prussia after Jena rose to life
again, would not the Germany of Prince Bismarck
revive even after defeats tenfold as decisive? The
duel would be interrupted, but would certainly be re-
commenced, and France would have to stand armed at
every point to guard her recovered territories. The
issue, however, might be the other way. In spite
of all her preparai,nci, France, badly led or unfortu-
nate, might suffer another tremendous defeat, and
have to endure a renewed mutilation. These are the
alternative issues of a war, and it is only simple truth
to say that the death of Gambetta postpones the
hour of a terrible and exhaudtive struggle. Nor is it
only p,stpt.nernent ; hate deferred may die out.
Time has healed the wound csmsed by Waterloo.
Why should nut the blood feud between Paris and
Berlin die down in the same w'?

NOVEL METHOD OF DEALING WITH
A BURGLAR.
Slugle ladies as a rule are terribly alarmed if they
hear a robber cautiously moving about in their bed-
room in the dead of night; but Miss Gilbert, whose
reception of a burglar is related in a New York paper,
differs in this respect from the generality of her sex.
According to the journal referred to. the lady is well
known in America as a prison reformer, and as one
who believes in the doctrine that kindness will do more
for the correction of the criminal classes than severity
or punishment. A short time ago, Miss Gilbert,
who had retired to rest, was awakened in the
night by a noise at the window of her bed-
room, situated on the second floor. She rubbed he
eyes, and soon became aware of the fact that a burglar
was getting in. So far from feeling frightened, how-
ever, she, to quote her own words, " was almost glad,
since she would have an opportunity of watching
one of her black sheep at work." The window being
opened the man was quickly in the room, and after
glancing stealthily towards the bed, he went down
on his knees to turn over the contents of a chest
of drawers. A light left burning in an adjacent
room, the door of which was open, enabled Miss
Gilbert to watch his every movement, and she had
already remarked that he wore rubbers on his
shoes and carried neither weapons nor tools ia his
hands. Perceiving in the midst of his search, a watch
on the mantelpiece, the thief stretched out his hand to
take it, and at the same moment felt a touch on his
shoulder which so startled him that he let the watch
fall. A dialogue then followed between Miss Gilbert
and the man, he pleading that as he had taken nothing
be should be allowed to go, whilst Mies Gilbert in-
sisted on his remaining "to talk." In the course of
the conversation she learned that her companion had
'men driven to steal by want—or at least this was the
eNcuse he brought forward—and that his intention was,
when he had stolen enough, to take his wife and
three children somewhere in the country, as he could
not support them in New York. After hearing this
confession, the philanthropic Miss Gilbert put into
practice her doctrine about treating criminals with
kindness. She filled a basket with eatables, save it
to the burglar, put a five-dollar piece in his hand,
,
whispered some good advice in his ear, and lrth
out through the trout door the man, she says, "wear-
ing as glad a face as one could wish to see. This
inartehenjontngsurnren, that
cma s s bGe
arbeeardti,
sl y bed;anl i ewouldve
ab
nu
st wwe
re
quite think, as she herself fears,
n mthast
a"nwi y hsean people
read read the story, some will da a
am encouraging crime."—Evening Stan r

Mrs. Langtry gave eight performances at Brooklyn
last week, her rezeipts being 16,064 dole. She has
thus far given 59 American performances, the receipts
of which have been 123,945 dole.
The Bon March 6 one of the finest buildings in
Douglas, Isle of Man, was
i destroyed by fire on Mon-
day night, The damage s estimated at from £15,000
to £20,000,