The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1888-02-25 00:00:00

LONDON CORRESPONDENCE,

We dram it right to state we do not at all times identify
ourselveu with our Correspondent's opinions.

The London season is supposed to practically
commence with the opening of Parliament, the
reign of gaiety then setting in which fills the
West-end with receptions, and dinner-parties, and
balls until Ascot week, when it is always pre-
sumed to terminate. This year, however, it has
not opened under the usual bright auspices, for
the serious illness of the Crown Prince of
Germany has cast a great gloom over Court
circles, and what affects these naturally touches
the whole of that society which revolves around
them. And this has a more far-reaching effect
than might at first be imagined, for much of
the trade of the West-end depends upon the
brilliancy of the season, and if the Court and
those attending it do not set an example
of gaiety, a multitude of others desire
to be thought fashionable by themselves
abstaining, and the consequence is that the shop-
keepers who thrive by the custom of society lose
heavily. Of course, the shopkeepers cannot lose
without all they employ, directly or indirectly,
suffering as well; and thus, so closely knit
together are the various interests which combine
to make up the London season, that the illness
of the son-in-law of the Queen at San Remo
involves direct loss to many a poor sempstress
living in a garret in London.
As a contrast between the gaiety, whether
actual or expected, of the London season and the
hard lot of many a metropolitan resident, one
should visit just now the working class quarters,
and those not alone in the East-end. It is a
curious circumstance that when people wish to
describe the poverty of London, it is always of
the East-end that they talk, as if all of it was
located in one portion of the town, and that
an easily definable one. No one who knows
Mile-end or Whitechapel, Stepney or Shadwell,
Will be likely to deny that a very great
deal of our poverty is to be found there, but
it is far from all. There are districts in the
south of London, which are as appallingly poor
as any that have been named; and even in the
west-central portion—if only to take that --block
which lies between Piccadilly and Oxford-street--
there is a mass of poverty almost beyond con-
ception. The squalor may not be as glaring as
in the East-end, but it is present, and its effects
are often very dire. Happily this winter has not
been unduly severe and, therefore, "the bitter
cry of outcast London" has not been sOunded
as loudly in the ears of the general public as in
some previous years it has been. But soup-
kitchens and similar efforts of organised benevo-
lence have done much to mitigate the more dire
results of the poverty that is always apparent,
and great praise is due to those good people who
devote so much of their leisure time to the assist-
ance of others not so well off in this world's
goods as themselves.
All who know the district will rejoice that
there is now every practical assurance that Par-
liament Hill will now be saved from the ravages
of the builder, and that it will be added to Hamp-
stead Heath. A great many thousands have had
to be raised by public subscription in order to
secure this boon for the dwellers in the north of
London, and not only did some of our richest men
contribute largely from out of their abundance,
but people of smaller means were eager to
help as far as they could. The importance
of preserving as many open spaces as possible in
the midst of the ever-growing population of
London has become very strongly impressed
upon us all during the past few years. The
wilderness of houses shows no signs of remaining
confined within limits which even a very short
time since would have appeared quite outside the
chance of being covered; and in order to preserve
our health, as well as to add to our comfort,
open spaces are absolutely necessary. Any who
may doubt whether they are appreciated by those
for whom they are designed should visit one of the
great popular parks at a time when the surround-
ing inhabitants have their period of leisure; and it
cannot be doubted that they would come away
thoroughly convinced that the more we can add
to the number and extent of such valuable
public possessions the better will it be for the
pleasure and welfare of the metropolis.
From time to time cases arise in our various
legal courts to prove that superstitions which
might have been thought to be dead and buried
still hold sway with a large section of the popu-
lation. Only a few days ago an inquest was
held in London upon a young servant girl
who had committed suicide simply because
she had broken a looking - glass. Her
mistress had noticed the damage, but had
not spoken of it because she thought it too
trifling, but the matter continued to weigh upon
the girl's mind, and it is believed that the old
superstition that any who broke a looking glass
entailed upon themselves seven years of bad
luck, so troubled her that she resolved that it
would be better to end her life at once. Of
course, it is not often that a superstition has so
tragical a consequence, but it would be surprising
to cool-headed people to find how many such
exist. There are a vast number of otherwise sen-
sible folk who shudder when they spill salt,
who on no account commence a new venture
on a Friday, and who absolutely decline to make
one of a party of thirteen at dinner. They can
give no reason for any of these caprices save that
they are "unlucky," a word which is so absurd
as an explanation that it ought to be banished
from the language. Time, and increased educa-
tion, may obliterate such stupid beliefs, but it
will scarcely be within our own day.
The volunteer statistics for the past year have
now been issued, and they may be said at
once to show the best results on re-
cord. The entire number of men enrolled
at the close of last year was 2")8,038,
as compared with 226,752 in the previous
year, and of the former number 221,491 were
efficients, while 197,269 were present at inspec-
tion, all these tot als showing an increase. Such
figures are in every way encouraging to those
who wish well to the volunteer force, and what
patriotic Englishman does not It is now close
upon 30 years since the movement was started,
and when it was 1 egtm prophesies were frequent
that it would collapse as rapidly as it grew.
Time has answered those prognostications
most effectively, and we now know that the
force is stronger than ever. And it is not only
those who are actually still in the ranks upon whom
England could depend at a time of emergency,
for there are many thousands who have been in
the force, and who for various reasons have
retired, who would gladly return to their old
corps if danger threatened. This is a factor in
the defence of our country which no Continental
statesman is likely to ignore.
Much anxiety has been felt in various
parts of the country with regard to the water
supply during the coming summer. Figures
are now to hand which will deepen that feeling,
for last year there was a deficiency of 27 per
cent. in the rainfall of the British Islands, and
the reports issued by the Meteorological Office
for the first five or six weeks of the current year
show the want of rain to be increasing, so that
in the Midland counties the quantity is thus far
79 per cent. below the average, and at Hereford
as much as 90 per cent. At Bradford the Town
Council, in whose hands are the waterworks of the
districts, have already had to restrict the supply,
and it may, therefore, be imagined what the
state of things is likely to be by the summer if
the circumstances do not change. Those who
are not aware of the difficulties which surround
the procuring of the immense quantity of water
which is required by our large manufacturing
towns, are often apt to grumble if the supply
runs short, not putting themselves to the trouble
of realising what those difficulties are. But
now that it is known that the supply from the
heavens has been so short, there will be no
excuse for wonder if 'that in the reservoirs is
similarly deficient.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer has reason to
rejoice over the sorrows of 'other persons, for
there has not been en record such a year in which
the payment of probate and legacy duty was so
large since such taxes were first levied as that
which, financially speaking, is just ending. The
wills of two persons were proved during the past
week, in each of which the personalty amounted
to over half-a-million, while three full millionaires,
in -the persons of Mr. M'Calmont, Baron de Stern,
and Lord Wolverton, have died within the year.
The immense amount of legacy duty to be paid
in such cases as these is a very large help to the
Chancellor of the Exchequer in preparing his
Budget; and its effect will readily be recognised
when April comes. Legacy duty is like the
income tax ; those who have no chance of paying
it sigh for the opportunity, while those who have
the opportunity grumble exceedingly at having
to avail themselves of it. But the revenue of
the country has to be maintained, and the only
consolation to be given to those who pay these
taxes is that if they had nothing to pay them
with they would not be thus troubled.

A. F. R.

A PITHY definition of a lover is the following: "A
Lover is a man who endeavours to be more amiable
than it is possible for a man to be, and this is the
reason why almost all lovers appear ridiculouf,'