The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-07-14
LETTER FROM The EDITOR. :.


that the Boston Commonwealth supposes tina
DR.. Bailey intends " to participate in the toul
of Mrs Stowe" There is not the sGghtes
ground for any such supposition. have had
and have, no intention of the kind. Our visit
was planned with very different view, and
we arrived in England after that lady had left
for the Continent. Mrs Stoves honors are
all her own honestly won, and nobody has
right, or, so far as know, any desire, to par
ticipate" in them.
For myself, I am here for recreation-a
quiet looker-on, disposed to learn all can, and
enjoy what may provided it do not cost too
much trouble BY the way, there is more to
learn than to enjoy in this great Babel. With
all due regard for my English friends, must
say that the climate, so far as my experience
goes is simply detestable; and were it not for
the pleasures of social intercourse not all the
sights and sounds of London could tempt me
to endure it twenty -four hours 1t is a city OF
smoke and fog and clouds and rain, and rain
and cloud and fog and smoke Here in the
1 VI JubC, NHCn rhitc ukC
heavenly, and American weather bland and
| luxurious, we take to greatcoats, woollens and
| fires and now and then catch glimpse at the
sun, shOrn of his beams, and looking bald and
dirty through the murky gloom. They say
that Englishmen hang themselves in Novem-
Der; they deserve great credit for not hanging
themselves every month in the year. But hui
man nature gets used to everything. The Lon
doner would hardly know how to breathe an
atmosphere which did not contain a certain
amount of coal smoke and smut, and would
feel rather uncomfortable out of fog. "But"
said sturdy Englishman in defence Of his
climate, I" it is wholesome, any how; our peo-
pie look healthy, you see, and have good sto-
machs." He did not say that they looked and
were more robust than Americans, but | know
he thought it; and why not 2 English tourists
have so often asserted it, and American travel
lers admitted it that few EInglishmen doubt it.
Indeed, have heard some good people in Bos-
ton lament the physical degeneracy of the race.
They should visit the interior of New England,
and the. great West; they would then correct
some of their theories. have seen moro rudy
faces here than in the cities of America, but
also more pale and sicky ones. A clear and
healthful complexion is just as common in our
country as in England. There are here more
fat, but not more muscular people, than at
home. By measurement the English would
probably have the advantage round the waist,
the Americans about the chest and shoulders
the droop shoulder being more common among
the former, the square among the latter. SO
far as vitahty and strength are concerned can
see no indication of deterioration of the race
in the New World And this conclusion is
confirmed by a reference to the tables of Ion
gevity and expectation of life, which show that
in these respects there is scarcely any differ
ence between New England and England and
France while in Maryland the longevity is
somewhat greater than in any Of the countries
named.
My attention has just been diverted from
these speculatons, by little bit of a shaver,
who for the last five minutes has been favoring
| us with some snatches from Norma Barefoot,
ragged, and dirty, he stands in the muddy
street, amidst drizzling rain, looking up at
our windows most appealingly for some &C.
Acknowledgement of his musical powers Poor
child it is his way of earning sixpence.
Yesterday saw half dozen little boys, stroll
ing along the streets with immense placards
before and behind tied to them, and large pill
boxes on their heads, walking advertisements
of "Lewis's Celebrated Pills! The first
night we arrived in London, little girl, mis-
erably clad, sprang out from the shadow of the
hotel at which we alighted, and begged us to
buy poor bouquet, for penny, 80 that she
might buy loaf of bread II was midnight,
and she was scarcely more than ten years old
We thought Of our own children, and wonder.
ed whether she had a home
have lately learned some interesting par.
ticulars in relation to the republication Of I'm.
Gle Toms Cabin, and other American works
Mrs Stoves novel was reprinted in May, 1882
two months were required to get it in circula
tlon during July and August it had fail
run, which rapidly increased till it reached it
height in November since then the demand
has declined. Clarke, Beeton, g. Co, an enter
comprising an aggregate of $4,000 copies
About the same number has been printed by
other publishers here, making an aggregate o
nearly 100000 copies-a circulation larger
| h. - Il. l..
any work in England, native or foreign.
1t is worthy of remark, that the two mos
successful works Of the year in the Englsl
market have been Uncle TOMS Cabin ant
The Vide Vide Worid,r both American, an,
both by women, both the first novels of thei
authors. Miss Wetherell's book was reprinted
here before Mrs. Stoves, but had no consider
able circulation, as am informed, till tho lat
ter had aroused the public mind 1t has nov
a circulation Of 100000. The Pickwick Pa
pers, in their day hardly reached q fifth o
this; but the world did not then 90 30 mucl
by steam as it does now The next most sue
cessful book is the White SLAVE" by our coun
tryman, Hildreth, three editions Of which hav
been issued by the firm named above, number
ing 200 900 copies.
In IN editorial, written few weeks before
left Washington, yentured the assertion tina
the great success in England of Uncle Tom
Ca BIN, had acted favorably for the interests o
American literature, by contributing to opel
the foreign market, and to stimulate the de
mand for its productions am glad TO fin,
myself sustained by facts. There now lies be
fore me printed catalogue Of new works, jus
Published by Clarke, Beeton & Co, from whic