The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-03-04
FOREIGN ITEMS.


subject Of theatrical costume has attracted q
great deal Of attention in France. The poll
ticai papers, or grdndS journaur, especially
those OF the Opposition, are much struck by
the amenity OF the Chamberlain's language,
and point to the form OF his communication
as model which high funotionaries in France
would do well to follow. The unpolitical
papers, or petitS Journdur, discuss the matter
OF the letter; and M, Theodore Grave, in the
Figaro, regards the whole matter as a ospi-
tai joke, and adds that from his intimate
knowledge Of the English character he can
safely say yhai, It will be 80 considered in
England. 81 90 not believe" he says, "as q
rule, in the sincerity of such protestations as
these; but for man who, like myself, knows
the English character thoroughly, 1t is impos-
sible to see In II anything more than fantastic
eccentric movement; the product Of that old
ieaven OF humoristic wit which belongs
almost always to the fellow -couutrymen
OF the celebrated Swit.n Eugland, con-
tinues M. de Grave, is the only country in
which q man Is allowed to bathe in public
stark naked. AT the seaside, in Eugland, he
has seen the British Triton in state of abso-
Lutte nudity, and at ten yards distance "fair
young girls, with ohaste brows and with the
bearing Of Mignon, talking and looking on
without seeming in the least disconoerted."
He is Of opinion, then, that as long as an actor
takes care, in appearing on tbs Boglish stage,
to wear at least pair Of bathing drawers,
there will be no danger OF shocking the mo-
desty OF the gentlemen, or even of the ladies, in
the audience department. As TO the French
origin OF the indecency which is said to have
invaded the English stage, he calls the atten-
tion of the Lord Chamberlain to the undeni-
able fact that this invasion was encouraged
and aided by the British aristocraoy. When
Mdlle. Schneider visited London, 'the elegant,
the sristooratio public, lords and ladies, the
md NJ al AZ
all hurried to applaud the slightly accentu-
ated cascades of the worthy spouse of Meme
laus;" but 'in spite of the transparency of
the peplums, the scantness of the tunics, no
outcry was raised then.'
In the Contemporary Reviev the Rev. DIR.
q. Merivale gives the result of his local OBJ
servations with reference to the physical oon-
dition of the rural population. He believes
that they are fast deteriorating in physique,
and he is anxious to learn what the experience
OF others teaches on the subject. People in
his parish sometimes live to great age, but
generally speaking the powers OF life seem to
be weaker. Their style of living has GER
tainly not improved. In the course of twenty
years nothing has changed for the better,
except that tea and sugar are cheaper. Meat
is dearer, and -four 'has hardly fallen at all
on the average" Milk, butter, and vegeta-
bles are more difficult to get than ever. Rent
is little higher than 1t used to be. The
people have weak constitutions, and their
children are also sickly, and although
medical science prevents SO many
deaths among. infants as used
to occur, yet the babes only grow up to be
still more enfeebled than their parents, and
"epgender third generation more degenerate
than ever" The point thus suggested will
be new to many persons-namely, that very
little is ultimately gained by the preservation
OF weakly infants. No doubt it seems very
hard theory to advance, and DR.. Merivale half
apologies for even mentioning it. "If l am
obliged to say that, in my view, the saving
and sustaining of weak and sickly life tends
more to produce physical degeneracy among
MS than to avert 1t, trust that shall not be
supposed for amoment to discourage or depre-
cate the efforts" etc. The author may raise
up against him some female voices, but his
facts and inferences are worth inquiring into.
An action of novel kind has been COM
menced in the Paris Tribunal of Commerce
against MN. Wittersheim and Norbert Billiart,
the proprietors of the Journal O6fciel. The
plaintiff in the action complains that the jour
nal, to which he is q subscriber, is badly
printed, on paper of inferior quality, that it Il
full of misprints, and is not punctually de-
livered. He is, in fact, altogether dissatisfied
with the Government organ, and not only
demands that the contract by which he be-
came a subscriber be rescinded, but claims
the editors, printers, and publishers of the
official journal have already done him. Tht
principle which the irritated and apparently
ill-used subscriber is endeavoring to establish
is very important one both to journalist
and to the public, but especially t,
journalists. II IL be held that I,
issue paper full Of misprints is an action
able offense, it will next be maintained tha
the editsr OF newspaper must not publish
absurd articles. More than that his sub
ssribers will perhaps fancy that they are en-
titled to call him to account for expressing
opinions which do not happen to be theirs
and II subscriber be allowed this right tn
next step will be to recognize it on the part O
purchasers Of single numbers. Some year
ago German musical critic, who was maxim
the round Of the Paris operate theatres, wen
i to hear Der FreiSchatz at the Academic, an
was shocked to find that Weber's MASTERPIECE
was not played precisely as Weber had left Il
I In place of the spoken dialogue, reeitatives b
Berlioz had been introduced. Nothing, it
true, had been taken away from Weber. but
great deal had been added; and the Germa
critic argued that the money he had paid
hear work which had /. been advertised
! Weber's Der Freischdts had really been ol
tanned from him under false pretenses.
The Oxford Calendar for 1869 has jus
been published. II appears, from comparin
II with the Calendar OF last year, that th
numbers on the books have increased by rs
and that the increase in the matrculatiol
during the past year has been 54. Chri
Church has 80 members more than at Il
beginning of last year, Queens q Lineol
10. Brasenose Is, New College IL, while thel
are slight increases in most OF the other co
leqee. There is no college in which there
any serious diminution of numbers. OF II
j halls, st. Alban Hall has increased by 20, al