Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-02-26
+. 8. ARTHUR,S BLUNDER,
A Cheap Philadelphia MOralist's
Attack upon AN Eminent Lady.

Attack upon an Eminent Lady.
The moralists who write books In which
economy, sobnety and kindred virtues are
made attractive by dark pictures OF wretched.
gance and gambling, are sometimes lnexcusa-
bly, careless In their references to well-known
living persons OF these writer's, T. 8. Arthur
Is, perhaps, the most widely known In this
country. For many years his pen has been
used In advocating thrift and sobriety. His
books have had thousands OF readers, and are
known to more than one generation. How many
times ne has shown young husband how to get
flch Dy 0ullng no more cigars only those woo
have read all bis short stories can tell Sometimes
1t Is the young carpenter who bores big hol3
which he once paid for tooacco. and who, IN
after years, finds in that hole a fabulous sum.
which saves his homestead from the sheriff;
sometimes 1T is the young clerk who In another
way, piles up fortune out of the money saved
from the tobacconist; but always the heroes are
made to show. In a simple and every day man.
like this. Drunkenness is the vice, however.
which Mr.. Arthur has assailed with untiring
vigor. 1t is In the miseries of the bar room, the
Wretchedness OF the drunkard's home, and the
ruin OF Intellect by rum drinking that he has
found his most tempting field OF labor. FJr
many years he has given to the public stories
In which the lamentaole results Of "Jhe social
glass" are shown with almost the re aitsm,
II not the art, OF lola. Mr.. Arthur ap-
parently believes that all public me1 TAIL TO
recognize the advantages OF temperance.
u
quently lure young men to ruin by urging tll IN
to drink that first glass which arouses an in-
Suitable appetite. 50 long as he confines his
illustrations to imaginary persons he d >es 10
harm, and 1t Is to be supposed that he ha done
much good. But In book published six years
ago MIR. Arthur made serious bunder. and
many persons In Washington are no v ralktig
about 1t. Mr.. Arthur's books do not find thair
best market here. and 1t Is, perhaps, not s1r-
plising that the blunder has not attracted at
tention here before. The title OF this book is
Danger" and In it the sad work of intemper-
anee upon the young husband, the skillful
surgeon, and the youth, and through them upon
the innocent wife, patient, and mother are
oescflbed With some force. In one chapter
Mr. Arthur has very thoughtlessly introduced
Mrs, Mrs; Logan, the wife Of the Senator
the young husband, whose wife Is III St
nome, is led to drink that glass Of wine
which puts him in station house cell before
morning. and indirectly causes his w1fe's death.
This would have been very unfortunate place
OF writing, even II Mrs. Logan were capable of
aaScing the part assigned to her; If she were In
Cne naDlt OF taking wine at dinner parties. Mr.
Arthur would still be guilty OF something mex
cusaole In using her to point moral But it
happens that she is well known as an advocate
OF abstinence. few weeks ago two gentle
men were talking in this city about the sttf
tude OF society toward intemperance, and one
asserted that Mrs. Logan was conspicuous
temperance by their own actions. The other
quoted MIR. Arthur's book as proof that
this was not true, and 1t was through
the frst-named gentleman that Mrs.
Logan and her friends first heard of the
published statement, and knew that this care
less writer had so unfortunately mtsrepre-
sehfed her for some years TO thousands OF read
erS. The Misrepresentation has become the
SUBJECT OF much comment, because Mrs Logan
Is very prominent figure In Washington So
c1ety, admired and respected by all who know
her. woman OF remarkable ability, and as ex-
celient and valuable a helpmeet as ever pub
lie man possessed. Said one OF her friends to
the Times correspondent: MRS. Logan has
never drank a glass Of wine. at the dinner
given Dy President Grant to Prince Arthur she
was the only person at the table who did not
take wine or other liquor and at dinner given
by The wife OF Cabinet officer some years ago
she was the only one out OF twenty-five
ladies' who took no Wine She not
has taught her children to be-" and the TREND
spoke OF several occasions upon which her
children had exemphhed that teaching In the
presence OF very prominent persons Mr. Ar
thur could hardly have been more unfortunate
In selecting an example. Complaint has been
made to the publishers OF the book, and they
have communicated with the author. 1t is
said that he, now an old man, cried like child
because OF his mistake, and asserted that he
mad intended to disguise the name by making
1t Mrs Lough." But this would not have been
an effective disguise, for the context would
have revealed the real person. The publishers
offer any reparation which they can make and
will change the plates for new edition, but
about {, 00e copies OF the volume have gone into
the hands OF the people The publishers are j.
NJ Stoddart & Co., OF Philadelphia, and their
"reader" ought not to have allowed this mis-
representation to get into print-Wash. Cor.