New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-07-16

W
hidden by enchantment under the beasts
skinf Presently, as we go on our journey, we
find the case reversed. Now it is the man who
is fit to go up and find his companions among
the old demigods and heroes. He is largely
moulded in brain and soul and purposes. The
air is fine and exhilarating about him, and
after we have talked to him awhile we begin
TO wonder if we too cannot make something
noble of our lives. 1t is the wife in this mar
riage who is mean or cruel or vulgar, who
wear the brute's skim
Cinderellas there are not many in American
society. The elder sisters, carplng anu VAIN
and gossiping, are plentiful, but they do not
confine themselves now to balls, nor appear
always in court robes. You lind them just as
often in percale gowns, foremost III village
sewing circles or literary clubs or church
prayer-meetings Neither is the American Cln-
derella. genuine, unselfsh useful and modest
as she is, given to sit at home nowadays among
the ashes She is apt to appreciate her own merit
sufficiently and to possess sound common sense
enough to make her the most necessary men,
Der of society in her town or village. She Is
not likely to be put upon u; on the contrary,
she usually rules the family with gentle but
to make her dresses or train her servants; IN
short, she takes much better care OF nerse1
than any fairy could do; and at least Is pretty
sure to share the good luck of her untidy, care
less namesake. When the man whom all women
wish to marry comes along, he chooses her TO
wife instead of her flirting brilliant sisters.
We meet Puss in Boots, shrewd, gentle, de-
voted little woman, at every turn, leading her
great Marquis of Carabas, who numbers clum-
silly along behind her. Sometimes he is COM
monpace husband whom the keen-witted little
body is dragging up among decent people;
sometimes he is hopelessly stupid. How alert,
swift and noseless she is, with her unceaslng
watchfulness covering his mistakes, lnventlng
wise sayings and witticisms for him and all
the time purring him into good hunior with her
soft feline pats and touches. Meanwhile her
Lord Marquis invariably regards her as
useful but inferior animal, just as the migrate
full brute OF a master did the poor little cat In
the fable. Sometimes this affectonate, wise
little creature is busy making room In the
world for her children. They are all nobiemen
to her; how she blows the trumpet before
them, claiming all the great fiefs OF intellect
and virtue as theirs necessarily calling Out
"Make way make way" You find this faith
full Puss in Boots everywhere from the poor
washerwoma toiling for her drunken husband
to the Cars wife defending the dead king
from world that has forgotten him. She
never sees ingratitude or fault in the man she
serves. We protest there is no more pathetic
figure than this in the world! Nor perhaps
any more useful. What good would men ac-
complisb if they took themselves at the valua-
ton which other men set upon them, instead Oh
that of their own wives I 1t Is this lncesSant
trumpeting of their superhuman virtues and
merits at home which gives every ordinary
man the courage and conceit to play his part
outside.
The pleasantest among all these old familiar
faces is that of Jack the Giant-killer The
audacious, hearty young fellow-who does not
know him lie and his mates are swarmlng
inst now on every mountain or beach. lie Is
inst ont in the world from college in vacation,
and he is so sure that not only vacation but the
world was made for him He has planted some
little seeds OF knowledge-they seem small and
worthless to us but to what heights he mas
climbed on their magical growth! Science,
politics, the management of the world, he looks
down uuon and understands them all from his
dizzy bean-stalk. He meets giants and robbers
galore like that other Jack,-IgnOrance and
Cruelty and Fraud and Tyranny; but he means
10 make short work with them. And he Is so
young and strong and happy that when we
come near him we half believe him, and fancy
nothing can be easier than to chop the heads of
of all Wrong and Evil early in the morning,
and then sit down joyfully together. with moth
ing more to do.
His is the one figure in which mankind never
loses interest or hope. What will he do I
What especial dragon or Giant Cormoran will
he slayi Young heroes like him have been
going out since the world began, and by so
much is it the purer and stronger. But before
this David of ours has fought his battle we
shall have turned our backs on him and gone
into land where the worlds giant wrongs and
heroes will be unreal as the figures in an old
| fairy tale.