The National tribune., 1883-08-16
DULL, J0YLESS CITIES.
Walter Besant'S Idea of AmusementS
for the Masses.
Special Correspondence National Tribune.

Permit me to bring to the attention of the
readers of THE TRIBUNE two books which are
giving rise to some thought and discussion on
this side of the ocean. From the number of
comments on one of them which came to me In
my American letters, il is evident that this at
least, needs little recommendations to secure a
wide audience. It would, however, be difficult
to praise too highly Mr.. Walter Besants All
Sorts and Conditions of Men," and there is
cause for gratitude to the firm which, while
paying the English author, has brought out
teH-cent edition in America, when it is still
necessary to pay sixteen shillings (abOut 81 for
the bulky three volume English edition. There
is an advantage, too, in having these books at
this season of leisure, for they are both light
reading, in form, at least, and it may happen
to some readers, perhaps. not to discover that
they are more than light reading until he finds
some word or some ord-picture haunting him
and forcing him to think of it until he finds
satisfactory way of disposing of it.
To persons who know only the Z" Golden But
terfly and other novels which Mr.. Resant has
written with the help of his friend, Mr.. James
Rice, there is q peculiar interest in this first
book which Mr. Besant has finished alone It
is said that the plan of this also was sketched
by the two friends that the working out alone
remained to Mr.. Besant. However this may
be- the book is much more artistically wrought
than its predecessors and it would be difficult
to select passage which could be spared. It
would seem, therefore, that Mr. Besant must
be the more finished writer, and that, since
Mr.. Rice is dead, we may expect Mr.. Besant's
future work to be free from the padding"
which spoiled some of the joint work of the
friends.
A PHILANTHRoPIc HEIREss
In these days of discussion Of monopoly and
capital, and wealth accumulated In the hands
of individuals, and the evils of the growing
Mr.. Besant has successfully carried out the
happy idea of a heroine who should besole heir
to a vast brewery in the East End of London, and
who, having been brought up at the Wes- End
with all the culture OF mind and charm of
manner that this implies, should develop, dur
ing her university life at Newman, eOnsei-
entious wish to live wisely among her people
and use the vast fortune, which their labor
created, wisely and for their good.
The character OF the heroine is charmingly
drawn, and the picture Of East London, which
| is thought in England to be masterpiece of
accurate word painting, is disheartening in
the extreme, and serves as an admirable back
ground for the heroine's conduct of life. The
plot is simple and seems uninportant but in
the plot the same popularity appears which
characterizes the whole book, 1. e., is seems I'M
worthy very serious attention at the moment,
but haunts the reader weeks after the book has
been laid aside, and demands consideration of
motives, which, on second thought, prove nobler
! and more worthy of sympathy than they seemed
at first sight.
The heroine's experience at the East End
pursuades her that the wretchedness of the
great city needs, not more religious instruction
nor more aims nor more Acknowledgement for
| its relief but simply more enjoyment; and in
| disguise, and with the help of a conveniently
| inserted youth, who is making an experiment
somewhat similar to her own, she proceeds TO
| supply enjoyment based upon seG-help and
/ facilitated by her fortune.
| Punch has made US all familiar TO the verge
of fatigue with the effort of certain class OF
persons of culture to induce more active pur-
suit of beauty among the English people; and
| Mr. Oscar Wilde's extravaganza has, perhaps,
| facilitated Puneh's endedvors. Mr. BeSant has
| taken another method, which is as worthy
| of consideration as it is far removed from
| the dangers of ridicule. lie has given Us
terrible picture of Great Joyless City
/ and he has indicated many siInple ways IN
| which the deuizens thereof may add to the In
teTest, health and enjoyment OF their lives; and
| in doing this for London he has done it foT
every one of our American cities as well.
GREAT JoYLEss CITIES.
! No thoughtful American can visit the con-
! tinent of Europe without feeling deeply the vast
advantage of the European cities in the facilities
| for cheap and wholesome amusement. and the
much greater advantage of the people IN then
| habit Of using these facilities. Every little
| German town has its music which is not the
| peculiar possession of the wealthy as good music
| in England and America is painfully apt to be.
Every little French town has some pretty
breathing space, in which the people meet on
! Sunday afternoon, the whole family sharing
| the weekly promenade. In Italy, the great
| estates of the mobiles are thrown open to the
public on certain days of the week, including
| Sunday, as freely as any of our public parks
| and the vast galleries of Rome are open TO ali
! who love pictures / remember n drive in
! Switzerland, on holiday, when nearly every
farm seemed to have had one field given over
for use as a ten-pin alley, and young men and
| old and little lads were playing together as
/ intently as American professional players play
base ball.
| BIT for the wofkingman in East London. as
| fcT the workingman in New York or PhiladeI-
| phia, a holiday is very little likely TO mean Z
/ treat of good music or q visit TO picture gal
/ lery. If it meaUs 4 day in the park with his
family, there is not always a CHEEKY return
| after day of varied enjoyment. Too often a
| holiday means to I.ondOner and Philadeiphian
alike merely an unwonted season OF dull idle
ness ending in drunken violence.
If Mr.. Besant's book should be widely read
| in America, and if employers and employees
| should take the hint which he conveys Il
each in the form of q charming novel, there
would speedily be growth of enjoyment il
every city, town, and village such as we whC
are accustomed rs a Nation to find most or oul
enioymentiu drudgery and the accumulation
of money, hardly think it right to dream of al
present.
! A SWEDISH PLAY.
Another book with which also the readers O
THE TRIBUNE can readily form an agreeable
acquaintance, is Mora" a little play, trans
lated from the Swedish of the poet Ibsen, by
| Miss Frances Lord. This is perhaps the --latest
addition TO the English versions of Scandina
Wan light literature, which have made u:
richer by the possession of BjornSen's delight
full idyls of Norwegian life, and of Miss Bre-
mer's pleasant stories of Swedish home-life il
the last generation. OF Bj0rnSen's stories TOT
much cannot be said the grace and simplicity
and picturesqueness of the Happy Boy" and
"SynnOre SOibakken" cannot be over-praised
and for mature readers, "Arne" and tht
Fisher Maiden furnish pictures of Norwe
gian peasant life of the most charming kind
Ibsen the author of MORA" is SYede
whose acquaintance may be pleasantly made il
the sketch of his life with which Miss Lore
has preflced her version of " Nora" As would
| naturally be expected, his work has the atnOs
phere rather of the work OF his fellow country
woman, Miss Bremen, than Of the Norwegian
Biornsen, but it has a certain sparkle and
charm which recall the latter, though it IS per
haps more serious production than has NTH
erto been undertaken by any of the three
Mora is a play in three acts, Of which thu
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