St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1883-11-09
Our New York "Radix" Letter.

llllii ulbll lllS tAiiiN az III AiiAH
A more charming man never met-so
utterly different from the usual stereO
typed form of affability, which as a
rule marks the manners of "distin
guished strangers" who visit these
shores. But Mr.. Irving scarcely comes
under that category. His well-knOwn
hospitality to Americans in London
has long ago made his name familiar
on this side. On the day ! met him he
was almost boyish in his eXuberance,
and although he was very far from
gushing" the cause of his great pop
ularitv was easily seen. 1t would be
difficult to explain the fascination that
seems to draw one instinctiVely tow
ards him. He makes You feel so thor
oughlv at home as to almost convince
You that you had known him for years.
Looking at his face in repose there is
nothing in it that would warrant
especial occasion for remark, but when
lighted up with animation the. won
dcrful expression of his eyes, the ever
varying form of his features, conveys
a language of its own to which no de
scription could do full justice.
In Miss Ellen Terry the British stage
has no equal. TO say she is ''charm
ing" is comparatively an inadequate
form of conveying Il true idea of her
talents. She is more than that, for
she is an artist in the fullest sense of
the word. | never saw a greater diff
ference between an actress off and on
! the stage than in Miss Terry, who as
she appeared to me more closely re-
sembles a gushing school girl than a
finished and accomplished woman of
the world. But unhappily, the lady's
school days are long since past. aud
yet she retains her bright, spIightly
vivacity with singular consistency.
Some are inclined to call this freshness
of manner affectatiOn. but | will not he
so impOlite as to give it that name
! freshness is. perhaps, the better word.
From the drama to the theatre of
politics is an easy and natural transit
ton. The state and municipal contest
/ is once more revived in all its bitter
ness. Shall John Kelly and his board
/ of aldermen continue to rule New York
city, is the question of the hour. Each
party. democrat and republican. is
/ bidding for the workingman's vote, the
man whom of all others they invariably
| ignore when elections are over. Per
sunal charges, attacks upon character.
are revived with bitter animoSity, and
it is therefore quite III the usual order
of things, as politics go, to find a SEN
atorial candidate accused of bigamy
and theft, and prospective assembly
man held guilty of bribery and cor
ruptiOn. With reference to the stand
| ing of these, the municipal candidates
in the field, there isn't much to choose.
/ They are mainly composed of the usual
order of gin-mill politicians. No won
| der the great majority of representa-
tive business men hold aloof from
political aspirations, but they forget
1 that it is only through the ballot that
reform must come. The citizens COM
mittee from whom great things were
expected, having collapsed, there is,
unfortunately, no immediate prospect
of il better condition of affairs.
Dr. John p. Newman's recent ser
mon delivered at the Madison avenue
congregational church, of which he is
the pastor, has created IA good deal of
comment of varied kind. Last Sun
day he preached upon the poisonous
influence of impure literature upon
children. He dealt with the sensational
story papers domestic receipts of
trashy French novels. and vigorously
assaulted the daily press for its sensa-
tiOnal treatment of crime.
1t is exceedingly doubtful whether
such subjects produce ii permanently
beneficial effect. The congregation,
which was largely composed of very
Young men and women, was in itself
an illustration of the mon bid curiosity
of the greater part of his audience.
| DIR. Newman presented no practical
remedy for the great evil he referred
to. The establishment of press cen
sor would never he tolerated in the
! United States. 1t is just possible,
however. and it would make very in
teresting and important test case at
law, whether damages could not be
collected for the perversiOn of II child's
morals from the publishers of such
works. but proof would he exceedingly
difficult, for legislation cannot step in
between the impure boOkish tastes of
IN individual and their qualification
\ healthily trained child is in nc
danger of contamination provided its
parents do their whole duty by it
With reference to the press, DIR. New
man forgets that the record of facts,
whether good or bad, makes up the
history of the day. For this goodness
or badness society of one kind or an
other is responsible. \ CHASTITY muir
der is not pleasant reading, but the ar
tistic fidelity with which it is described
serves the purpose of exposing the
enormity of the crime. But people ar,
not obliged to read it. There is enough
that is instructive and entertaining in
, the average daily newspaper without
perusing this particular recital o
crime.
And this subject leads me to a kin
bred consideration of another. 1t has
/ proved by recent investigation made
by w. NJ. f. Round that the crimina
classes in New York are increasing
much more rapidly than the popula.
ton. Astonishing as it may seem, il
Is fact that an average of thlrty-thret
criminals are discharged every twenty
four hours from our penal institutions
This gigantic truth forces the problem
as the present system of prison
, punishment effective 2" The question
is well worthy of thought.
The marriage of Miss Talmage
daughter of the Rev. Dewitt Talmage
pastor of the Brooklyn Tabernacle, to
Warren G. Smith, is the great society
event of the week in Brooklyn. The
/ l.,fl.rl Got ,aY
at the Tabernacle. Two thousand in
vitations were issued, and Brooklyn's
chest people were present.
That distinguished essayist and
political economist, Mr.. Matthew Ar
4 4