The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1883-11-15

We hope, also eventually to place at least two
good casts from Greek sculpture in every school,
IN order that every child may know what the
bodies Of men and women should be like.
woMAN's WORK WANTED.
Amateurs are TO be induced to lend aid In
the museum and school work, as they have al
ready done in the musical part of the move
ment The chairman of the museum commit
tee suggests the kind of help ladies may give,
as follows:
their services would be useful, would gladly give
help TO the important work undertaken by the
committee OF supplying schools with collections OF
art the committee venture TO point out some OF
many kinds of work which would be very useful
for school collections; Water-color drawings and
other good representations of common flowers,
grasses, leaves, butterflies humming birds, and any
other beautiful things or places; pictures OF any
Kind fitted 10 nve desirable knowledge or TO cult
waite a sense of beauty of form color. The best
illustrations from such works as Yriartes T" Ven
ice;" Strelers " Italy - Ebers Egypt; the
Magazine on California. Wales, Surrey, Hol-
land, cut out, arranged In congruous series
and mounted, with few very clearly writ
ten words of explanation, would be most useful
gifts. So would collections of the best plates of
works like The Portfolio and the Art journal. Now,
this is a matter with regard to which many people
in Manchester, and especially ladies, could give
considerable help. What want in this direc-
ton and is needed very much, is Just simple, but
at the time artistic reproductions of the COM
objects OF country life-the wild weed and the
green fern that grow in the hedge bank, the bird,
the birds nest, and the birds egg New, there
many people in this city whose artistic cultivation
has been carried 10 point sufficient to enable them
10 do this kind of work. What is wanted is not
finished pictures, but careful sketches Those who
have not thought upon this subject can hardly feel
we do-bow important such things would be III
our elementary schools.
LIVING FOR OTHERS.
And Mr.. Horsfall follows up this appeal with
! the following observations, which are certainly
as true Of divers American manufacturing
os how Of
There must be in and near Manchester large
number of educated persons having money and
leisure, whose life is embttered by the knowledge
that most Of the work people. to whose toll they
partly owe their culture and wealth. live life of
gloom and are exposed TO almost irresistible temp
tations TO vice. They must desire TO raise the life
OF their poorer neigbors, not only for the sake OF
| those neighbors but also because they know that
while The mass Of these people live degraded lives
the life OF their own children must be constantly
affected by degrading influences. Probably many
of them unwilling to take part in the only kinds
of work for the good of the people in which they
now JOHN district visiting in work In Sunday
schools in hospitals and MISUNDERSTANDING they be-
iieye that all these kinds OF work have little power
to alter those conditions which do most to fill the
4 life OF the working classes with gloom and with
temptation and because, If they took part in these
/ kinds OF work they would have to sacrifice much
| of the delight which now comes TO them through
books and art and travel. Many OF them will lind
II the museum the means of making those pursuits
| which give them so much pleasure add to the hap
piness of many work people. Those who can draw
and paint will be asked TO give or lend to the
scum careful studies of trees of flowers and other
beautiful things. Sketching clubs viii perhaps
lend sets of drawings, showing many aspects of
some very beautiful place. Much pleasant work
viii have TO be done In first carefully studying and
then carefully writing descriptions of the contents
OF the museum and IN giving lectures III II on lit
eTaiure and art. The aid of chera societies and of
! other singers and players will also be sought
In the museum, indeed, every faculty and every
beautiful possession of educated people can be
made to add 10 the happiness of large part of the
/ community; and as the system Of the museum
e
easily be carried on in many different buildings
it may be extended till il include all persons who
desire 10 make their culture and their wealth add
TO the culture and happiness Of the whole commu-
nifty.
THE NEED OF Art MOVEMENTS
The following argument in favor of such
movements as the Manchester popular art move
ment applies quite as fully TO America as to
England, and is worthy of NEST careful atten-
ton. 1t is from 8 letter written by Mr. G. T.
! Newton, Of the British Museum, to the Man
chester committees:
Two special causes have been at work ever since
the beginning Of this century to destroy all sus-
ceptbiity TO beauty Of form: The abnormal
growth Of our towns has led 10 the running-up by
contract OF rows Of houses Of The most menete-
and hideous character: and again the de-
yelopnent OF machinery putting end to many
branches of decorative hanGicrsit has, by deluging
I the market with an abundant supply OF patterns,
o. which the only merit was that they were found
70 sell, destroyed the inventive faculty in the de-
slgner. ana accustomed all Ia our daily life TO
] furniture ana lcuEenosd objects the ugIIIeSs OF
winch = AT once apparent u these who have
schoolea their eye by the study OF really beautiful
things, but IS not 80 apparent to the ordinary. One
Of the problems Of tie future which hope your
project viii help TO ssve to teach people not only
how 10 discover that beauty which IS latent 70 the
untutored eye, but how, having discovered it, to
" rest and be thankful and nut TO barter it away
In exchange for sensational novelty.
In this respect lam inclined 10 think the poor may
havea better chance Than the rich. They cannot so
readily afford to be always changing the fashion OF
their attire merely for the sake Of change; they
live more at home and, therefore, if once beautiful
things could be. az Il were. donesticated among
them, and familiar household words the love of
such things would take deep root in their hearts
and then they would be in condition to discern
museum or in real life.
TIE GUIDING PRINCIPLE.
Finally, Mr.. Horsfau sums up the guiding
principle Of the Manchester movement as fol-
lows:
Success In bringing the influence Of art TO bear
on the masses of the population in large towns
wlh certainly only be obtained by persons who
know that art IS important just in proportion TO
the Importance Of that which it clothes, and who
themselves feel that rightliess OF appearance of the
bodies and houses and the actions in short Of the
whole life OF those large towns which are now,
threaten soon to be. England is of far greater
importance than rlghtness Of appearance in all
that which Is usually called art
Indeed, these few words are the key to the
whole great movement that is taking place in
England in the direction of giving new pleas
ure and new value TO the lives Of English
working people. ! have already called atten-
ton to the effort Of the government to increase
the beauty of English products and the skill OF
English workmen by means of the South Kens-
ington and the Bethnal Green Museums, the
governmental loan collections and the national
training schools Another manifestation of the
same tendency is the very great increase in
public parks and Fairgrounds in English cities
and towns. Still another is the supply OF
abundant cheap instruction in singing in con.
nection with churches and schools, to say
nothing of the introduction of singing into the
public schools; and the public shoots them
. selves, or board schools as they are called
though newer institution than our own free
public schools, are SO wisely planned and 50
constantly watched and criticised that we need
to look well to our lsurels if the very schools
are not TO do more for the British workman:
! children than our much quoted schools In
America do for our American children. FIX
A Michigan Soldiers First Fight.
To the Editor NATIONAL TRIBUNE:
Reading the experiences of the old vets IL
T THE TRIBUNE, calls TO mind a little circun.
stance that happened in the winter of ls61-'6o