The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-03-10
LEADING TOPICS IN LONDON.
The Poor Of the Great Capital and What
Has Been Done for Their Relief.
Activity and Usefulness of the Queens Chill
dren-Miss FOrtescue and Her Breach Of
Promise Sultan Old Scandal.
corro.rordence of the Indianapolis Journal.

Correspoudence oil the Indianapolis JoUFnal'
LONDON Feb. 23.-It has been the fashion
this winter to show a kindly regard for the poor.
In the autumn a bomb-shell burst over the coun-
try in the shape of a small pamphlet, entitled
''The Bitter Cry of Outcast London" Such an
opening of eyes and emptying of purses as fol
lowed, this nation never witnessed before. In
the work of relief the initiative seems to have
been set by a kind Providence, for such mild
weather has not been known in. sixty years. A
marked feature of the epidemic was the uni
versal impulse of all classes to so and see for
themselves. None doubted the correctness of
the revelations made in the pamphlet, yet every
one was anxious to verify them by personal OBJ
servation. Contrary to their custom, a spirit of
enterprise was exhibited by even the newspapers,
representatives of these being sent on daily
and nightly visits to the haunts of vice and
misery, the sickening details being spread
before the public the day following with such
regularity and realism that We seemed for a
time to be living in the same squalid rooms as
the poor and to breathe the putrid atmosphere
surrounding them. The results of these explor-
ations were satisfactory on the whole, but in
individual cases serious trouble ensued. One
reporter got the smallpox, another got his head
punched, and another, who had undertaken to
impersonate q vagrant, was taken to the lookup.
But the press, though a leader in the movement,
was far from having a monopoly of it, for the
clergy, the aristocracy and even the govern
ment took it up. When Sir Charles Dixie,
a member of the Cabinet. started
out to make the rounds, the climax was
supposed to have been reached. This, however,
was not so, for within the last week royalty
itself has entered the field. The other day, &C
companied by a couple of friends, no less a per-
sonage than the Prince of Wales made u visit of
inspection. He was incog, of course, but his
features are so well known in London that it
was impossible for him to escape recognition,
and rumor hath it that in some of the abodes
visited, the conversation between the wretched
inmates and the one whom they knew to be the
heir to the throne was exceedingly touching, so
much SO that tho Prince was visibly affected.
But be this as it may, there can be no doubt
that his tour in the slums has made him a sad
der and wiser man. nor that it has added great
ly to his popularity. Doubtless we shall hear
soon that other members of the Queens family
have followed in the Princes footsteps, and if
only the old lady herself would take a trot
around, spending a little more time in acts of
practical benevolence among the starving thou
sands of London and a little less in attending
weddings and christenings in low life among
her ''beloved highlanders," the climax would
indeed be reached with results, too, no less
satisfactory to the Queens own health and
spirits than to the parties benefited and the
general cause of active philanthropy.
But the Queen, whatever her personal defects,
is certainly blessed with an active and useful set
of children. 1t may be justly charged that they
gobble up some of the best positions in the public
service, but it cannot be alleged that, after hav-
ing secured these fat places, they loll around
on purple and leave others to do the work. Is
it nothing for the Duke of Connaught to spend
two years of exile at a military post in India}
Does Edinburg make no sacrifice when he cruises
in foreign seas for months at a time, while his
wife revels in the gayeties of the London season
and makes almost nightly visits to the theater9
How much the Prince of Wales is doing, every
body knows. Practically the sovereign, and
with all his mothers work on his hands, he still
finds time to respond to the calls of sweet char
ity, and has shown himself ready, not only to
patronize the poor, but to even visit them and
offer in person both sympathy and help. The
Duke of Albany is likewise busy. This fourth
son of her Majesty is the special friend Of tom
perance societies. He is credited with being
personally a total abstainer, and in a recent
speech is reported to have said that drink was
"the worst enemy England had to fear" Strong
words these for a British prince-too strong,
one man felt, evidently, for a couple of weeks
afterward this miscreant flung the contents of a
pot of beer at the Princes head. But his Royal
Highness will not, it is hoped, be turned from
his chosen course by a little affair like this.
Any one, be he prince or peasant, who advocates
temperance in England is sure to find that he
has an uphill task, and must expectto be treated
with indignity. This cause, however, is moving
on, and with royalty in the lead may expect to
find its future progress greatly accelerated.
MISS FoRTEsCUEs BREACH OF PROMISE SUIT.
The breach of promise case, in which Miss
Einney, better known as Miss Fortescue, late of
the Savoy Theater, will seek to obtain $3.50, 900
from Lord Garmoyle, grows in interest from day
to day, and when it finally comes up for trial,
will no doubt attract wide spread attention in
both countries The circumstances are alto
gether exceptional When the heir to an earl
dom became engaged to a popular and beautiful
actress, it was inevitable that the affair would
become a subject of newspaper gossip, and that
the movements of the parties would be closely
watched by the sensation-loving public. To such
an extent has this been done in the present in
stance, that really the romantic c~ourtship has
been carried on under the gaze of all London,
every incident having been proclaimed as from
the house tops. The general public, moreover,
looked upon the match with approval. In choos-
ingsa bride without regard to her rank, and in
defiance of social prejudice, Lord Garmoyle
made himself, for the time, quite a hero; while
the fortunate lady. who was regarded as having
made such a good catch, was no more envied by
her sisters of the stage than she was admired
and lauded by the outside world. 1t was sup
posed to be a genuine love affair, and when all
the facts came to be known it was found that
peared at first in the social status
of the couple. In personal character, Miss
Forteseue turned out to be the pink of perfection,