Morning journal and courier., 1885-08-15
MAX ORElL'S LETTER.
The ssSeasOn,, in Standardization Matters-The Literary Executors of Victer Hugo and Carlyle-A French
 Chemists Discovery-Afairs in Par

The SSeas0n's in LOndOn-Theatr1eal
 Matters-The Literary Executors o1
 Victer Hugo and Carlyle-A French
 Chemists Discovery-ARairs in Par. Especial Correspondence of the JOURNAL AND CoUR
 TER. All Rights Reservedl
 LONDON, Aug 1.
 To the Editor of the JOURNAL AND COURIER:
 The London season is over and everybody is rushing out of town. The opera house is closed, the French plays are over and the Expiring Laws Continuance bill was read the first time last Tuesday, sign that the end of the session is near. Never was the end of a session of Parliament more eagerly sighed for. The end of the theatrical season has been marked by several interesting per formances, which drew crowded audiences in spite of the tropical heat. Ade1ina Patti completed her twenty fifth English season on Saturday, choosing Il Trovatore and singing it as well as she ever did. To mark the oc- casion testimonial which took the form of diamond bracelet had been subscribed for by friends and admirers. This was present ed to the diva at the close of the perfor- nance by Colonel Mapleson, who afterwards hCoAOA O coAOhAASho p1oSOooiOa OI tWChUJ thousand persons, preceded by the band of the city police, and escorted Patti to her ho- tel. The prima donna must have fancied herself in Italy for the time. The admira- tion of the Briton does not often lead him to behave in this fashion, but Patti is little witch who turns all heads. MT. and Mrs. Bancroft the talented managers of the Hay market Theater, have retired from stage life. It is now twenty years since Mrs. Bancroft, then Marie Wilton, set up new kind of en- tertainment at the Prince of Wales Theater. This was simply well acted comedy, which, strangely enough, was not to be seen in any London playhouse in those days. She sur rounded herself with talent capable of help ing her hold the mirror up to nature, and to the luxurious little theater in Tottenham street society focked to see it's own image presented with a completeness and accuracy which has rarely been approached. A mar riage with her young leading man made her Mrs. Bancroft, and aided by her clever hus- band this talented lady has done perhaps more for the London stage than anyone else in her time. The French plays have been a great success. Jane Hading has enchanted the English people and Sarah Bernhardt ex- ercised her wonted witchery over them in spite of the talk we hear now and then about her voice having lost it's old tones.
 I am constantly coming across fresh in stances of contrast between the French and English characters. Here is 8 new one. Victor Hugo left heterogeneous mass of manuscript, mostly consisting of fragments without apparent connection, but, as he says, I relating to the whole of his ideas" To shape this matter into readable volumes by means Of notes and prefaces will be 8 task demanding superhuman patience and energy. The three literary executors appointed by I tba fyuo of ubn iy,fi, fo friends, Paul Meurice and Auguste Vac querie, editors of the Rappel esteem so high ly the honor of having the work consigned to them that they refuse the profits and roy alties which Victor Hugo, by his will, meant should be their reward for such toll. Seeing that these profits are likely to represent a fortune, the refusal to pocket them is proof that, on the southern side of the English channel, there are curious beings who feel that the acceptance of money for such la bor of love would rob it of all it's charm. Compare this with the case of Thomas Car lyle, whose literary executor, perhaps the greatest Englishman of letters, rushed into print with his "Reminiscences of Carlyle" as soon as the earth had covered the remains ot the illustrious philosopher and historian, and two years later published the whole of Car lyle's most private correspondence. This literary executor, at the risk of executing the reputation of his great friend and mas ter, laid bare his whole character with all its defects and weak points, and did not refuse to take up many thousands of pounds for his work. Victor Hugo's literary executors may be thought sentimental in England, but sure- ly MT. J. A. Froude would be thought terri bly, practical in France.
 A French analytical chemist calls attention to a novel method of preserving dead bodies. He has tried his invention on eleven human corpses and more than hundred dead ani- olc ooA ho0 f1xr i1, every case. The system of burial in use at present is @ fruitful source of disease to the living, as we all know, and cremation, besides being repugnant to most peoples feelings, robs justice of a means of describing crime. The new process is simple enough. The body is rubbed with plumbago and then plunged into bath of molten metal, chosen according to the length of the purse of the defunct's friends; zinc for the poor, brass for the well-to-do and so on up to gold for the wealthy. Those who do not like the idea of being given to the worms or reduced to ash es ought to hail M. Kervovatz's discovery with satisfaction, and all who believe in keeping air and water unpolluted are ready to listen to any plan for doing away with our present burial system. It was inevitable that the comic side of this idea should imme- diately strike the French. M. Albert Mil land, the witty chronicler of the Paris Figa- TO, suggests that this might be means of introducing little fxity into the French government. On his death the President ot the republic might be turned into a statue, in gold of course, and made to do duty fol ever and ever. It would only be necessary to have spring fastened to the hand for the purpose of signing documents 'tthe late Grevy.r It is true that the duties of Presi- dent Grevy, like those of Queen Victoria, might very well be performed by an auto. matic machine. Of course if monarchy should ever again find favor with the French, and oust him from his post, this golden pres. ident could be melted down and distributed among the poor of his parish.
 Doctor and patient seldom come together in the very nick of time, they did the other day at Highgate. Generally speaking when an accident occurs it takes as long te find doctor as it does to discover a l olice man when thieves are in the house. But { young woman who was resolved on self-de struction timed her leap from Highgat, archway so accurately as to descend upon { passing cab containing doctor. Great mus have been the astonishment of this gentle man when patient knocked on the roof in stead of at the door for advice gratis. The girl was killed on the spot.
 President Grevy has always been an enemy of capital punishment. But this year ther' I has been great increase of ugly crimes. Al the present moment nineteen French cul prits are lying under sentence of death, and the President haS already SancGlOneu three | executions since the beginning of the year
 to the satisfaction of the peaceful part o
 the community. Psychologists have availet \ themselves of these opportunities to reney ! their experiments on the heads of the decap ! itated criminals in order to ascertain hoy ! many seconds it takes for life to become ex 1 tinct, and even to try to prolong it a few sec \ onds by means of magnetism.
 A Paris paper relates as absolutely authen | tic an argument used at the last sitting o ! the Society of Biology in favor of attempt | ing to resuscitate guillotined criminals. Tn ! advocate of the process suggested that might be useful for the purpose of obtaining I tardy confessions of guilt from culprits.
 All dead bodies discovered in Paris whicl | cannot be identified are transferred to pub lie building called the morgue, where the.
 are exposed to the public gaze in ghastl, glass room. The. Paris Evenement demand l a reform and declares that the building i
 gloomy and a perfect eyesore; that it ha nothing Parisian about it; in fact that
 lacks gaiety and is altogether unworthy of { city where cemeteries are lovely gardens l where funerals are festivals and triumphs \ ,,,I,aro oourEs arc placas of TlbIi