New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-11-21
WOMEN'S WRONGS.
THE GLITTER CRY" IN FICTION.

Human nature is SO constituted that 1t can b
moved scacev at all by distractions. and 10 arous
Its active emotions by generalites is difficult TIL
secret of sympathy consists III putting ones self i
the place OF bun or her in whose sorrows suffer
iDgs ii is desirable that interest should be felt
This is why the abstract, the remote the general J.
while commanding. perhaps. our intellectual assen
fail to awaken sensbilities. his is why
world which has listened stolidly for years to pro
tests against abuses couched in general terms, ant
has not been stlrrrd to lift finger in the cause
reform. will sometimes fail a tumbling with ex
element and burning Indignation, and pass on o
pity and yeaTning for vengeance when. through The
divine art of Fiction, the long-tolerated abuse II
| SHOWN forth cOncretelv. and the spectacle of one
| imaginary beng suffering pains which all real
ize klndles In The breasts of all the cordial glow OF
compassion.
teton in the hands of earnest, convinced and
eloquent writers Is lever wherewith the world
nav be moved. and the fulcrum it employs is not.
| like that which Archlmedes sought outside the
planet it is in the human heart. This no author
| understands more thorough Y than Mr. Walter
Besant VINO IN "ChIldren of GIDEON" has used
all his art-and his art is fine. all his
observaiion-and II is keen all his zeal of convic-
Ilon-and II rs burn ng; TO create interest i'll and
sympathy for those unhappy working women. W hose
the fog OF London and have hitherto been so
strangely avoided by all the currents of progress,
ali tue waves o broadening humanity. all the pro
iects for the ameliorauoD of tie state of labor.
Here i'll New-York rHE tribune is dong some
thing, through he researches of Mrs. Helen Camp
bell, to bring INTO view the wrongs and sufierIngs
OF the Amcrit an working women and Mr.. Besant
IN his story makes it clear that the conditions are
the same on both sides of the Atlantic, so that the
exposition OF fact Ill ole case apples indilerentiy
10 either or both.
THESE poor creatures accept cruel drudperv
because there seems no beip for them. Ali the
world IS against them. Their employers system
atcally beat them down, ihe only limit to wage
reduction being that which nature sets III refusing
TO keep life in the body without a certain amount |
of almenL THIS limit ascertaned the wages ARE |
adjusted TO II. But 1t is not the employers alone
who keep wages down TO the starvation line.
" his. says Mr.. Besant truly, "this is he hope
essness of women that there are SO many who
seek work, and Will take 1t any terms. / here
are. for instance those who ought not 10 take If a
ALL such as girls of the better who live AT home
and will do work for any wreiched pay III order TO
earn little money for dress: then there is the
married woman, who will take work for any pay
IN order TO buy new pair of boots for her boy;
these crowd the shop side by side with the women
whose very livelihood depends upon their work.
md are obliged to take whatever work and what
,ver pay are offered"
Add TO thus the passion Of most women, whether
1ch or not, for bargains passion wnich stiniu-
ates the manufacturer to grind the faces of the
workers. and the iron cage which encloses these
women is completed They must put up with
labtual robbery and imposition. They must ac-
ept reduction upon reduction in wages They
nust abandon every hope III life, and toll like gal
ey slaves for less han suffcency OF the coarsest
ood. fOr them there Is no pleasure nor rest IN
Expectation in the future The whole realm of
Intellect is closed against them. Ignorance the /
lost profound envelopes them. Aud not ouly must
hey submit to robbery but TO torture. One
T the most pathetic chapters in the i
ook relates "how Meenda was drilled" c
10 you know what "drilling" is, gentle I
'aderf You ought to, for it's not only in London II
lat 1t Is praclsed. When 1t is consi dered that "
orkng-gir needs discipline that Is to say when b
IT any reason her work is not satisfactory she Is d
'us dealt with On the next occ aston of seeking /,
ork, the finished goods are taken from her and fl
10 Is told to waIt-that Is. tor her money and h
esh supply of MATERIAL Then she 10 simply kept s,
andlng IN the shop until night. From nine IN ii
10 morning till half-past seven in the evening IT
y, she is made TO stand there. without food dor fl
size witndraws TO eat her work will be given to -
other, and without moments rest When the G.
1led girl is released she full OF pain from head Nc
foot she is white with exhaustion. she is
most in O state of collapse. sometimes also
Q days drilling Is not considered discipline
ough. Then a second third day of torture o.,
added.
The book is interesting as story, and full q,
unexpected situations. skilfu description Is,
entertaining dialogue. 1t is well worth 81,
ding by such only care for the a.
Of fiction. though 1t Is superfdous, per- 80
ps. to say so much of of Walter Besants :,
Tels for he writes nothing which does not de- %,
We to be read. All the charm Of style which be- -,
rs to this author in special way will be en- 49,,
cd In the present story. IL is indeed finished -,
satisfactory performance IN all respects Its a.,
hest value undoubtedly consists in its vivid a.,
ositlon OF the wrongs of women. aud this part ono
he work has been done with absolute idelity to ,o
truth. with patient thoroughness and with an ~.
site strength and delicacy which lend emphasis t.,
intensity to the pic ures. =,
is not necessary that the writer who sets out -,
lace before the public such description of one s,,
he piague-spots of modern society should at the I
g time furnish remedy for the wrongs and ~.
'es he dehneates But Mr. Besant has studied %
problem SO deeply that he is iInpeled to say y
'thing He shows incidentally the futility of ,.o,.
. -. --' o'.' "o' io' cert
-.'N o "oen' ~ o"v ,nH uo"oo VI CUSTOM III colt
~. s "'1'o' anu ia oi'nuins men 10 'ner Still
- nv pu" N0 case d. Painy as bid
III DO put ana as fully And be Is whi
ned TO the belief that while some port
of organization mnst II ultimately In orao,od 10 hum
ct vvom.n .ho -. or.' - ~ "
. ~ 80 "' 'io'' onoo'i'e anu immediate writ
% Vi ioiici from inc wrongs now endured by afal
would be publicity. There NAV be the germ fIieI
II important coDclnson in this suoao... "Ii,
, is carto,nly No, ST. -, =, ss'''ioii task
:. 80 ''' o"'' uocp Pathos out sound Was
III Ills renecuohs upon the great and difficult gave
ct he illustrates His book is nothing less le
a weipbtv contribut,o, 70 h,.an,.. 80, IryiI
re- and II Is the more likely to do missionary CENT
because the grim truths il presents are cast in II
,rm of fiction. Nor must its English dress carry
2" ITO 'oi 'iio AMERICAN puDHc, Tor II than