New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-01-15
NOTES FROM LONDON.
ar. MI.ANE-a RANK SCURRHITY'-F RANFN
ENSTEIN-TWO BOOKS.

l.
The American Minister to France Is oiesseu WV"
uealous but indscrcet friends. They are VeAe"
because said that he has made no great inpreS
sion on the diplomatic world. am sorry 10 VeA
anybody. and sorry that the vexed person shouiu
express his vexation in print. MT. mcb"he,
an sure, is too sensible man TO approve '"e
unwisdom Of his champions. The nne OF '"o
which telegraphed you about him calico 'or NO
comment l spoke OF his personal popui"r''V
among Americans and Of the efficiency OF the WORK
Of the Legation. and Of the fewness OF complaints,
That. I hope, 10 not offensive. IL hau caneu
him Minister McIAne" as seemed to In pr'ht'
he would have had good cause for anger
This way Of labelling man with the name Vi
Mis- occupation is know, not uncommon among
r,eople who are In . hurry, and no people are
moro often in hurry than journalists, 1t has, IN
certain cases. the sanction Of custom AL the
~or,d savs President Cleveland flor the present.
Queen victoria is used. but moro doubtfuny.
Mayor Hewitt is accepted. Lord Mayor de keyscr
night pass, but is not common Londoners say
the Lord Mayor" premier" Salisbury Is never
heard in the country of which Lord Salisbury Is
Prime Minister. The word premier itself may %
uhalleuRed It is French. and the French never
~ Il alone In that sense They may say
uremier Mjnistre," not lie premier Their frime
Minister. however, is In fact, called President Oh
~ Council Cover Hill is said but your
,,sdrhbors across tho Canadian border woulo'
,uspect think twice before they spoke OF dov-
mon General IAnsdowne." 1 never heard OF such
rArases a. viceroy Dufferin" or " Viceroy Lon
nonderry" / have read in an American pape.
- Counsellor Evarts" never In an Enghsn VI
Barrister Russell" In the rural districts OF
Vermont they say, perhaps, Lawyer Evar'S' Is
IN the rural districts Of Massachusetts they useo
4, SAY Lawyer Hoar. But do you use 1t or deIeno
= in New-Yorkr And if you do. where DO you
mean to stopr Are you prepared to say Butchef
Zones. and Baker Smith, and Candlestiokmaker
.Robinsonp And il not, why nota think 1t may
10 admitted that we must stop somewhere In TINS
waze for abbreviation and condensation ana
.suace-savinR Anybody who has leisure might
Nrite an essay on the degradation Of the English
= American language arising out OF the use OF the
telegraph and especially Of the sub-Atlantlc tee-
Kzaph The French have two phrases ny winch
they denote the same thing When they WISH W
Aescribe q style which omits all those particics
md phrases on which fulness, elegance, accuracy
and the literary quality Of all languages depend
they say indifferently style telegraphique'" or
style negre" hope we are not all going 10
adopt the niger STYLE" In print whether iroh
motives of economy or from hurry, OF Ior any
osher reason. So much may SOY as one VINO Is
or who appears to be- frequent offender against
The proprieties of the language which would II
4 could write correctly.
Mr. Gladstones Dover protest against rank
Ssurriity" comes none too soon. Will ep-
aeavor" he said, to avoid personality and' above
NJ to avoid that kind OF personality which 10
sheer and rank scurrlity, and which appears 10
b regarded as their most effective weapon by one
On two of the present Ministers of the Crown" lie
named none, and will name none. lie expressly
excepted Lord Salisbury. But his protest might
b extended. Rank scurrility is not now mo-
ncpoly of any political party In the United King
dom, whether on the platform or In the press
The dislike Of the Tories Of Dover for MIR Glad
sone had Just been expressed In the form OF
snowballs; perhaps the readiest argument to the
fnsrticulate rufiianism Of that very Tory seaport
The London organ of Gladstonian Liberalism re-
bpkes the authors of this outrage, and its rebuKe
A only one more outrage. Such devices, says
hat singular journal are not successful ana there
fore. perhaps even Mr.. Balfour would hesitate
20 express his approval Of them without clrcum-
lecutionn / say nothing Of the Irish people ana
do not mean to be drawn into pohtics ior d
moment What one has to say is that the sweet
MSS is taken out of life by the ferocity with which
this controversy is conducted. III Mr. Gladstone
sould but persuade some Of his leading supporters
scurrility. perhaps Lord Salisbury might be In
suced to invite some of his own pet lambs to do
- much.
Yet even out of these passionate hatreds Joke
NAV be had Mr. Fred Leslie last night at the
Gaiety Theatre began verse Of one Of his topical
songs with the words Mr.. Gladstone" Cheers
and misses and groans broke out in every quarter OF
sAe house. Mr. Fred Leslie waited till this storm
had subsidized and then remarked, Yes, thai IS
Just what 1 wanted from you"
Mr.. Fred Leslies performance is one among
score of proofs that the prize-hghtlng mania OF
Che moment is widespread. He is the Monster IN
the very poor new piece, Frankenstein,' and The
Monster makes his first appearance as hero OF
the ring He gets down from the pedestal where
he first figures in terra Gotta, and has set-tt
With his terra Gotta companion. If 1t be meant
rs burlesque of the Kilrain-Smith combat, 1t Ii
perfect, and the knock-down blow Is best oil all
The whole performance is a lesson to authors who
write plays to measure. Here are two OF th'
eleyerest artists in their own way, in London
Miss Nellie Farren and Mr. Fred LESLIE and
third. also clever, Mr. Lonnen. Mr.. Richard
Henry was commissioned to put together piece II
serve as a framework in which these three nigh
b SEEN each to the best advantage. He has dom
his work with sole reference to them and To TIT
scene painter and coStumer and spectacle-manager
m three of whom are always important person
ages at the Gaiety. Plot, dialogue, wit-none o
this trio has been much considered and characte
Is not to be looked for in work of this nature
Result deadly dulness which not even the two O.
three most amusing actors In London can enliven
The attempt Of the first night pit and gallery u
stop the performance failed. but Frankenstein'
is present shape cannot long keep the stage.
Mr. Robert Louis Stevenson's volume OF Undel
woods" attained some time since to the distlncuo
Of a second edition and the first edition is out
print, scarce and dear, as his Chi1d's Garden o
Verse has long been. Poetry Is not drug In Tn
market when it is to the taste Of the public. Mr.
Stevenson, who was long thought writer to-
delicate in method and style to be popular, ha
..aaa h., hain nonnIar uiIhnnf hen0 less delicate