The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1890-01-30
LONDON LETTER.
HOW GREAT LONDON GRows-FIFTY-
FOUR MILES OF STREET IN
ONE YEAR.
The English Nation Heartily Enters Into
the Observance of Thirst.
mas Times.
LONDON, January Is, 1890.

have been added to this city the past
year. Think of this, reader, and inn
agine the change in your surround
ings should such host drop from the
clouds into your vicinity during a
twelvemonth. Evidently the limit
in growth of the worlds metropolis is
not yet reached. This growth is only
an indicator of human progress.
Another indicator is the very con-
vincing proof OF the decrease of pov-
erty and pauperism. A paper just is
sued gives statement of the pauper-
ism OF England and Wales during the
last year, as compared to a correspond
ing period of 1862. In this period of
1862, from this return, we find there
were over million of paupers to a
population of less than twenty and a
half millions, whereas the population
of England and Wales in 1889 being
close upon thirty millions, we find that
during this period in 1889 there are
less than seven hundred thousand
paupers, or reduction in pauperism
from 4.97 per cent in 1862 to 2.3S per
cent in 1889
Most certainly this is progress in
the right direction, although | hardly
believe the most sanguine political
economist would dare venture the pre-
diction of the complete disappearance
of pauperism in, say thirty-five years,
or in the ratio of these figures.
One of the most difficult things to
define is the term, pleasure. Prob
ably the best definition it ever re
ceived is that pleasure is the CORE
spondence between faculty and it's
object. However this may be, there
is no doubt that no better practical
examples OF this mental condition as
depicted in all ages and Compartments
can be found to equal those met with
in the thoroughly packed streets and
shops among the happy English
shoppers during the holiday sea-
son. Here both sexes struggled
and elbowed each other. Children of
SMALLER and larger growth" every
type of character, of intelligence, of
temperament, met on the same level to
pursue the same object and to crafty
the same faculty. 1t was an eager
hunt, free for all to find and to buy
gifts for others. Every eager moment,
every joyous face, every delighted ex-
clamation, each and all were examples
of pleasure true and unallOyed.
Nowhere on this planet are the
Christmas festivities so thoroughly OBJ
served and enjoyed as here in Merrie
England. The artisan will scorn the
most tempting job during the holiday
week. The places of amusement are
packed, and that characteristic Christ
mas play-the pantomime, with its
clown and pantaloon lis eagerly
sought and enthusiastically received
by crowded houses. This pantomime
is one of the Oldest features of merry
Christmas time which the English
have; but must here submit that |
do not consider the Christmas panto-
mime of today to be one of those in
dicators of human progress which /
referred to in the beginning of this
letter.
In olden times there was the plot
or semblance of plot-an attempt,
OF least, to the regular climaxes; and
then, last but not least, there were
the merry pranks Of the clown. There
was a ballet, or feeble attempt at
one, but it at least was onlya back
ground-a setting to the picture.
Now the ballet has become the prin-
cipal feature of the pantomime.
There are no climaxes, there is no
semblance of plot. In their places
grand marches of Amazons and a
transformation scene, grand ballet
and another transformation scene,
forest in fairyland and an
other transformation scene, follow
each other in quick succession. To
be sure, the clown and pantaloen still
are there to keep up the tradition of
the Christmas play. They fill in also
very nicely, and serve to amuse the
audience while the change of scenery
and mechanical effects are made.
Every English father and mother is
supposed to betake themselves and
their children to the Christmas panto-
mime-for did not theirs before
them?
/ know the most astute find it diff
cult to define morality from an artistic
standpoint, but upon the broad and
general basis, that the true test of an
entertainment from a moral stand
point is its effect upon the whole, the
tendency of the performance will in
fiuence the spectator to love vice or
loathe it; whether the effect of it all
uron these fresh and rosy faced Eng
fish children will be t. confuse their
moral standards and falsify their con-
ceptions Of right; upon this broad basis
alone it seems to me l am justified III
saying that the English children of
few generations back were better off
as regards the morals of their Christ
mas pantomime than the children of
today.
While upon Christmas, let me give
some idea of the amount of Christmas
mail matter which the London pest |
office handled this year. The English |
postal laws permit the mailing by