The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-02-26
$500 770H-
A SNOH.

There ID probably no extreme OF want
" or wisdom, folly or luck thst We may
not expect TO see exceeded some day. II
the world only holds out long enough.
II IL Governor Hill who tolls the story OF
the two Englishmen who landed in this
country to push their fortunes. Their
%propulsive efforts were not ttended
by any distinguished measure OF success,
and in tho course Of n few months the
one was waited on by the other in the
cheapest kind Of q Bowery restaurant.
Sympathetic tears filled the eyes OF the
i%mpecnnious diner, ~ he grasped tho
hands Of his attendant and asked il fate
had indeed been 30 unkind as to reduce
him to the humble position he seemed
to be occupying. The other admitted
that it was even 80, but he he
~fervently thanked the gods that even in
his mcnial capacity Of waiter IN q Bow
cry restaurant he had not yet sun 80
low ~ to cat there.
Such a repast may or may not be tie
extreme edge Of bad luck, but in the
matter Of frivolity it has been reserved
for tho Saturday Review, Of London,
England. { o out-distance oil possible
competition in its criticisms OF the in
ternational copyright bill. No one
would insult the established reputation
OF the magazine by dreaming that it
could be amiable. 1t would require the
freshness Of unsophisticated youth to
believe that it might be ordinarily just.
But it's latest performance out Herods
Herod. Conscientious and distinguished
mel on both sides Of the Atlantic have
been laboring for years for the passage
Of the measure. They have looked up
on their efforts, and general sentiment
has agreed with them, as Il hope OF
equity between man and man. Success,
at last, seems nea ut hand, and b
American people may soon be free from
the dishonorable charge Of undisguised
literary piracy.
TheA.Saturday" reviewer sees in the OK
pectation only a chance OF airing his
fastidious tastes. He would like to pose
among the literary exotics who reyel in
broad margins and morocco bindings.
He would fain be numbered among the
snobocracy Of that peculiar English
snobbishness Of numbered copies Of a
book. Some edition do luxe is pub
lished, a very limited number OF copies
is printed off, the type is promptly dis
tributed, the plates are completely de
stroyed, and a few sDobs are made happy
because they possess something that
few others can have. A most miserable
OF the narrowest kind OF van
ityt This time, however, it is the posi-
bility Of the introduction OF American
spelling into England that 10 agitating
bis sensitive nerves; American spelling,
than which the world contains nothing
more entirely evil" "Color" and "cen-
ter it seems to this delicate creation,
whouId entirely ruin his exquisite liter
airy repasts. They are horrors" and
would kill the mightiest majesty Of Mil
ton or the supremest effort OF Shake
.speare's genius. They would add ~
and heavy burden to life, and the
mere danger Of it would fully justify Our
in retaliating upon the Amer
leans by altogether prohibiting the i'm
portation into England Of books by Brit
isb authors printed in America" Wit
must be at a very low ebb on the staff OF
the Saturday" when such petty smart
ness is it's best substitute. As for the
reviewer himself, poor thing, the broad
principles OF humanity that permit the
existence Of the mosquito and gnat, for
bid anything like ssvere treatment OF
his representative personality, but his
early passage from an un~sympathetlc
world might not be an altogether I'M
mitigated calamity.