The herald., 1896-05-31

came to poor Linda when she at last
married honest John Maclean, who was
able to make a fine home for her In all
the bright story there is nothing neater
than the inevitable woman's post
script to the last letter John ever re-
ceived from her before their marriage.
p. S.-When we are married l shall
have two names to sign. like other peo-
ple.'
TALES FROM TOWN TOPICS. THE
HUNT FOR HAPPINESS.
The main story in this volume is by
Anita Vivanti Chartres, and Is above
the average in interest. The remainder
OF the matter that goes to make up the
volume Is a mixture of short stories and
pleasantries culled from the periodical
that gives names to this series.
The present volume is No. 20 of the
series. 1t is a very successful venture,
and the general subscription is said to
be large.
THE ABBE CoNsTANTIN. Dodd,
Mead & Co. For sale by Stoll G.
Thayer
A new and cheap edition of this beau
tiful romance is welcome thing to ev-
cry lover of literature. Here is pref
lily bound volume, in excellent print,
pfofusely and beautifully illustrated,
for rs cents. 1t is masterpiece of
French story writing. whose author bore
the honors of the academy, while the
translation is by Madeleine Lemaire.
Such book Is always new.
THE ATLANTIC MONTHLY. Be-
sides further installment Of Henry
James serial. The Old Things, a short
story by Mrs Bellamy and other fiction
and sketches, this reliable old monthly
contains several notable articles, one
of the most striking Of which is Presi-
dent Halls paper on The Politician and
The Public School, from which we make
the following extract: But the high
est measure of just execration must be
reserved for partisan political interfer-
ence with the interests of the public
schools. 1t is upon this point that our
confessions converge most sharply. A
superintendent in one of the eastern
states writes: Nearly all the teachers
in our schools get their positions by
what Is called political pull If they
secure q place and are not backed by po-
litical influence. they are likely to be
turned out. Our drawing teacher re-
Gently lost her position for this reason
one writes from the south: Most places
depend on politics. The lowest motives
are often used to influence ends A
1aint wall comes from the far west:
Positions are secured and held by the
>.
Another writer says: The teachers of
this place have practically no protection
from political demagogues. Not only is
political influence used directly, but it is
made to reach out through all other ave-
hues. Ihey must trade with the mer-
chants, bank with the bankers. take
treatment of the doctors, consult with
the lawyers and connive with the poll
t1clans or the dominant party No
teacher with us feels secure except
tnose VINO are of the same political
1aith as the powers that be- Is written
by resident of the Atlantic slope. The
public schools of this city are political
Schools writes another. Politicians
wage war of determination against a II
teachers who are not their vassals.'
comes from the Rocky mountains. orr
poard is politically corrupt. The mem
Ders voted to put out the principal of the
nigh school because he was of the oppo-
sue poiitical party; they put in one of
!neir political friends who had a pull
is the complaint from the Pacific slope.
Ihere seems really to be no geograph-
lcal unit. A pestilence will sometimes
conline Itself to certain doomed regions.
ana when the poison has run its course
IL Will subside; politics never so con-
nnes Itself and never subsidies. Ap-
pointnlents are made, promotions Sc
cured,removals effected on the basis of a
political auction How many votes can
you control for me when become can
dldate for mayorE seems to be the test
question in mathematics required in
many places. Sometimes payment has
already been made, and the appointment
of friend is taken as the settlement of
the account to date. The situation stag
gers pelief. No one seems to grasp it's
real significance. 1t would be a seri-
GUS problem If it were simply plunder-
Ing the public treasury. Its evil would
be beyond computation if it extended
no farther than the corrupting, humil-
iating and degrading of the men and
women who teach in the schools, and
who, though they are infinitely the su-
periors of the political bosses, must sub
NIT to the most CALLING indignities or
cease to follow their chosen profession.
But the real enormity of the crime be-
gins to dawn upon us when we consider
that these political tricksters, who give
positions to incompetent teachers in re-
turn for political support from the
friends of such teachers steal from de-
fenseless children.
CAN THIS BE TRUE?
A writer in Time and Hour of Boston
tells this amusing story:
Not long ago James Fenimore Cooper,
the grandson of the novelist was here in
Boston. While a clevet enough young
Albany lawyer, Mr. Cooper is not cloth
ed upon with the mantle of his illustri-
GUS grandparent, nor Is he in public life;
and it was, therefore. with some sur
nriSa that 11nO,1 tho avopi,U of hie