The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-04-16

she would not ask her into the bar rarlor II
the coffee room was not full. unless she was
In rational dress. The coffee room would be
more suitable. The rational dress was the
obstacle.
Ee-examined-It was not in consequence ot
any views Of hers upon rational dress that she
refused Lady Harberton admittance TO the
coffee room. 1t was done In the inteFest oil
ner business. Lady Harberton and her friends
were without reproach. but IL would be fatal
TO her business to admit to the coffee room GER
tain people who frequented the Portsmouth
road. She had seen ladies' in skin tights.
Therefore she had made a general rule not to
admit ladies in rational dress into the coffee
room.
The Chairman. in summing up. said that
an innkeeper could not refuse TO supply a
traveller with food and lodging without some
lawful excuse. Here Mrs. Sprague did not say
that she had a right to dictate TO Lady Harber-
ton what dress she was H. wear. Therefore the
question whether ladies should or should not
wear rational dress was not in dis pute. An
innkeerer could no. refuse to supply food be-
cause ri the particular shape of the dress OF
the traveller. Tho only question, therefore,
was whether there was u refusal to supply food
in a decent and proper place. The innkcepcr
could select the room. provided it was a de-
cent and proper room. Nor. in his opinion.
was q guest entitled to have a room exactly to
his or her taste. The jury must Judge by the
requirements OF ordinary and reasonable per-
sons. The Chairman then referred to the evil
dence, and asked the Jury to consider whether
the bar parlor was a decent and proper room
for u guest to have luncheon: anu. further.
whether the bar parlor was not to all intents
and.purposes part OF the hotel.
The Jury retired to consider their verdict.
and, after a short deliberation. they returned n
verdict OF not guilty.
This is how the British PhilistIne has Sc
cured the coffee room or whatever best room
there is and left the rational dress" to the cool
seclusion CT decent and proper room" The
Chairman uttered the Philistluc's will exactly.
Lady Harbertoii and her friends can denounce
him in IA decent and proper room all by them
selves.
Miss Grace " irrell, Secretary Of the Lady
Cyclists Association. sees the exact score Of
the disaster. The decision she remarked.
does not give an innkecper the right to re-
fuse TO serve a lady in rational dress. but 1t
virtually gives him the right To insult her.
That is a point which IL is difficult 10 explain
in a court. 1t is the way the innkeeper docs
1.-THE way he looks you over. and makes You
| feel small and uncomfortable and indecent
that is the hard hing 10 bear
The magazines from time to time have very
readable articles on the tricks and resources
" teggars in the cities whore they most
abound-Paris. Rome or Naples. for choice.
Picturesque Information en- the business Is
hardly to he looked for in a Parliamentary re-
port on mendicity: yet the contents OF such a
document Just presented to the French Cham
Der are often more diverting than in the partly
imaginative literary essays. The author of
the report is NJ. Georges Berry. n well-known
Deputy. who sits for one OF the divisions Of
Paris. Had he put his researches into IL novel
they would have stood n good deal better
chance OF reaching those whom they most IN
t~nrest-the middle-class population of rance,
who are the great givers OF charity to the
street beggars. NJ. Berry has made the study
of beggars his pet hobby for many years. and
describes the majority Of them MS mere i'm
postors earning n cool living at the public ex-
pensc. His aim in preparing the Parliament
airy report is to pave the way for a bill for the
suppression OF mendicity. but the account of
his: observations extending over many years.
is more wildly interesting than his some what
ttopian proposals.
VI. Berry first OF all deals with the blind beg
gar. He does no, deny that there may be
some people suffering from blindness walking
the streets. but III an experience OF ten years.
each time.he has nndeavored to INQUIRE more
clDStlS INTO the sltuuilOH Oi tEe lDOT Dllnu
beggar'' il has only been to discover an i'm
rostor. who. when occasion required. could
make very good use of his eyes.
N. Berry tells q story Of a woman well known
to Parisians. who was TO be seen every sun.
day in the vicinity Of the church at Nogent-
sur-Marne leading a fne-lookiIg man-auite
blind. Of course. but possessed OF an ~excellen,
bass voice. The two quarrelled over the di,
vision of the day'stakings one Sunday evening
at Nozent after n %corious dinner. The blind
man suddenly..saw. and there was a pugilistic
scene. while next Sunday persons on leaving
church. to their surprise. were invited by the
same woman to extend their charity to n dk.
minutive individual-a strange contrast to the
first blind man.
The old soldier who has lost an arm in one
Of the colonial vars is another favorite form
OF imposition. The stump Of the lost limb eN,
hibited Is manufactured ~ n specialist. while
the real limb is carefully secreted inside the in
dividual's coat. VI. Berry says that to star
in this line Of business 1t is merely necessaI,
to deposit 20 francs with the maker Of tn,
stump and pay II further franc a day for tn,
hire OF the instrument.
An individual walking on crutches no lonGe
attracts any attention the loss OF n leg. at least
is necessary TO excite the pity of the chart
table. A certain snppleness in one Of the leg,
is 80 ''''' ''f''' 49, 49, 'Nte ~
sary to be able to double the limb up and an
renr with a stump at the knee. This is an OK
,ellent line of business. and the Deputy assert
that a good. sound. lame man can earn from
20 to 81 francs a dav. He describes one O
these individuals who regularly spends min,
months OF tho year In Paris as n one-leGGe'
beGgar. while the other three are passed at
seaside resort. where the impostor perform
as an artist on stills. Which OF the two occu
pations is most profitable we are not told.
The next chapter Of VI. Berry's report Is no
such rleasant.reading, although the torture
10 which he refers nn'y tend to show what
profitable occupation that Of Il oeggar must he
especially when the person is Of "A terribly de
formed nature. This chapter has reference {
what are nere termed the c"LS de- J0He, person
who are presumed to have been born withou
legs. Cases Of such deformitv are. a. II mat
ter OF fact. very,rare. but Paris and the provin
cial towns teen with these deformitics. TIL
majority ri them are undoubtedly impostor,
The legs are carefully hidden in the fiat horse