The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-06-17

tors when he speaks Of things he does not like.
Some enc had alarmed him about the Ameri-
can habit OF carrying revolver. 30
that while he remained in the West he sus-
pected revolvers everywhere. and his acduaint-
ances seem to have RratAed his revolver
fancy with suggestive anecdotes. He did not
like spittoons. nor the habit which makes
them prevalent. nor bands OF tourists, nor
certain buildings, nor Chicago. in all which
things many good Americans will probably
agree with him. He also had reached the
didactic stage in mis- travels. and thought 1t
necessary to repeat what he heard about poll
tics. He has grown older since thon. and
knows more about the United States than he
did so that It ia hardly worth while to dwell on
his fault finding, but rather to turn to what he
found to admire. First Of all. and he has since
demonstrated the siren 9Th Of his conviction. Ia
tho American girl:
Sweet and comely the maidens of Devonshirs;
delicate ana OF gracious seeming those who live
in the pleasant places OF London; fascinating for
all their dem the damses of France olinging
closely to thetr mothers, aud with large eyes won
dering at tho wicked world; excellent in her own
place and TO those who understand her is the Anglo
Indian spin In her second season; but the girls
Of America above and beyond them all. They
are clever; they talk Yea. IL is said that they
ing. They are original. and look you between the
brows with unabashed eyes as sister might look at
her brother. They arc instructed In the folly and
vanity of the male mind for they have associated
with tho boys from babyhood. and can discern
ingly minister TO both vices pleasantly snub the
possessor.
Whenever things go wrong on his trip he
takes comfort In praising the girls. He likes
the Californians. too. In spite OF the revovers:
It needs no little golden badge swinging from his
wstch-chain to mark the Native Son Of the Golden
West-ths country. bred of California. Him love
because he IL devoid % fear carries himself like
man, and has . heart as big az his boots. fancy.
too. he knows how to enjoy thu blessings of life
that his world so abundantly bestows upon him.
And above all he likes the American spirit Of
patriotism:
But the men and women set Us an example in pa
triotism. They believe in their land and its future
and its honor. and its glory, and they are not
ashamed to say so. From the largest to the least
runs this same proud. passionate conviction. to
which take of my hat and for which love them.
An average English housed older seems to regard his
country abstraction to supply him with police
mon and fire. brigades The cockncy cad cannot I'M
derstand what the word means. The bloomin' toGs
he knows and the law. and the soldiers that supply
him with spectacle in the Parks but he would laugh
in your face at the notion OF duty being owed by
himself TO his land. Pick an American OF the Sec
ond generation any where you pease-from the cab
rank. theporter'G room or the plough tail Especially
the plough tail and that mau will make you under
stand in i've minutes that he understands what
manner OF thing his Republic is. He might laugh
At law that didn't suit his convenience draw your
eye-teeth In bargain. and applaud 'cuteness the
outer verge OF swindling: but you should hear him
stand up and singi-
my country It's Of thoe.
Sweet land OF liberty.
OF thee sng!"
1t would have been q great pity II Mr.. Kip
line's artistic pride had left these letters for
posterity to dig out OF the Indian newspapers
for which they were written ten years ago
They will be read with pleasure by many Poo
pie this summer.
Whoever takes up Mr.. H. G. Wellss When
the Sleeper Wakes" tHarpers) 10 not likely to
put the book down again till he has finished 1t.
long as Il 10. 1t shows a marked advance in
literary workmanship on the part OF the au-
thor. with no loss OF his peculiar power Of
making each step in his extraordinary fancies
seem plausible As in real nightmares one
stage seems to follow another as a matter OF
course. The framework OF Mr.. Wslls's story
is commonplace enough and has been used by
scores OF writer's to exhibit the DEVELOPMENT OF
their theories. either in fun or in earnest He
throws his hero into cataleptc sleep md makes
him wake UP 200 years from now. The world
In which he opens his eyes is pretty bad
world for many improvements we are striving
after have had full play and have turned out to
be no unmixed blessings. while some obJec-
tonable features OF life nowadays are much in
tensifled. Compound interest and judicious
investments by a soulless corporation work
undistur bed during the two centuries OF the
hero's sleep. with the result that he practically
owns the earth when he wakes up. The unde-
sirable outcome OF purely business admins
traton according to the enlightened rules OF
political economy is shown up by Mr. Wells or.
rather. what he conceives the outcome may be.
The cure for il all. which the world hopes for
when the sleeper wakes" who Is to set every
thing right Is either beyond his power
OF Imagination or else he deliberately
shlrks 1t, the Weakening being apparently
the signal for everlasting smash, which neither
Mr.. Wells nor his sleeper have constructive in
genuity enough to avert. The material i'm
provements OF the twenty first century. where
we should expect most from the authors fancy
in matters OF science. are OF less importance
than the social and economic changes They
are mainly in the direction OF increased ease
OF communication and transmission. and in
more economic distribution OF labor. Aerial
navigation Is established, and to the air Mr..
Wells transfers the present theories as to the
value Of sea power. Strangely enough. despite
the authors efforts to suppress it, it Is the hui
man interest in his hero's personal actions and
in what he will do that attracts the reader. and
those actions would have been the same in
these days. amid less deliberately contrived sur
roundings. The exciting chase over the roof
OF the city. for instance. might Just as well
have been over the roofs Of a block Of tone
m ent houses. for any use the author makes OF
his ingenious future contrivances. The main
idea OF the book. however. the text that Mr..
Wells hammers out. is the wickedness and
deadly results OF trusts. which In two centu-
ries will have enslaved and degraded all men.
Religion and morality will have disappeared.
the ethics OF the yellow Book" school will
have become general. advertisements will have
taken the place OF pictorial art. money will be
the sole god, and the oppressed millions will
oIa for 40 dos Dotir fpw Hts attach NJ ooto-