The courier. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1894-1903, 1899-09-02
THE PASSING SHOW
VILLA GATHER

Number 8. John street. the most on.
during hook Of the year. All writer's
today are, for the most part. afflicted by
restlessness and the disease OF their
generation. hurry. They have an idea,
or borrow an idea. and proceed to get It
into literary form and rush II of to the
publishers. The idea may be good
one. the treatment skillful and felici-
tous, but somehow these stories lack
conviction. power, eolidity. They did
not lie long enough In the authors mind
to absorb much Of his personality, and
he never put much brain stuff into
them, because usually, cleverness sells
just as we'll as earnestness. Now "Num.
Der s, John street" lie the reverse Of ell
this. 1t is the second book that Rich
ard Whiting has written, and he IL now
man OF fifty. He has been journalist
al his life, and has written for years on
social questions aud on the life and
conduct OF the London poor for the
Times Into Number 8, John
street." and his former book, "rhe lei.
and" Mr.. Whiting has put the result
and the net gain Of all bis thirty vears'
study OF how the other half lives.
There is not line Of padding 10 the
book. and there is not page that does
not bear the stamp Of q thinker. Yet
with all this. 1t lie 90 interesting that a
foolish man might read It merely for
the thread Of the story. and 90 simple
that who runs may read.
Socialistic studies IL the Ruise OF
fiction are usually unattractive, not
infrequently dishonest. and almost
never have they anything new TO ssy.
II / must hear grewsome statistics and
particulars az to sanitation and the
death rate Of infants. I prefer to get II
a. bluntly and brutally w possible, and
not disguised behind feeble love story
or sugsred over with pretty phrases.
But Mr.. Whiting seems not to have
sought for q convenient mould into
which to run live facts and figures. His
book nust have come to him in very
nearly tho form In which be published
1t. you cannot imagine It being written
In any other way. Mr. Whiting, like
Mr.. Jacob Riis Of New York. has lived
among the people Of whom be writes, 90
he puts bis hero 10 very much bis own
place. The story IL written In the form
OF personal narrative, told by young
man OF tho fashionable world Of Lon.
don. who voluntarily accepts tho life OF
Q wsge- Garner In the world OF tho OF.
tremely poor 10 the heart OF the great
metropolis. The hero, after he takes
up bis abode in John street. lives the
life OF John street, leaving bis chambers
and servants behind him. he enters q
factory as workman and subsists on
the wages he earns by the work Of bis
hands. He lives with the people. He
cultivstes them In kindlier and mora
human sense than az mere sociological
studies, he draws them close to him
until they become to him and to bis
readers. not studies. but folk Of the real
world. OF the reslest OF worlds, with q
convincing actualness Of speech and
manner and the blessed warmth Of
blood 10 their veins Mr.. Whiting does
not merely handle these types OF the
London poor, he thinks OF them, feels
for them, knows them and lives with
them, gets their attitude toward all the
great questions OF lie, their purpose In
work, their tastes 10 recreation, their
notion OF pleasure. Que feels that here
10 40 explorer who has gone iuto that
dark interior whore dwells thu loat hall