The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1900-08-07
THE GOSSIP OFLONDON.

London. July q. 1850.
The Prince OF Wales has set all the
handles and the taIlors agoing and ages
siping By appearing at the Queens gar
den party in a single-breasted frock coat.
The world Of fashion is in nutter. The
doubls-breasted frock IS quite as doomed
as the Beers or the Boxers. What though
Mr. Clark. Of Christian Endesvor fame.
has gathered his thousands of devotees IN
this town? What though athletics, rae
ing. cricket. music halls keep the man
in the street IN conversational topics?
The browning theme OF the week Is the
single-hreasted froek coat worn by Wales.
Army Jobbery, hospital scandals. the heat
wave. the filthy condition OF our streets.
the cry for cheap ice, ventilation in buses
and theaters-these are minor themes.
Though Mr.. 3. T. Keith, of New York.
Philadelphia, and Boston, is about 10 build
a continuous performance house on the
site OF the Princess Theater: though Mr..
Alfred Johnson. of Cincinnati and New
York. is busy giving them electric uac-
ton here; though Mr.. +. F. Andrews. of
the Corcoran gallery, Washington, is In
town on his annual visit 10 our art col
lections, all these more or less important
occurrences are overshadowed by the fact
that the single-breasted frock coat Is
about to begin its triumphal tour through
the drawing rooms. garden parties, and
public promenades Of the world. McKln-
ley and Bryan, Roberts and Ii Hung
Chang have caused copious ink TO flow in
editorial offices this week, but have the
sayings Of these notsbles aroused as much
interest and enthusiasm as has the new
single-breasted-one-row -of-buttons frock
coat?
Mr.. Robert Hickers. the novelist. tells
a couple of stories that throw some light
on the educational value OF the drama.
little girl. says he. was taken by her
mother to see the play "Robaspierre."
After the performance she was asked"i If
she knew anything about the central fig
ure Of the piece. ''Oh, yes" was the in
trepid answer, ''he was killed In the bath
by Charlotte Bronte." So, some years
ago, Hickens was anxious TO sound the
depths of ignorance among his proteges
at night school, and he asked them il
they had ever heard of Tennyson. Silence
reigned for a while, and then q boy OBJ
served: II think I seed him once at the
South London Music All That boy
only knew of the Tennyson of the popu-
lar music nall team Of TennysOn and
OGorman.
Sotherans, the well-known book sellers.
only recently catalogued the works of
Daniel Webster as by one Of the Presi-
dents Of the United States. Despite the
present cordial relations between John
Bull and Uncle Sam, there is much ignor-
ance here as to some of your great men.
They often confnund Daniel Webster and
Noah Webster, the statesman and the
photographer. Harper's. Munsey's, The
Century, Scribner's are on many book
stall here and widely read, but the mass
Of readers seem to know little and care
less about your people and their institu-
tons. They especially have the queerest
idea as to the personality and profession
Of Henry Clay. I'll wager that nine
average Englishmen out of ten will tell
you that Henry Clay is prominent cigar
manufacturer
Mckinley and Bryan are not names
that rouse much discussion among these
cold-bloOded islanders While you are
probably at fever heat just now for or
against one or the other of these person.
ages, John Bull contemplates the political
situation across the ocean with the same
resigned calm with which he sips his tep-
i'd bitter beer. Only the other day read
this in one of their weeklies: with re-
gard to the attitude Of America toward
this country In the event Of a victory for
Bryan and the Democrats no great chang
es need be anticipated. It seems most
probable that whether Mr.. Mckinley ge-
cures his reelection, which would, OF
course, be preferred in this country, or
whether Mr.. Bryan succeeds in obtaining
the reins of government, no great differ
ence is likely to result in the attitude of
the two countries to each other, and we
may therefore watch the contest without
any great feeling of apprehension
Now that Lord Kitchener Is vigorously
censoring the war correspondents still at
the front, and now the people are getting
trifie tired of war news and khaki bound
books about the war in the Transvaal
and in China, the novelists seem to be
taking heart and threaten to deluge the
market. Novels are announced from
many more or less well-known pens. Mr.
Anthony Hope will be represented by
"Giusante,' Mr. Arthur Morrison BY
Cunning Morrell," Mr.. Maurice Hewlett
by Richard Yea or Nay" Mr.. Marion
Crawford by "In the Palace Of the King, "
Mr.. Henry James by THE Soft Side. %