The Washington times., 1901-12-01

staying at Maidstone. All this is undis
puted fact, and a great agitation has
arisen over the cure, because cancer as
a disease seems TO be increasing in Eng
land, and there is no concealing the fact
that the Kings brother, the Duke OF Sake
Coburg. and his sister. the Dowager En-
press of Germany, died of the dreaded
complaint.
The medical profession. however so far
has given no credence to the method of
treatment There is no doubt that Lady
Marsham was i'll and recovered after the
application of the violet extract, but doc
tors throw doubts whether she really had
cancer Meanwhile the subject is quite
uppermost in public discussion.
The British Government owning the tel
egraph system and giving very low rates
recently decided to go into the telephone
business for the benefit OF Londoners. Al
extensive system is in process of instalia-
ton and everybody expected very low
rates. The scale Of charges has been an
nouneed, and are really higher than the
old private company's rates.
4 London phone will cost sS5 per year,
or Z system of charges for each message
has been adopted, as in many American
cities, which will make a basic charge of
$25 per year and cents for each mes
sage, If in your own district, but 4 cents
If you are switched through some other
exchange There is a wall of dissppoint-
ment. especially as London has the worst
telephone system IN the world, most peO
pie calling it nuisance instead Jf ben
eft. The new Government system, how
ever, promises up to-date American serv-
ice
In literature the most discussed article
is w. T.. Henley's review of Graham Bal
four's life of Robert Louis Stevenson
Mr. Henley declares that it does not give
true picture Of Stevenson. II gives the
man as he may have wanted to be, but
not the man as he was. In other words,
BaltOur describes Stevenson as popular
fancy and legend have made him. Henley
who was one of his close friends, protests
against Robert Louis Stevenson being
made such an immaculate hero, and seeks
10 paint him as be was, very masculine,
very human. with charms and faults. ia
summing up his scathing denuaciation of
Mr. Balfour's presentation TO the world
OF false character, MIR. Henley says:
\
fellow But he was of lis essence what
the French call personnel. He was, that is,
necessarily and passionately interested in
Stevenson. He could nor be in the same
room with mirror but he must invite Its
confidence every time he passed it. He was
never so much in earnest, never so well
pleased (this we're he happy or wretch
ed. never so irresistible as when he wrote
about himself. Withal. II he wanted
thing he went after il with an entire
contempt for consequences.
There is no wonder that Stevenson
wrote his best in The shadow OF the Shade;
tor writing his best was very life TO him.
Why. then, all this crawling astonishment
this yoluble admiration? If II meant
anything ii would mean that We have for
gotten how TO live. and that none of US is
prepared 10 die and that were an outrage
an the innumerable unstoried martyrdoms
OF humanity. Let this BE- said of him,
once for all He was good man, good al
many things, and now this also he has at
tanned toto be at rest That covers
Sophocles ana Shakespeare, Marlborough
and BOnaparte. Let 1t serve for Steven
son; and for ourselves, let us live and die
uninsulted. as we have lived and died be-
fore his books began to sell and his per-
sonslity was a marketable thing"
The Times" has boldly started a war
against the English labor organizations,
accusing them of helping to ruin the coun-
try's prosperity by deliberate system of
doing as little work as possible. The
first branch OF industry considered is the
building trade. The Times" asserts that
whereas formerly 1000 bricks per day
Was the average number laid by the
brickiayer. today he lays only 500. and on
public works the tacit understanding is