The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-03

l found myself saying:
What differences there are, what
interesting differences there are. be-
tween the lower classes of the three
countries, America, England. and
France, One seems to find even more
points in common between these last
two countries than between the first"
Il am surprised to hear You say
that" the Comte replied. consider
ing what an impassa BILE barrier the
English Channel has always been he
tween the characters of French and
English people. Their attempts to
understand one another seem as fu-
tile. al times, as an attempt TO bridge
over that stormy biz of water.
The affinity between the lower
classes of England and France l re-
piled, lis the result of Europe. while
that between the corresponding class
es of England and America is the out
come of blood relationship. And /
fear that in this case Europe has
been more far-reaching in its effects
than blood What | mean is just this.
that the cultivation. and especially
the civility, of the French and English
country people. peasants, If you like,
is far greater than II is among the
corresponding classes OF America. In
France especially, the courtesy, the
genial goodwill, until offended, and
the interest in the most refined and ar
tistic things is very noticeable. In
# England, the peasantry-perhaps |
should call them the tenantry there
are as picturesque in their life and as
civil in their address. But they are
less communicative. They are we'll
Informed C!iy upon the particular
subject to which they have been born
and bred. This they know with that
thoroughness which is, perhaps, one of
the greatest characteristics of the
English race. And the interest viii h
they take in their subject and in their
own special phase OF life is most at
tractiNe and inviting to study. Here.
on the contrary, the peasants seem to
show much more varied knowledge
of what Is going on around them. And
they display more general fondnesS
for the things of beauty that sur
round many of their lives. Very nat
urally their knowledge is less thor
ough, and probably II one investi-
gated it, one would lind very little
actual intelligence But the love of
art for which the French people are
SO renowned seems to have come out
in every class, even in the lowest, al
though IL may be oddly mixed with
the utmost simplicity and ignorance.
In America, well as In many parts
of England, the effect of a rapid and
popular legislation for the lower class
es-often far too popular-has been to
raise their ideas and ambitions far
above their means or their powers of
perception. BY this Legislation they
are given powers and privileges to
which they are incapable of doing jus
tice, as well by their education as their
place in society As we see. the results
are discomfort and in many eases
chaotic overthrow of classes. as well
as of an entire social order"
The Comte was silent for some min
utes after j had finished speaking. He
was evidently thinking over the vari-
Gus questions that presented them
selves in so large subject as this
comparison and discussion of classes.
AT last he said:
Il have always thought that the
proper solution of this great, this al
most universal, problem of today, is
not the assimilation and eventual de-
struction of classes-for this would
be obviously impossible while men live
but on the contrary, proper order
ing and division of those classes, and
more than anything Of their relative
behavior. one to another. The present
troubles all over the world, in Europe
as well as In America. have come, al
most invariably, from the fact that
various members of society abuse the
responsibilities of their positions. They
come. more than anything. from the
master m@itreating his servant and
from the servant turning against his
master. One OF those is as culpable
as the other, and has almost always
been so. The one class has been as
much AT fault as the other, and / do
not know but tina, the master is most
to blame, for in nine cases out of ten
he has b. gun the abuse. Whatever
their behavior may be. however, Meth
er OF these classes can live without the
other. Therefore. the most philosophy
zeal way of living would be for each
class to work for the others interest,
each in its own particular position. in
stead of continually endeaYoring TO
change places enc With another. How
ever much they try, classes Will never
succeed in changing places. By so do
ing, they not only fail in their object,
but they do much to destroy cultiva-
ton and order. Until men open their
eyes wide enough to see this, all the
radical legislation in the world will not
effect its boosted object Of lettering
the condition of the lower classes. As
far as | can see. from the results that
we have around us, ii seems only to
embitter them.
or the descriptions. one Of the pret;iast
: that OF Chambord. which is in part as
ollows:
oh, matchless evening of an Au-
gust day, You have already covered
the ground with mantle Of sleeps,
ness, which seems to hang over eve ry-
thing and to cast its shadow. he
green trees I'm the plain. hundred feet
below, seem to slumber in the shade
Wearied looking and dark, they
scarcely show against the ground. A
long line Of silvery grey winds its
way amidst the trees. 1t is the tiny
River Cosson. catching the reflected
rays of the starry heavens. But we,
who are so high above, we still catch
the mauVe tint of the last hour Of the
not strength enough to live by itself
but only to form the subject aud The
surroundings of dream.
The day is at an end, and we are
left, still leaning against the cam
pauile." whose wings look like those
of some great FREELY. The long shad-
ows around us are Of the saHe Ealc
color as the sky No sound. no breath
IL III L.
of artistic genius alone speak TO us
from every side. Their SplenIor is
brought out the more by The very con
trast OF Towering beauty with the fad
ing Of decay. Here lacc-wnrk colon
ade here a stone tower arises. before
unnUticed. The faces of the gargOyl-s
maxi strange grimaces az us in the
evening" light. Caryatids, with fat
ures that express strange thoughts
and strange emotions, look down upon
them the names Of miSlreSScS ana
courtiers and mouarchs that have
passed, for they are surround ID 10y the
air of other days. Indeed, under Inc
weight OF such overpOwering beauty
as they support. our own eyelids close,
and we are in another world with
scenes aud characters surrounding Us
that have long passed into history.
A strange dreamy atmosphere at
tends MS. The faint sounds of distant
music reach the ear. The hand of
some fairy seems to have placed a
light in the open campanile. beneath
Ihe iieur -de-lis. 1t is lie feu du roi.''
it burns only when the King is pres
pnt Lines of Venetian lanterns and
tiny lamps of stained glass are hung
across the avenues, above the head,
or twined about the towers. Large
orange trees. brought recently from
Italy, are planted in wooden boxes
and perfume the air with the intoXi-
eating odor of bridal flowers. They
are grouped here and there in clusters,
about the windows Of the roofs of the
great towers. In the shadows of their
branches there are tables spread out,
laden with fruits and wines and flowers
in gold and silver dishes. Wallets and
servants hover around, and give last
touches TO the decorations. And il is
not difficult to see that some large
..nI - a inInnnt viii Like nIann Soon