New-York tribune., 1903-04-09
MAGAZINE NOTES.
Entertaining Papers in the Current
Numbers.

''One hears so much called thought which is
not thought, but only the memories of torpid
mind So wrote Emerson to Gisela Won Arnim
in letter now printed in The Atlantic 1t
was from the disciples of the sage himself that
most of this thought proceeded-duu and
ponpous waftngs. Of which echoes may stlll be
heard. They are profitable. too, to the
thinker"
The correspondence with Hermann Grimm and
his betrothed which fills some pages Of The
Atlantic" shows Emerson at his pleasantest.
little stately. sometimes little stih. but KIND
end frank and simple in his old-fashioneo
courtesy.
Mr. Trowbridge continues his "reminiscences
Of Boston life, and his notes on Alcott recaA 10
those who have known that philosopher OF tan
gled mazes some OF his oldest ways Trow-
bridge reminds us that the man had no sense OF
the practical value of money or Of pecuniaTy
obligation
He had perfect faith in a Providence that
justified the ways and looked out for the well
fare Of the saints A friend OF mine once sow
him on q Nantasket boat. without q ticket, or
money TO pay for one. When called sharply 10
account by the fare taker. he remarked lnno-
Gently that the trip had attracted him. and that
he believed there would be some provision "a
belief that was Immediately vindicated by pas
senger recognizing him, and stepping up 70
before his daughter Louisa began to earn money
lv her facile and popular pen when the 1anllly
would have starved DuI Tor lne GENEROUS SANs
Of Emerson and others, and the energies oI
Mrs. Alcott. a woman Of great worth ano gooo
sense who kept the wolf from the door whlle
her husband dreamed dreams.
One would scour the earth in vain to-day for
g. foreigner who could evoke in Americans the
hero-worship that greeted Lafayette in lS24
Ever since we have been here wrote his only
son in letter-now printed, and for the first
time. in 'Lippincott's Magazine'-"my father
andx he
most imposing beautiful and affecting sights
the most ma jestic population in the world vel
coming a man with common accord. and con-
ducting him in triumph throughout journey
Of two hundred leagues. The enthusiastic
young godson Of Washington declares that IN
the twenty days he has spent in the United
States he has not slept more than four or five
hours each nignt-he is Knocked on ms 1eet
by the emotions of all kinds he experiences
What then must the elder Lafayette have felt?
Women wept with JOY on seeing him. and
children riSked being crushed to get near TO the
man whom their fathers kept pointing out 10
:hem as one of those who had contributed the
most TO procuring them their happiness and IN
s5ependence | won't enter into details: you
know me. and do not suppose that amidst the
excitement of happy peoples public reJolclngs
and sharing in the extraordinary gratitude with
which my father is overwhelmed, snail forset
at any time those who have claim on all the
sentiments which my heart is capable OF feehng-
Who was her keeper That is the dramatic
title Of short story in which the readers Of
'@McClures'' are asked to trace the evil ehecCs
Of child labor in the South The men who
fatten their purses the frail energies of little
children are not TO be directly reached by fic-
rion. however pathetic: but good fiction. with
Indignation behind il. has a growing power
nevertheless. as Charles Dickens and Charles
Reade proved
The practical official opinion OF child labor
in this country is TO be found in Special Agent
Wandby's valuable article the subject in
Frank Iseslie-s Popular Monthly" He notes
the alarming rapidity of the increase OF this
traffic in human flesh and blood. until no"
there are few branches of the great Industrial
life which are not overcrowded with child LABOR
There is a constant increase, he declares Ior
which the parents are TO be censured. but there
sre also instances wherein the employment OF
the father and mother depended entirely upon
the number Of working children contained in the
family circle Cases Of this character relieve
the parent from the responsibility, but cast 1t
upon the employer A weaver made application
for work. and refused for the reason that
he was q single man" The limitation OF this
evil. however. depends chiefly upon the parents
I have seen parents in the mercantile and
these oficersl and listened to the varied excuses
made by them for putting their little ones AT
how deliberately they will lie to the ages OF
their offspring IN order to bring them WITHIN the
prescribed age limit of the State When the
fnsne.ctors are incompetent at least lax in the
enforcement Of the laws. there is no difficulty IN
the filling of mems places with these little ooys
and girls in the factories and workshops al
starvation wages. which is the prevailing rate
OF pay for child labor.
Mr. F A. vanderlip. lately Assistant Sec
-,e+arv of the Treasury. has some interesting
things to saw in -.Scribner's' the subject OF
political pressure on that great government de-
partnnent He comes to the defence OF the
politicians who are popularity supposed to be
constantly demanding places for their trends
TT may be a surprising statement he says,
-.hut il is an actual fact. that in the requests
for appointments the claim for political recog-
milton is comparatively rare one 1t is not
politics but sympathy and charity. that moves
the average Congressman to visit the depart
-nerts and plead for places. In nine cases out
Of ten their requests may be debited to pure
kind heartedness rather than political rnachina-
-ions" Those thought to be typical party
spoilsr7en are he asserts. modest in their re-
quests and alive TO the need for good admin
istrarion of the service.
A.. -,,Ie the most iraperious requests come
from newly elected Congressman. representing
71nheard Of districts. VINO have not yet adjusted
themselves to the situation and swho believe
that the rights and perquisites of a member or
Congress have little limit. The best known OF
the poliricai aders are not likely to make re-
quests that ought not to be granted. and are
generally quick to appreciate good reasons, II
they exist why they cannot have what they
ask for
This country is full of amazing things that
the Eastern reader not financially interested in
Gamer is perhaps ignorant Of the wonderful
seYects of the town of Butte. in Montana. We
counsel him 10 turn to Mr.. r. s. Bakers graphic