New-York tribune., 1903-06-13

living is less ana Wealth iS hioie SNN''''
tributed Mr. Scudamore continues;
a lieutenant colonel in the Belgian army re-
ceiyes $500 year, less than the pay OF a
major in an English regiment. Cabinet
Minister obtains no more than to4o a sum sun;
which represents the inco ne OF the Archpsnop
of Malines the Primate of Belgium. But the
two first named would probably receive money
from other sources. while the celibate archbishop
would no doubt. find the State-provided salary
sufficient for his personal wants. So in olher
classes The Belgian bank clerk with t9o a
year. is quite wen off as his colleague III
England who draws f1o0. while the manager
who is in receipt of 1900 would scarcely care 10
exchange for f4o0 in an office on the other Siue
side of the Channel.
The low rentals in the towns have much to
do with this state of things. For $50 larse
house may be taken in the very best quarter OF
a town, such Brussels, the rates and taxes
coming to additional G2o or so; ana III ule
suburbs a good house may be obtained LOT nan
that figure. and in some cases Tor very Hluch
less. a good unfurnished fiat suitable Tor three
four persons, and in attractive ne1ghDol-
hood. may be had for $50 year. me Gost %, oi
a comfortable room, such as those occupieu oS
young business men in Belgium, is from II 10
f2 month, and there are excellent pensions OF
boarding houses where the cost or boara ana
lodging is not more than DE. or os- day.
1t is humdrurn information. no doubt but we
have found ourselves turning Mr.. Scudamore's
pages with more appreciation of his carefully
gathered facts and figures than is often granted
TO the impressions Of the book writing tourist or
to-day. The long chapter giving a kind Of mis-
cellaneous survey of the Belgians is followed
by treating of their government, chapter
full of instructive detail very well arranged,
and then the author describes the principal
towns. He writes pleasantly of the holiday
ground of the Belgfans, the Liege district and
the Ardennes and presently resumes his more
practical line of Investigation. dealing with the
religious bodies in the country and with the
excellent educa tional system. The military sys-
tenn is also traversed, and there is a chapter of
folklore. rich in quaintness. Some of the illus
trations and half tones from photographs. but
most of them are from drawings by competent
artists Mr. Railton's black and white sketches
especially effective.
Mr.. Smith too has facts for his readers but
he presents tn IN, of malice aforethought, in
gay and frothy manner. How Paris
Amuses Itself is d kind of unconventional
guideboob, a series Of chapters in which the
authors descriptions of the things he has seen
are vividly coored by the pleasure they have
given him. The familiar theatres and restau-
rants and cafes of the great city have taken him
captive, and bedizened they are, in many
cases. they nevertheless possess for him some
thing like a romantic glamour. The glamour
soon fades beneath a cool and thoughtful
scrutiny, or, rather, it is exchanged for certain
undeniable, but far less moving, brilance Yet it
is always amusing to follow the adventures Of
spectacle, and Mr.. Smith is decidedly readable.
the cynicism tinging some of his pages being
of the harmless sort. He visits the open air
cafe concerts OF the Champs Elysees, and dis
courses of the types and the scenes there. He
wakes eloquent over the salient restaurants OF
the one city in the world that really knows how
to dine and he gives glimpses in his book of all
the theatres and cabarets. taking pains to por-
tray the principal singers and performers, some
of whom he has known. His opinions Of these
celebrities are very favorable opinions indeed,
but one may easily make allowances for his
ardor. His book is light and vivacious. pleas
ant companion for lazy half hour in the sum-
mer The illustrations vary in quality. The
best of them are very clever.
Mr. Hutton, the author of Italy and the
Italians" has discovered the most enchanting of
all European countries. Every one who visits
if for the first time emerges with the CLEAN of
the discoverer in his eye, and for a foible to
which every must confess no one can well
be blamed But wish that Mr.. Hutton did
not take himself and his discovery quite so seri-
ously for he unquestonably knows and loves
Italy and might easily write about 1t in an ap-
pealing vein Unfortunately, he has chosen to
be terribly superior and portentous and our en-
joyment Of the mildly interesting things he has
TO say is spoiled by the tone in which he says
them His talk about the vandalism of which
the modern Romans have been guilty. his sneers
at noisy and unntegent tourists, merely sug-
gest bumptious i'll temper. Against these may
be set some gracefully written pages, which, if
they contain nothing new, have at least the
merit of expressing fine emotions in the presence
Of fine things. We especially commend him for
the appreciatve reference to the aquarium at
Naples a subject which most writer's of Mr.
Hutton's high flown sort would have been apt
to neglect.