The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-02-07
BY HENRY pEvEREAux.

The death of George Gissing is very
great loss to literature. He was writer
of real and original genius an accom-
plished scholar, and filled with high
" literary ideals. AS a novelist ne
was a disiple of Balzac, and he
delighted in copious and minutely
accurate details and the "veracious pic
lures of sordid and struggling life. HIS
pessimism was thoroughly genuine, ana
no British writer has surpassed him Tor
realism. Mr.. Gissing took gloomy
view of life, as a result of the hard times
which he had himself experienced. His
principal novels will certainly live, and
they are both interesting and suggestive,
but also most melancholy. They are all
carefully written and solid, and had evil
IDENTIFY been well thought out Mr.. Gis-
sings monograph on Dickens was an ex-
cellnt piece of work, and his last and
best book The Private Papers of Henry
Ryeoroft," was an admirable production.
The book was really autobiographical
and recorded the authors own impress
sions when he escaped from London few
years ago to spend several months at a
quiet seaside village in Devonshire.
The latest suggestion in the warfare by
the playgoers against obstructive femin-
inc headgear Is that the women should all
be placed In the back rows OF the theatre,
while the men should be placed in front.
Another proposition is that men should
uniae in refusing to remove their hats
until the women are compelled to make
similar concessions to the comfort of their
neighbors. There is no doubt that If all
the men were to resolve to keep their
hats on, there would be pretty severe
row in the house" and possibly some
good might come of it in the end.
British officers generally dislike to ap-
pear in public in their uniforms. Lab
by has this to say the subject
When 1 was a young man and went to
dances, i am sure that I should have
loved to display my manly figure in any
sort of picturesque and martial garb; and
l still notice that my younger civilian
friends are glad of any opportunity Of
appearing at a ball in something else than
the conventional black and white garb
of civilian society. This seems natural
and harmless enough for no one can
suppose that a mans evening dress Is
beautiful in itself, or calculated to display
his personal charms to advantage. More
over, we civilians are apt to suppose that
military uniform has charms of its own
for the other sex. and tends to place
its wearer at a considerable advantage
in ballroom. This is the civilian point
of view. But, for some inscrutable rea-
son. soldiers appear to think exactly the
reverse. Their uniform is to them badge
of shame, or, at least of servitude. Any
self-respecting officer, so far as I can see
would rather die at the head of a forlorn
hope than go to a theatre or restaurant
or private ball. in full regimentas. A
non-commissioned officer who sees a.
brother warrior privileged to walk down
the street in plain clothes turns sick
with envy. No soldier of any rank seems
to consider that uniform can enhance his
attractions to the female eye, and the
only way in which I have ever heard of it's
being used for this purpose is by the hum
Bile, but impecGnious private, who charges
female admirer so much an hour-2d. is,
| believe. the usual fee-for walking out
in company with him.