Evening star., 1905-10-21
emerge iwth a gracious charm of decorative
effect which none save he can compass.

emerge iwth a gracious charm of decorative
effect which none save he can compass.
The gay Empire Is about to open It's doors
once more after reconstruction In accord
ance with county council requirements. The
councils great bette noir is fire. and so
careful is 1t that one can fancy when
fire really does break out in theater the
individual members of the audience being
gently taken hold of by invisible hands
transported outside, taken to the nearest
reasonable restaurant for a guinea supper
in lieu of the lost entertainment and then
motored home, happy and safe The coun-
ellis carefulness has given London a music
hall whose gorgeousness would overwhelm
the ladies in bustles and the gentlemen in
Queerly-cut dress suits who used to pa
tronize the Leicester Square house In its
early days in the eighties.
The Empire Theater is in the midst of
famous territory. On its site stood Ieices-
ter House. the palace of the Princess of
Wales for the greater part of the eighteenth
century, and. from the constant family
quarrels. named the pouting place OF
princes" In the neighborhood lived the
Sidneys and Saviles the Sunderlands, New
ton Swift, Hogarth, Reynolds and John
Hunter, the anatomist The district has
still art and science connected with II, but
they mainly refer to the complexion
: Profound regret has been caused by the
death of DIR. Barnardo the founder of the
homes which bear his name. DR.. Bar
nardo was one of the greatest practical
philanthropists that this country has
ever seen, and he has been the means of
rescuing tens of thousands of children
from life of misery and crime. When he
first started on his great work his plans
were regarded with some doubt and mis-
giving. 1t seemed incredible that a young
doctor should devote his whole life and
energy to the work of taking waits on
the streets. and there We're even con-
temptible insinuations that his labor was
not wholly disinterested. He had long,
however. lived down any ideas of that
kind, and men of all classes and creeds
bore testimony to the noblenesS ana
utility of his work.
DR.. Barnardo has been the means of
taking some $4,000 children off the streets.
educating them and training them for the
duties of life. OF these, no fewer than
10000 have been sent to Canada He was
only In his sixty-first year. Fortunately
DIR. Barnardo's homes thoroughly
organized that his death will not inter-
fere with the work that they are doing.
He has long been assisted by a council
and that body will carry on the work of
the homes on the same principles and in
the same spirit as did their founder.
Dr. Barnardo was one of those men who
came upon one a surprise. l had pic
tured him as kindly and benevolent old
gentleman. gray-haired and white beard
ed, dressed in black, old-fashfoned clothes.
was not prepared for the reality. AL
though sixty years old on that day, the
doctor did not look more than forty. He
was spruce and elegant. He was dressed
in a light frock suit of a thin texture,
that fitted the heat of the day, and the
trousers were as carefully creased as If
he had the time of Beau Brummel to
spend on his personal appearance
He was small, dapper and rotund. his
complexion fresh and healthy, his voice
sharp and commanding, his manner brisk
and lively. He, indeed, suggested West
End surgeon, whose success depended as
much on a genial and reassuring manner
on his skill and experience. He was
clean shaven, except for a carefully TRIM
med, up-turned mustache, and he wore
pair of pince-neZ. The only hint of a de-
feet lay in the occasional use of an ear
trumpet. One would have thought from
his appearance that he would be the last
man to interest himself in the waits and
in the squalid surroundings of Stepney
Green.
A space has now been inclosed in front of
st. Clement Danes Church. in the Strand
fo- the erection of the national memorial
to Gladstone. The space required will be
considerable. about 500 superficial feet. The
monument is designed by Mr.. Hamo
Thornycroft r. A. and will have a cruel |
form base, measuring about twenty-six feet |
every way, with pavement around 1t five |
feet in width. The date of the unveilinS |
has not yet been definitely decided, al |
though 1t will be toward the end of next |
month.
The memorial will have an architectural |
basement of Portland stone, and VIII be |
surmounted by a bronze statue of Glad |
stone of heroic size, in the robes of a |
chancellor of the exchequer. This. think, |
was an unfortunate inspiration, for Glad |
stone, though one of the greatest chancel- |
lors of the exchequer. will not be remem- |
bered in that capacity; while the idea of |
robes of office being required to enhance |
Gladstones genius is repugnant. The statue |
will be surrounded by four allegorical |
groups. also in bronze, but what they sym |
boize has not yet transpired. |
l.. II. MOORE.