New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-08-10
ENGLISH LIFE.
Hoso Man Of Angio-Teutonic
Blood Sees 1t.
ENGLAND AND THE ENGLISH. An Interprets
ton. BY Ford MADDOX Hueffer. illustrated
12mo, PIP. 354 Mcclure Phillips & Co.

ENGLAND AND THE ENGLISH. An Interpreta
ton. BY Ford MADDOX Huefer. illustrated.
12mo. PIP. S54- Mcclure. Phillips & Co.
One who would interpret England and the
English people to the outer world should be
OF genius-and a man of genius Mr..
Hueffer is not. Much of his ambitious book is
dull, obvious and haCkneyed. The results of
his observations often OF little value and
are sadly over-elaborated; and his excursions
into psychology are sometimes strained and
superficial. Yet with all this conceded, there
are passages that worth reading as hrst-
hand sketches OF actual life. We do not include
the dispositions on London. portions OF which
are as applicable TO New York. or. In fact. to
any great city built up on Anglo-SaxOn foun-
dations engaged in assmilatinS many races
and filed with the modern spirit.
Many pages are devoted TO the English coun-
trysde, where conditions are as dlscouraglnS
as in rural districts nearer home-the whole
population OF field workers is simply throwing
down its TOOLS
With the spread of education, with the increase
Of communication. there has come not the deter
mination better the conditions OF life In the
country. but the simple abandonment OF the land.
1t is think truism TO any one who knows the
country that there are whole stretches of
territory in England where really full wftted or
alert youth of between sixteen and thirty Will
absolutely not be found visited lately eighteen
farms of NV own neghborhood covering a space
of about four miles by miles. and on this
amount OF ground only five boys found employ
ment Four Of these were below the average In
telligCnCe. and had at sChDOi not passed
standard. the fifth was 50 ''stupid' that he could
be trusted to do more than drive the milk cart
10 and from the station. Aoi Of all the farm
laboreis' families that ] know Te!l-soine iorty-
six In nunber-onIy two have youths at home. and
one of these has something the matter with his
legs" OF one hundred and twelve of other fami-
lies that I know in nodfing way. not more than
five have boys nj work in the fields Making =
rough calculation of the figures as they have pre-
scented themselves to me, l find that Just over
per cent the country born boys have known
have stayed Of their fir choice on the land
The figure among the girls is probably even more
striking 4 girl Of moderately good looks or OF
an intcIligence at all alert is almost unknown in
many. many villages OF England was much
struck by the statement of a friend Of mine the
other day A man Of much intelligence and OF
;lnrivaIed knowledge of country life. he had been
spending month watching tho birds and small
beasts Of n certain country side. He had COW
cred a good deal Of ground In that time. and at
last he saw a pleasant and bright looking girl
He had grown SO weary Of seeing only worn. stu
pid or dazed faces that he got on his cycle. and
remarked her that he glad 10 see that she
least was stopping in her own village
II" she said, with accent Of scorn; Il wouldn't
stop IN such "A dull old hole II you gave me
. & day. I'm visiting parents for three days
Yet the village in question was almost world
/ famous for its beauty, and her father wages
rather high
According to Mr. Huener. all the old amuse-
mcnts of the countrysde-the fairs, the May
day celebrations, the cricket clubs and the like
are dying out with no effort on the part OF the
rustics TO retain them Into the cities troop the
cleverest of the farm boys; what the author
calls the Anglo Saxon -Teutonic Industrial
commercialism that is Modernity" has taken
them into its grip.
What is the main note of English life? 1t
is if we may believe Mr.. Huefer, that the
Fnglisilluan is always poet he IS almost never
q critic''-"a man who acts as far as In him
NAV, be in accord with certain high and aloof
standard of morals In no other nation. this
writer holds. many of the civic and the
nractfcal virtues so worked into the mystical
code of life. He adds that the English Is the
type Of the future. For being born of the best
tvnes of so many other races. the English unite
| nowadays in themselves all the virtues OF a
| snecial sort-all the perpetuating virtues OF
| the Occidental nations That they accept the
| world and do not grumble at the rules OF the
| pane-that they have nothing in them on the
| VOCATIONAL and little of the questioning frame
Of mind. only make the forecast more prop
ioFnIe