The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-06-21
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Justly condemned "nno writing"
children OF the Dead End" is a
story OF an Irish navy" or laborer
Of the lowest, most unskillcd. class
from his early boyhood to what seems
to be his prime. And a bittcr. pathetic
story 1t Is. 1t Is impossible TO read
it without being Impressed by the
utter hopelessness OF the men and wo-
men whom IL describes, hopeless
ness rendered vet more hopeless by
the dull lack OF a perception of /; by
tho hevvers of wood and drawers or
water who people the book.
Evidently the author relates his own
story in that OF the Dermod Flynn
whom he employs TO tell It, and, with
some obvious fctional additions, which
enhance the value of the book not at
all. II is a story of terrible realism.
In his native village in ireland. his
family suffers-and some of II dies, to
paraphrase kipling--under the tyranny
of clergy and landlord. and the boy
is taken TO the slave market" in
Strabane TO bo hired out. He is
bought" by brute of Il farmer for
six months--for 10, los, The whole
OF tho six months spent at this place
Is a period OF torture for the over
worked. undcrfed boy. He is only
twelve years old at this tmo, anu
when he falls under his burdens, as
he frequently docs. he is not sorry for
himself. but bitterly ashamed because
he Is a "Gienmornan man"
From that time on he wanders,
trampinE from farm 10 farm. some
times begging. sometimes WORKING
fierccly. He meets ono Moleskin Joo.
"a sort OF Beloved Nagabond OF tho
lowest class. and tho two of them
journey together. There follows n time
when he joins group of men and
women from his own village and goes
with them to Scotland for tho potato
harvest: with them is his boyhood
sweetheart, Norah Ryan. The shame
of tho manner In which they are all
forced to live is ono Of the most
poignant features OF the book: tho wo-
men arc chaste and the mon are decent.
but they are compelled to herd to-
Gcthcr like animals.
Then the boy COOS the tramp
once more. and. meeting Moleskin Joe
again. he engages himself as u laborcr
at Kiulochlevcn, In Scotland. where
there is n large force OF men employed
upon construction work. Here follows
the most interesting part of the book:
the vlvidly realistic pictures OF the
life OF these primitive men working
the open and III the face of many
dangers. Living l!ko dogs. lighting
like bulls filthy as hogs, they are mere
animals gloryInE in their physical
prowcss. They work, drink and gam
bic, and yet, according to the author.
they are curiously pure In their lives.
though foul of tongue.
During all this time the boy has
read books of many kinds and In many
places: Montaigne, Henry George and
many others, sometimes while he was
standing on the running board OF n
IN owing locomotive, sometimes sitting
under tho shelter of a coal car. There
fore. he Ia a Socialist. but without we'll
efined ideas for tho betterment of
humanity.
a number OK characters enter into
the course of the book, and all OF
them have been made to live by the
author, hut 1t Is the pictures OF the
life OF the navy that make "Childrcn
of the Dead End" II hook OF truth
tremendously appealing.
'Liko children Of the Dead End"
Robert Tressalls The tagged
Trouscred Philanthropists" Is study
Of the poor. nay, the poverty str cken,
and. while II possesses none of the gen
uine beauty which Is to be found In
the Irishman's book. II Is even more
intensely "a human document than his
According to tho story which accom-
panies 1t. and which there is no rca-
son to disbelicvo. mass OF manu-
script prepared by Robert Tressall. Il
house painter. was found after his
death by his daughter. houscinaid.
She hesitatingly asked her employer 10
read II, and, finally. Jessie Pope. who
edited 1t, was consulted. Hear her:
"A few months ago a friend asked
mo TO look at the manuscript OF
novel. The Ragged Philanthropists.'
the work OF a socialistic house painter.
who wrote his book and died. | CON
scented without enthusiasm. expecting
to be neither interested nor amused
and found l had CHANGED upon a re-
markable human document.
Tn reducing a largo mass of manu-
script 10 tho limitations OF book form,
II has been my task to cut away SUI
pcrfluous matter and repetition only
lho rest remains az IL came from the
pen Of Robert rressali, house painter
and sign writer, who recorded his
criticism OF the present scheme OF
things. until. weary OF the struggle
he slipped out OF it,"
IL is evident that the author has.
IN this hook. too, put himself Into ono
or tho characters. But here he is no
staggering, tra,nping husky, but a
weak and delicate man, shaving away
at his trade under commercial opprcs
sion and personal tyranny. lie is en-
FILTERED. OF course, but not unduly so.
TOT IT is not against his employers, the
rich. tho landowners or the govern