Year: 1873

of our streets, slums, &C., as reported by
the HERALD inspectors our authorities are
not prepared as they should be to fight this
dreaded pestilence. We are thankful that it
still delays its coming, and, while we still fear
that it will come, we hope that yet once
more it may steer clear of Manhattan Island.
The Shah OF Persia as Child at q


When the Shah has finally returned to his
dominions, great speculation will arise as to
what he will do next He will resemble a
patient afflicted with some unknown disease,
who, having been treated heroically by all
the doctors is left TO his own resources in
the end. Our special dispatches from Paris
and Mr.. Mark Twain's letter from London
convey to us that the Shah has been enjoying
himself very much. He paid pretty COM
pliment to Paris on her radiant beauty, which
was doubtless we'll deserved. He said the city
looked like bride in her wedding dress.
Paris is city after his own heart. It was in
its weeds not long ago and now it looks like q
bride. In view Of the fact that, on his return
to Teheran, it Is probable he will chop off the
heads of the three wives he sent home in such
hurry, this admiration of brief period
wherein tto mourn his loss is touching. Our
special despatch informs us that the Hon.
Sadree Fem, his foreign Secretary, is also likely
to lose his head physical as we'll as his head
official. This mode of dealing with peccant
foreign secretaries must have its alluring fea-
lures. If we were only allowed to operate in
this trenchnnt manner upon few Secretaries
of State nearer home how many vexations the
world would be saved It would be an in
structive sight indeed to see our own Hamilton
Fish Shah after this fashion.


The Shah, we are told, does not take the
various national manifestations of eternal
friendship az sfrie,1. Of course the unique
object in Vienna, st. Petersburg, Berlin,
London and Paris was to empress the
Shah-to smother him, as it were,
under the glitter, blare and bang of
the several capitals. He does not
appear to have understood what was expected
of him, for he accepted the gracious attentions
in the sense in which they were offered.
For taking ths diplomats at their word and
paying them off in their own coin, he is called
simple as child at fair. Perhaps he is.
Children at fairs become all agog with delight,
and carry homeward all the gilt gingerbread
they can stuff inside and out


The great Baron Reuter- scheme comes up
apropos Of this simplicity. There are very
few things that the Shah did not concede
to the Baron and this was simple indeed.
Now the uncertainty Of human life particu-
larly in the official world of Persia, comes in
as a factor in the calculations Of those who
have examined the chances of profit in this
concession business. The childlike Shah has
habit, it appears. of putting official heads
literally into the basket and the friends of
the Baron have, accordingly, in the poor
mans own interest, begun to ''bear''
his stock. The childlike Shah, as a
further evidence of his infantile innocence,
decided that before any negotiation was entered
into he should have little pin-money, in the
shape of loan-a cool milion-put down.
This, interest or principal, it is confidently
expected he will not pay to the anxious Baron
Another half million has disappeared out of
the Baron's pocket half of which, it is al
leged were direct bribes and the remain
der given as guarantee of the con-
tract. We think Mr.. Tweed and his
friends, as well as the Credit Mobilier and
back pay congressman, might have improved
their method if they had spent year or two
with the Shah and his Court. Small wonder
that the Baron is anxious to sell out, and lit
tie need We marvel that buyers are not plenti-
full. The Baron evidently hears a Fremont
tory voice that some fine morning, in that
"bower of roses by Bendemeer's stream" or
''mid the nutgroves of Samarcand," he may
observe his enemy, Mizza Hassan Ally Khan,
waving scymitar over his head as he utters
the philosophic fiat of the Shah-s'Reuter
die!"


We commend Mr.. Twain's description Of
how he reviewed the Shah and the British
Navy at Portsn outh to our readers. 1t has a
deep moral which will well reward the con-
scientious Investigator of things which are
accomplished with totally different object in
view.


Tho Play OF the Future.