through Leonard Street

to play on the steps of the gray old Tombs in the late afternoon when the stones are cool. Sometimes the mother follows them with the one-year-old, sitting there on the broad, low steps to nurse her baby and gossip with a neighbor who has joined her in their "outing." And sometimes it is a "little father" who is sent out with the baby to find a cool place where the little one can have a nap. Down on the steps of the Criminal Courts building the Spectator saw the "little father" shown in the picture-a bronzed little fellow he was, coatless and hatless and shoeless, but with a good head and an honest face, and such a warm, warm heart! As the Spectator approached he said to himself, "Now I'll ask the little chap to let me take a picture of baby Tessa, and I'll call it A Good Boy and a Good Girl."" But just as the Spectator came near, the affectionate brother, without noticing his approach, bent over and kissed the lips of the little sleeping sister. The Spectator said nothing, took his picture without attracting any notice, and passed reverently on. Warm hearts and true there are in humble tenements and beneath ragged shirts. God bless the little father and the sleeping baby! says the Spectator for his readers.

Not all East Siders are poor, though. There are silks and diamonds aplenty there. For the East Side 'is a large district, and the Spectator has taken the reader through only a few streets. Even in the "Bend " there are wealthy bankers and ticket-brokers, to say nothing of prosperous padrones and saloon-keepers. Not far from Roosevelt Street the Spectator came across a couple of veritable Little Lord Fauntleroys," with ruffles, curls, clean faces, and that priceless possession of an East Side boy-a bicycle. The Spectator looked around for the stern old Earl when he discovered these boys, but they seemed to be at large in the streets without a keeper, and apparently enjoying themselves in spite of the curls and the cleanliness. On the next block he found some ragged small boys seated astride an iron fence

Little Lord Fauntleroys of the East Side

Public buildings, parks, pavements, and fountains on the East Side all tell the story of the new interest which is being taken in the "nether world" by the rulers of democracy. It is true that one cannot entirely approve of the expenditure of large sums of money upon buildings of a negative usefulness, such as fire-engine houses, when those positive shapers of character, the school-houses, are overcrowded, inconvenient, and often utterly lacking in architectural distinction. To say this, however, is only to exercise a New Yorker's birthright of criticism of the powers that be-a birthright which is, indeed, freely exercised even among the supposedly patient toilers of the East Side. The Spectator was watching with much amusement the gambols of a horde of street gamins around a large fountain in a public square in the Hebrew quarter, when a man by his side said, "That's a great place to put a fountain!" Thinking he meant approval of the idea, the Spectator responded sympathetically. But he found that the citizen was strongly opposed to having the fountain in that place. "You see," he said, "it has car-tracks on all sides of it, and we drivers always has to be on the lookout for the kids, or they'll get run over as they scatter when the police comes. Then the big kids are always duckin' the little fellers, and that makes trouble for their mothers. And at night,

when the pressure's on the water, it runs all over the street and makes a muss. The Spectator had been looking with unrestrained satisfaction at the enjoyment of the boys, one of whom had taken his shirt. off and given himself a tree bath, amid the howls of his mates, but he saw now that nothing good comes without its possible evil. Just then there was a warning cry as a policeman hove in sight, a sudden scattering of the crowd of mischief-makers, and when the policeman came to the fountain the square was almost deserted. Reaching down into the fountain's basin, the policeman dragged out a very small boy who had hoped to escape notice, set him on the pavement, gave him a single spank, and started him off! Truly it seemed that benevolence might mean one thing to the boys and another to the adults of the East Side. But, as the day was extremely hot and the Croton keeps fairly cool to the touch, the Spectator's sympathies as he went home were, on the whole, with the boys-as they always are.

Some English Notes

The selling of academic degrees purporting to come from American colleges is still a trade in England, despite all the exposures of its fraudulency. The following letter has been received by a clergyman there. I copy from the original, verbatim:

NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, U. S. A.

7 Westwick Gardens, W. Kensington Park, London, 24 Mar., 1896.

Rev'd Sir: As you are about to change your sphere of duty to the vicinity of- I wish to state that, as the Representative of a distinguished and fully chartered University in the U. S. A., I shall be very pleased, in recognition of your great Learning, ability, and Piety to promote you to a Degree and Title of Doctor or Bachelor in any order for which you are evidently eligible. Many Ministers of Denominational Churches have received these nominations with the greatest satisfaction. Perfect confidence is requested and given. I shall be pleased to hear from you. I remain, Rev'd Sir, Yours faithfully,

Rev.

C. J. SAYERS, LL.D.

This precious bit of imposture is accompanied by a printed circular purporting to be the opinion of Flavel S. Thomas, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Medicine and Surgery, U. S. A., and to be taken from the Boston "Herald," on "The Current Value of University Degrees," both in a professional and a pecuniary view, together with several other recommendations of the goods thus offered for sale. It would be interesting to know whether this traffic is attempted anywhere else than among British investors, with whom too many doubtful American "securities" have been marketed.

Americans who have wondered at the persistency with which the antique style of railroad car maintains itself in England will be interested in the remark of the London "Standard" that nothing acceptable has yet been devised "to make an English railway carriage as safe as an American car, always excepting the risk of being 'stuck up' ["held up " is meant] by a party of armed bandits." This confession is elicited by a recent event which has attracted much remark in England-a ferocious assault on a woman by a man occupying the same compartment on the London and Brighton Railway. Railway carriages in England, being divided up into four or five close compartments, give opportunity for such crimes, and means of signaling to those in charge of the train are not always within reach. The gravity of the situation appears in the fact that the London Board of Trade has addressed the Railway Companies' Association a letter upon the subject, declaring that "the evil assumes in the public mind the proportions of a serious social scandal." The companies are urged to consider what means can be adopted to abate the evil. It is a curius fact that the matter has been discussed since 1864 without result, except to prove the inadequacy of the means that would seem most simple and effective, viz., to reserve certain compartments for ladies only. It is a fact that many ladies decline to use these, on account of the number of mothers with small children whom they find in them. The only remedy which seems to be acknowledged as effective is the adoption of the American style of car in place of the present oldfashioned coach, but the expense of the change is an objection. It appears, moreover, that men now feel themselves at risk in these closed compartments quite as much as women, and strongly object to being alone in them with any unknown female passenger. Men thus circumstanced have had criminal charges falsely brought against them, to their unspeakable misery. Aware of this, a cautious man who finds himself left by his fellow-travelers as the solitary companion of a strange woman prefers to vacate his place for one where there is more company. In view of this state of things, the adoption by some American companies of the English term "coach" as a designation for our totally different style of vehicle is a curious anomaly, and savors strongly of " Anglomania." J. M. W.

The visit to the United States of his Highness Li Hung Chang, following his European trip, recalls agreeably to my mind my visit to China in company with my father, General Grant, during the late spring and summer of 1879. It was during this most interesting visit that I made the personal acquaintance of the great Viceroy, as he was General Grant's devoted friend and most hospitable host throughout our stay in China generally, and espeHis Highness seemed to feel that he and General Grant were kindred in spirit and mind. He said as much several times to my father. Li Hung Chang took the greatest pleasure in having his photograph taken with my father's, on various occasions; the collecting of these photographs became, in fact, quite a fad of his. During one of our visits he was heard-in making some comparisons-to say, "General Grant and I have suppressed the two greatest rebellions known in history."

Li Hung Chang cially in Tientsin.

The Viceroy is a superb-looking man, immensely tall. In stature he towered over all of us. He has a massive head and a strong, intellectual face, keen, glittering eyes, and his presence is that of a great prince, accustomed to the homage of his fellowman. He seemed to have the greatest interest and earnest curiosity in meeting my father, whom he received with marked honors and Oriental courtesy. Li Hung Chang's personality grew upon me, and every time I saw him I was more and more impressed with his greatness.

At Canton, Mr. Holcombe, our Acting Minister to China, brought us the news that the Chinese authorities at Pekin had given orders that General Grant should be received with unusual distinction. reaching Canton we passed the "Bogue" forts which guarded that great city, and as the Ashuelot was

seen

On

approaching

the custom when the Emperor of China passed through a city, and of course it should be done for General Grant. My father immediately said, upon hearing this, that he would feel greatly indebted if such an order would not be. issued, as he especially desired to see the people of the country. Therefore it was announced to the people of Canton that the distinguished "foreigner" was coming to do honor to the Viceroy, and that they must do honor to. him and his party. Our procession to the viceregal. palace was a stately affair. The streets were lined with troops. General Grant went first, in the Viceroy's huge green sedan-chair, which was surmounted by a silver globe, borne by eight coolies, and surrounded by a guard of soldiers who cleared the streets before us. The people filled all available spaces, looking with apparent wonderupon the "foreigner," whom they saluted by clasping their hands in front of their faces in a supplicating attitude.. When we left our chairs and entered the court of the palace, the Viceroy was awaiting us at the door, with his court and officials. He received General Grant in a manner which appeared to us reverential. With the Viceroywas the "Tartar General," who is co-equal in rank. Each province of China has a dual head-a Chinese Viceroy, managing the civil affairs, and a Tartar General, commanding independently the troops, and being responsible to the Government at Pekin.

This visit of General Grant was returned on the following day, first by the Tartar General, and then by the

with the flag at the fore, which indicated that General Grant was aboard, all the Chinese gunboats fired salutes, which our vessel returned. We reached the Canton dock about 9 o'clock P.M., May 5, where we were received by the American and foreign residents, and were escorted by the American Consul, Mr. Lincoln, to his house. On the following day General Grant and party paid their formal visit to the Viceroy, Liu Kun, at the viceregal palace, the Viceroy having sent sedan-chairs for our conveyance. He had notified Mr. Lincoln that when General Grant came to visit him he wished to order that all the houses of the city be closed and the streets vacated, saying that this was

Viceroy, each coming in formal state, preceded by trumpeters who announced their arrival, attended by court officials and surrounded by soldiers. Most of General Grant's time in Canton was occupied by these serious formalities. and ceremonies. The next day the Viceroy entertained General Grant at dinner. This affair was marvelously and curiously grand, seventy courses being served, each one of which was a revelation to us foreigners. The great features. of the feast were "bird's-nest soup,' ""shark's fins," and

I We are indebted to the courtesy of the "Review of Reviews" for permission to reproduce this picture, as well as the two portraits of Li Hung Chang on pages 370 and 371.