CURRENT TOPICS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CV, Issue 12428, 18 February 1901, Page 4

CURRENT TOPICS.

London provides some eUa novkl' rious anniversaries from its new year's wealth of physical life, FEAST. ranging from the annual dinner of its cat's-meat men to that provided at its Home of Rest'for Horses. The latter function took place at the New Year, when the thirty-eight inmates were regaled by a meal consisting oi apples, carrots, brown and white bread, plenty of loaf sugar, and a French roll for each. About a score of lovers <;f the horse, mostly ladies by the. w«y, were present, and there was much fondling of ancient mural cs and lean necks I\v little glove; hands/ The manager lui aided .the.meal by a bugle-blast the significance of vrhina was obncuEly understood

by the intelligent recipients of Ihe repast, and as he went from box to box he gave a few biographical particulars concerning each inmate of the Home. Two of the horses belonged to laundryrnen, several were cab horsesi, and a few came from livery stables- They were of two classes, visitors and-residents. The former would leave the Home in a, few days or weeks, when wounds were recovered or condition war. restored. The latter were for the most part pensioned veterans whose grateful owners paid £26 a year lor their care and keep. The case -of " Bob'* 1 , was unique. Thiico during the lifetime of'his owner, a cabman, was " Bob " temporarily admitted to the Home. This was through the kindness m a chart- • table lady, to whom, on his death-bed. the • cabman bequeathed the time-wora chestnut. The dear old lady made "Bob" a life inmate of the Home, " and whenever I go up . to her house," said the manager, "she never fails to give me a pocketful of biscuits to bring him." ' Much more parlous •was the esse of a grizzled veterui in the' next box. who=e owner, unable longer to aftord to keep him. had given rehctant or v derayfor his de-st-uction after he hid had his ~ New Year's dinner, a pitiful story which resulted- in the collection of a sufficient sum among the guests to earn sit- least a •. few months' reprieve for the old horse Something; like two hundred horses are annually cs-T-d for in the Home, and ite history corttauis many pathetic records- of man's appreciation of the value of his principal friend and helpmeet in the animal world.

i Italy is just passing the state through another political of crisis, but, according to many italy. observers, changes of Government bring no change in the temper of her people. In the " North American Review," -gignor -Gabiitle -D'Annunzio-, whose novels have given him a reputation outside his own" country, tells us firs* his land is labouring under a curse. 'Here in Italy/' he says, "the mitral -discontent as spread everywhere, over every class, .in every place. A constsat acrimony, <<& weary vexation, an unspeakable sadness Vdarken and 1 sterilise the entire life of the nation. The delightful Lght-heart-edness of the Italian people, which withstood rthe test of prtlitioal divisions, and -the stranger's rule, is all gone: The graocl, heroic flame, which stirred the pjopk together HriAh the- same aavtour, is extinguished ; andkthe Italians of to-day— afer forty years -of ■political unity—are intern, on nothing else than exercising secret or open hostilities one against the other, or in moving their *>ree,s in contrary directions, even when tßej are allied." While the whole world is in\an intellectual and-material ferment, Signer D'Annunzio continues, Italy alone deeps'. \ Shi is politically daad, for her statesmen' >uve killed her. Her political constitutes, is framed for. the express purpose ofVesxroying the municipal governments which'- were formerly her thief glory. The Execu&vc Government is the common enemv, and elective power blind, ignorant and' irresponsible. An-, archy pervades the country, and aiL public action is regarded as an *sril. "It :s easarto obtain from the Government a lightly order for a- thief," exclaim the novelist, bitterly, "than a small mas of money Jo strengthen an apsis which to. . fall." In foreign politics the-, efl.ort* of Italy are even more futile than inx domestic affairs. She was once the Queen- of the Mediterranean, but to-day she » no influence beyond iwr own shores Bejpre-. a* can regain her los potion she must build up, not merely a great warlike navy, but a merchant service lfcp that which cm*. ried the world's trade in the days ofte* great maritime republics. The only hope. Signer D'Annunzio has of the rudemrutsi of. Italy lies in the new king. .Itis m nis; power to Quicken the political and, sueia . life of Ms country, to purge itspohr.es and. to awaken the F »P-°- Tt remams to beseen whether Victor Emanuel 111. wid justify this great faiii ui hi* strengm and courage.

Among the many poinV* om which the passage of the WTKBABT nineteenth century has standpoint, brought under review, is the! alleged decline in t.ie capacity of the reading public for susiaircd and! concentrated attention. The popularity of the short story is emoted as au iu.sti.uce of this intellectual degeneration, although there are those who, with an' equal show of reason, might claim this popularity as jta evidence rather of intellectual development. Mr Frederick Harrison has soraetLag to say upon this subject in the " Nonl. American Review." He attributes the popularity of the short story to the ::ush of modern life. --Wo all," he moralises,, "have to live in a perpetual rattle, which is something like a fair or a racecourse, something like an army of Volunteer oir a bank holiday." Professor Barnes, however,,', blames the newspapers, which he characterises as being scrappy', full of fragments,; with strong leanings towards sensationalism and personality. •'Th« mind makes a little jump at one thing; then it v. ants to make a little jump at another thing.' subordination of the editorial .rticle;,' the Professor declares, is striking at the educative faculty of the newspaper. Then a more serious charge is aimed agaius:- modem literature. It provides, we are tcld, -m enormous supply of cheap sen.-ationalism to. meet the demand of a vast public, i vbi."h > having learned to read, has not yet burned. ' to discriminate. In this issue tho liishop of Rochester takes sides with the Pro: essor.

Preaching at Collegiate Church, he urged that "sensationalism was not high art. A drama or a story which relied only on surprises was only second or third rate.- What really gave unrivalled ■ pleasure when they were taken by surprise bj-'Uie ; extra-' ordinary skill and beauty of .rhe' thing; done." Professor Barnes holds that, the' conditions of our Press, and incidental.,.' our current literature, reflect: roughly tiu habits and tastes of oar people, *nd tha'. tkty follow, rather than form, public opinion.' His remedy for the purification is, "Better" conditions of life, a brighter ard sweeter environmcr.t. and education of a more!vital and genuine son.''