Life — August 29, 1889 — page 4: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

“Mhile there's Life there's Hope.” VOL. XIV. AUGUST 29, 1889. No. 348. 28 West Twenty-THIkp Street, New York. Published every Thursday, $5.00 @ year in advance, postage free. copies, 10 cents, Tack umber can be had by applying to this office. fund, $30.00 IL, bound, $10.00; Vols. [H1., 1V., Va. VI VTS, ORI Med Nt and, See dae ‘oumbers, at regular rates. Rejected contributions will be destroyed unless accompanied by a stamped and directed envelope. Subscribers wishing address changed will greatly facilitate matters by sending old address as well as new. HERE are some things we do better here in New York —as world’s fairs—and there are others in which our superexcellence is not so apparent. There is no doubt, for example, that we raise a certain grade of young man in whom our pride has every reason to be abridged and judi- ciously qualified. A certain gifted but unscrupulous gossip, who writes letters from Gotham to a western newspaper, describes the sort of youth we have in mind, when tattling about New York eligible youths. She writes: Lawrence Perry's son, Lawrence, Jr., will inherit most of his father's wealth and much of his prestige. Perry, Sr., is, par excellence, the leader of the ‘ fast-and-swagger" set; he sets ‘the pace that kills,” which the ten-millionaires follow, and he nevertheless manages to keep a safe hold on his own millions, which Lawrence, Jr., will get in good time. He has trained the young fellow to walk in his footsteps, to be an exquisite in dress, a bird of prey among women, a hard rider, deep drinker, a turfman, a gambler, and withal a keen business man, a genial fellow, polished man, and a pretty good friend, He will marry, doubtless in his own set, a woman as congenial and gay tempered as himself, who will not be jealous, and, as long as the outward appearances are observed, will drive him with a very light hand and loose rein, . . . HE names in the correspondent’s paragraph have been changed. Very possibly her description of the father and son whom she named does them injustice. LIFE has nothing to do with the individuals. The type that is por- trayed is the thing. Alas, alas, to how many thousand men of Gotham does the life of the Lawrence Perrys, father and son, seem the ideal of an existence. To have abundance of money and health, and to spend both in “having a good time ;" to be a rake and a turfman; to have the Aadendum and ¢enendum clauses of one’s nature developed to the degree required for the successful management of * business;” to be a graduate of Delmonico's, and an exponent of Poole’s; to ride hard; to drink deep; to play high. To marry, but on terms of such mutual consideration as our gossip suggests. Good Lord, what a life to lead, and to lead, not from neces- sity, but to choose as the highest good! A life of glitter and go, but shorn of tenderness, of self-denial, of any true ser- vice to mankind, One of the most repulsive characteristics of a great city like New York, is the presence in it of the Lawrence Perrys and their influence upon the town, especially upon the lads thereof. They are so pervasive and so noisy that they slop over everything. They catch the eye with their glitter. Their coaches, and yachts, and palaces, constantly force themselves on the attention. It is hard to convince little Joe Brown and young Jack Robinson that there is anything better in life than the Lawrence Perrys have got; and it may be hard presently to keep Jo and Jack from following after the Perrys—albeit afar off, as near as their circumstances can be stretched to permit. That is one of the ntiséM&s of a big town—not an insurmountable one, but vastly vexatious. It isn't possible to abate the Perrys as the law stands, but of course it is possible not to be swamped by {their wash, even in New York, if parents can only give their small craft the proper steer. . . . IFE presents its respectful compliments to Mr. Nagle, the expert with the revolver. “A fair field and no favor" is not a motto of the highest grade, but there are situations which it precisely fits, and such a situation was the one in which Mr. Nagle was placed. To kill any man unless from absolute necessity is a pity, but sometimes prompt work with a gun is only a reasonable precaution, and precautions, as everyone knows, should precede the fact. Mr. Nagle seems to us to have shown himself a thoroughly useful man. We are all obliged to him for sparing the na- tion even the chance of such a scandal as the murder of a Justice of the Supreme Court on account of judicial action. . . . T is long since there has been so successful a practical joke on any distinguished citizen as the sentence of John L, Sullivan to spend a year in prison. The idea of suffering such a penalty for behavior which was the pride and admiration of many thousands of his fellow-citizens, must strike the big slugger as the very abomination of tyranny. If a couple of gentlemen cannot mutually put up their dukes in a retired ring in America, certainly America is no place for John L, Sullivan. Well, John, there is another distinguished man in a scrape something like yours. The way he managed was by skip- ping out before his trial. Instead of serving his time at home, he is at present shooting grouse very comfortably in England. LiFe cannot conscientiously recommend his course to you, but we are pretty sure you would have his sympathy if he knew the fix you are in. If you should care to consult with him go to London and inquire around for General Boulanger. It may be that you and he might arrange to pair off in some way, and do business together to your mutual profit. He is very popular at home, John, just as you are. Now, if you were to undertake his business in France and turn over to him your job in America, that would be an interesting arrangement that might do. comicbooks.com