of the old-fashioned Virginia gentleman, tall, straight, upright in stature and bearing, with a strong, kindly face having in it a curious suggestion both of President Lincoln and of General Lee. Seated on the porch of his century-old mansion, he told this story with the charm of the accomplished raconteur and the simplicity and modesty of the old soldier who has fought on the losing side..

Just before the close of the war the Confederacy was in sore straits for transport animals. Sherman had struck into the vitals of the South, and they could not be obtained from Georgia or Alabama. The chief of transportation decided to send to Mexico to buy horses and mules. To get these it was necessary to send gold, not the depreciated Confederate currency. Trusted agents were each supplied with money belts containing five thousand dollars in gold, and ordered to proceed to Mexico for the purpose stated. Then came the break-up and the surrender. One of the transportation agents who had not started on his journey came to his superior, the chief of transportation, and returned the gold to him, though the former officer was of course now but a private citizen. Though without means for restoring his demoralized plantation to a profitable basis, this conscientious citizen had no thought of applying the windfall to his own necessities. He took counsel of various of his former associates as to what should be done with the money. One Confederate general said, "I am stranded. I can use some of that gold as a loan. So can So-and-so, and Sucha-one." Another said, "Divide it among the widows and orphans around you. Devote it to charity for the suffering survivors." He finally appealed to General Lee, who lived at some distance from his home. General Lee promptly said, "That money must be treated as captured property of the Confederacy, and surrendered as such to the Federal authorities." My friend took the money to Richmond, presented it to the astonished Provost-Marshal, took a receipt for it, and the incident was closed. I think this transaction reflects the highest credit on the conscientiousness and devotion to their sense of duty of both General Lee and the man who sought his advice. We do well to honor the memory of such men.

H. H. M.

A PLEA FOR THE RIIS HOUSE

As we look about at the wonderful transformation in our shabby old houses at the Riis Settlement, and see their beauty and their fine equipment, and the new Theodore Roosevelt Gymnasium, the pride and joy of

all our young people, and realize that they are all ours, without a penny of debt upon them, we can hardly believe it, and our hearts are so full of gratitude that a wonderful Christmas spirit pervades the building and inspires the groups of busy workers, all absorbed in preparations for the week of festivities that Christmas brings us.

First, there are those wonderful bundles to do up that go into the one hundred and thirtyfive homes, with some remembrance marked for each member of the family, young and old; and then the stately tree that must bear beautiful fruit once, and often twice, each day, for the successive groups of the various clubs and classes-some fourteen hundred gifts in all to be provided. It is delightful work, and we wish those who have so generously given. to make all this possible could share the joy with us..

The festivities will be over by the time these words pass through the press, but the Christmas spirit will remain to cheer many a humble home and overburdened heart. Only some of us will be reminded, with the opening of the new year, that enlarged buildings and fine equipment bring enlarged responsibilities and added expenses, for it takes a good deal of coal, gas, and electricity to keep our beautiful building warm and light, and up to the standard of higher living that it represents in this dreary neighborhood.

The regular demands of the kindergarten and all the club and educational work are already piling up bills faster than we can meet them, and we know that this bitter weather will bring sickness and suffering in the crowded, unsanitary homes, with many calls for relief. Our treasury is quite exhausted by the many little extras in finishing and furnishing the various rooms. is all done now, and well done, but we need funds for the daily necessities of the work. itself.

This

It will cost nearly six thousand dollars to carry us through to the first of May, when Fresh Air and summer contributions begin to come in. This is exclusive of the gymnasium support which is so generously provided by the boys and girls of eleven private schools, through the personal efforts of Mr. Riis. About two thousand dollars is due in pledges for the general work. Will not our kind friends among The Outlook_readers, who have so often and so generously proved their interest in the Settlement, help us to raise the four thousand dollars necessary to make the winter's work a success, and to lift this last burden of anxiety from our grateful hearts? CLARA FIELD, Treasurer. Jacob A. Riis Neighborhood Settlement, 48 Henry Street, New York.

THOSE LOST GARMENTS

Is there anything that you can do in the interest of art or mercy to check the painful

illustrations of the stable scene at the time of the Nativity? Where, oh where are the nice thoughtful little garments that the sweet mother prepared in Galilee and carried with her in her anxious journey? Are we not especially told that she wrapped him in swaddling-clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for her in the inn"? There is nothing shocking in the thought of the fresh, free, cool cave where the cattle slept, or the little manger cradle. The shepherds stand about in adoring awe; but they are all clothed in sheepskins. Joseph, in a long, warm cloak, is leaning on his staff. The Virgin mother, wrapped up to the eyes in every kind of picturesque garment, sits enthroned in light, and at her feet or on her knees lies a poor little shivering baby-absolutely naked except for a halo of apparently electric light-quite devoid of any warmth or comfort!

There was one picture last year which went the rounds and was advertised in so many magazines that it was evidently much admired, in which the poor little pallid figure on the ground was so pitiful that the only text it suggested was, " Behold, I am a worm, and no man."

Her

No woman paints these pictures. heart would forbid the cruelty. From the old masters down to their present very far removed successors, the greatly swathed Madonna holds a little naked Jesus and seems to be satisfied.

But where, oh where are the swaddling

clothes which the Bible tells us were used at the baby's birth, and which the Angel especially mentioned to the shepherds in giving directions as to their finding the Holy Child! It puts Mary mother far off in sympathy from the other young mothers who spend their happy hours in making all possible soft, warm preparations for their own little ones, with prayers in their hearts for the blessing of the Holy Child Jesus on their coming joy.

Y.

WOMEN AND WAGE-SPENDING

I ask for permission to write a few words concerning extravagant consumption by the laboring class. I have read with much interest both Mr. Cochran Wilson's article on "Women and Wage-Spending" and Mr. I. M. Rubinow's letter in criticism of Mr.

Wilson. I agree perfectly with Mr. Rubinow that there is great need of statistical investigation of workingmen's budgets, and

of the budgets of other classes also; for my

observation tells me that there is much mal

consumption among all classes. On the other hand, I think that Mr. Wilson, in spite of his contempt for statistics, has put forth a significant truth in declaring that workingmen's wives are given to unwise expenditures. As I understand Mr. Wilson, he pleads, not, as Mr. Rubinow charges, for lower expenditures, but for more rational and harmonious expenditures. Bulletin 65 of the Bureau of Labor throws no light whatever upon the question within particular commodity groups. An exof how money is spent by workingmen penditure of $107.84 per family for clothing may or may not be extravagant. It probably is not extravagant in so far as its nominal relations to the other items of expenditure are concerned; but the more important question is, What kind of clothes does the working family buy? Are they clothes that yield substantial, sensible utility, or are they merely, or in part at any rate, articles purchased in response to a foolish desire to emulate a higher social class or to maintain social comexpenditure of $326.90 for food may or may not involve extravagance. The important question is whether this food is such as will maintain health and economic efficiency, or whether in a considerable part it is food representing ostentatious consumption. An individual may spend his whole income for shelter and food, and still be extravagant. income for tobacco, liquors, and amuseThat he spends a small percentage of his ments is evidence, as Mr. Rubinow intimates, where the emulation of a higher by a lower that he is not extravagant. In America, position than in Europe to accept a class class is possible, and where there is less disspending, much unwise consumption. By status, there is bound to be much foolish all means we want to gain for the workingdevelopment of more and more wants; but man higher wages, and encourage in him a we want also to encourage him to make his consumption rational and harmonious, not only with respect to the relations between different groups of expenditure, but also with those groups.

petition with others of the same class? The

RAYMOND V. PHELAN, Assistant Professor of Economics and Sociology in Miami University. Oxford, Ohio.

Secretary

Taft's Letter

It may not be true that we are getting an absolutely new type of politicians, but a type radically different from the conventional is more in evidence than for many years past. The popular impression is that the man always seeks the office. There have been recently some striking illustrations of the office seeking the man, such as Mr. Roosevelt's nomination to the Vice-Presidency against his protest; Mr. Root's acceptance of his present position at great self-sacrifice, simply because it offered him an opportunity to render great service to his country; Mr. Hughes's reluctant acceptance of the nomination as Governor of the State of New York, forced upon him because he was the only person who could save the Republican party from defeat; the organization of a Third Term League to force a Presidental nomination on Mr. Roosevelt despite his pledge, though in this instance the League will find in that pledge and Mr. Roosevelt's persistent adherence to it an insuperable obstacle to their design. The most recent illustration of the office seeking the man is afforded by the letter of Secretary Taft published last week:

For the purpose of relieving the burden imposed by recent publications upon some of my friends among the Washington newspaper correspondents of putting further inquiries to me, I wish to say that my ambition is not political; that I am not seeking the Presidential nomination; that I do not. expect to be the Republican candidate, if for no other reason, because of what seem to me to be objections to my availability, which do not appear to lessen with the continued discharge of my own official duty; but that I am not foolish enough to say that, in the improbable event that the opportunity to run for the great office of President were to come to me, I should decline it, for this would not be true.

There are two veiled references here which we may venture to interpret. Mr. Taft's ambition, his friends have long

known, is judicial, not political. He would rather be on the Supreme Court bench than in the White House. And he has thrice declined the desired judicial appointment solely because he will not voluntarily relinquish his present post until he has accomplished for the Filipino people what he set out to accomplish. As to his availability, his vigorous attack on the corrupt ring in Ohio may make his nomination difficult, but it would promote his election, since no virtue in public office appeals more to the American people than courage; his labor opinions would increase rather than diminish the labor vote for him, since workingmen want square treatment, not special favors; and while his public utterances in favor of tariff revision may concentrate against his nomination the politically influential representatives of favored interests, they would add to his popularity among the plain people. To-day Mr. Taft would be the strongest candidate the Republican party could put in nomination for the Presidency.

A Self-Evident Proposition

There is one action which the United States Senate ought to take, and take promptly, from the motive of self-respect if from no other. It ought to demand the right to debate and vote upon the Philippine Tariff Bill. A bill reducing the present Philippine tariff now and abolishing it altogether two years hence passed the House by an overwhelming majority. In the Senate it was referred to the Committee on the Philippines, and that Committee has refused to report it either with approval or with disapproval, or with neither approval nor disapproval. In other words, that Committee has refused to allow the Senate to debate and vote upon the bill. There are two ways of defeating legisla