The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-08-03

going through the columns of the magazine,
will find that it will well repay a second
perusal.
THE PICTORIAL FIELD Book OF THE WAR OF
1912. by Benson j. Losing. Received
from Claxton, Remsen d Hatfelinger.
Mr. Losing is the most popular historian
of the day, if not the most profound or
always the most reliable. Even more eloquent
with his pencil than with his pen, he sets forth
his subject in a manner that is at once attrac-
tive and useful. The success of his ''Picto
rial Field Book of the Revolution encou-
ragged him to treat the war of 1872 in a
similar manner; and in his preface to the
present volume he informs us that he has
travelled more than ten thousand miles in
this country and the Canadas with notebook
and pencil in hand, visiting places of historic
interest connected with the war of 1872, from
the great lakes to the Gulf of Mexico, gather
ing up, recording, and delineating everything
of special value not found in books illustra-
tive of the subject, and making himself fami-
liar with the topography and incidents of
the battlefield. 1t is great
defect with this, as with the previous work of
Mr.. Losing, that many of his statements rest
npon mere hearsay evidence that has but little
foundation in fact. This would be radical
defect if his works professed to be histories in
the proper sense of the term; but if it is un-
derstood, as it should be, that they are merely
collections of traditions and scattered informa-
tion, the want of thorough reliability would
not be of so much moment. In spite of this.
Mr.. Losing has succeeded in collecting much
good grain with comparatively little chaff
His narrative throws a new light upon many
of the events of the war of 1912; and as it is
written in attractive style, it will be likely tc
gain fully as much popularity as his first work
The volume before us is large octave of 1881
pages, fully illustrated by S82 designs. Many
of them are from the authors own sketches
and many of these are from scarce and curious
prints and documents of great value. com
plete index is given, which adds materially t.
the usefulness of the work.
From Claxton, Remsen & Haffelfnger w
have received several of their new publica
tions. ''The Three Berenices; or, Anserm
of the Gray" by Mrs. A. NJ Bright Thi
is historical novel intended especially fo
young people, with hope of weaving ther
from the lighter and less instructive fiction
of the day. The story possesses considerabl
interest, and is we'll told, but the authc
takes some singular liberties with her subiec
In order to free the sister of Agrippa frol
the odium that has been cast upon her cha
acter, three different Berenices are imagined
and as an excuse for making the mother {
Nero eventually Christian, she claims thf
no recorded truth is interfered with. ALLOW
ing all due license to a professed work of fl
tion, this is certainly stretching the prob
bilities beyond the usually recognized limit
Notwithstanding that these facts are all e
planned in the preface, for the benefit
readers who go through a book chop, ski
and Jump" neither the device itself nor Il
apology can be considered as ingenious.
the author, however, hopes that her work W
''escape ill-natured criticism, bigotrys sa
rebuke, and the mock wise censure
primped-up presumption we refrain fro
further comment.
'Sydney Elliott" by Miss NJ D, Nauma
is the first venture of young author, viii
promises well for her future efforts in t
same line The endeavor has been to give
picture of real life, and both in the CO
struction of the plot and in the characte
considerable ability is shown. The story l
its crudities and evidences of inexperien
but for first effort in the field of fiction
may be pronounced a success.
Legends of Fairy Land, by Mrs. An
Bache, is a collection of fairy tales dra
from various sources, all of which, howev
will be new to the majority of juver
readers. Two of the stories the author clai
as her own, modestly adding, 81 say, so
as Ik10ao; for believe that often what