The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1870-05-19

WIS trOuOleu, nS she never could dis
cover that her child was anything more
than child. These later days of steam
and sudden changes in fashion have
worked solution, aud anxious mothers
are no longer vexcd, rs the style of short
dresses keep even the old ones in IL state
of ol-grlishncss quito charming. A
promenade on Main street, if one criti-
cises The softer sex, will confound a
fellow Sd completely thai lie will not
venture to guess where babyhood ceases
or where maidcnhood ends In fact, Il
father can scarcely toll his youngest
daughter from his grand other, so
strangely alike do all ages dress.
WEARING OF THE GRAY; being Personal
Portrnits, Scenes and Adventures of
the War. BY John Esten Cooke, for
merly of Gen. Stunrt's staff, and au-
thor of "Surry, of Eagles Nest" etc
Augusta, Ga: Southern Publishing
Company, J. c. Derby. Manager
Mr.. W. r. Dehon, Of Charleston. the
Agent for this highly interesting work.
is in Columbia, and has favored lis with
Il copy of the Wearing of the Gray"
1t is II collection of sketches of incidents,
etc., which occurred during the late war.
There are nearly 100 engravings of pro-
minent officers, besides battle scenes,
and thrilling incidents. Many m old
Confederate in perusing this work,
will have before him, numbcrless scenes
which had passed almost entirely from
his recollection. Those who have read
the authors former works we'll know
what to expect from this volume. In
his preface, he says:
It is matter of grave importance that
the illustrious figures of the war should
not be obscured by tho mists of igno-
rance or falsehood. Nor can they be.
Dulness and slander do not long blind
the eyes of mon; and sooner or later the
light of truth makes all things visible in
their natural colors and proportions To
the good work of placing upon record
the actual truth in relation to the lives
and characters of Stuart and some other
noble soldiers of the Southern army, the
writer of this page has here brought q
fow of his recollections-aim to draw
these 'worthies'' rather as they lived and
moved, following their various idosyn-
crasies, than as they performed their "of-
fetal" duties OH the public stage. This
seemed best calculated to display their
real individunlity-thc embodiment of
their personal characteristics in n por-
trait with tho pen, as Il painter draws the
form and features Of his sitter with the
brush.
Such personal details Of the characters
Of these eminent men will not be unin-
tcresting TO tho lovers Of noble natures
Of whatever ''fnction;" nor is the fond
ness for such particulars either trivial or
ignoble. They elncilatc biography and
history-which are the same-for they
present the likeness Of the actor in the
drama, his character and endSWments;
and to know what great men are, is bet
ter than to know what they PERFORM
What Lee, Jackson, Johnston, Stuart
and their asseciates accomplished, histo-
ry will record; how they looked, and
moved, and spoke, will attract much less
attention from tho "historiun Of the flu
ture" The august muse Of history will
mako her partial and passionate, or fair
and dignified, summary Of the events of
tho late war; will discuss the cdusts resuu,
with learned philosophy; and mete ont
in ronndcd periods what she thinks the
duo amount OF glory or shame to the
actors, in gray or in blue. But mean
" hiiS viz iChi POI ioOLosoCo diSitplCht, NIX
tho colors fade; figures become histori-
cal personages, not men. And events,
too, "suffer change" They are fused in
the mass; generalization replaces the
particular incident rs it does the impress
sivo trait; the terrible dust of 'olficial
documents" obscures personagos, cha
racters, and events.
This is tritc, but it is true; and the
fact thus lamely stated is one of the
''chiefest spitcs of fate" For what is
tho picture worth unless drawn in its
actual colors-what the value Of the
figures unless they arc likencsses? The
war just ended was not IN ''ofiicial trans
action" only to be calmly narrated with
dignifcd generalization, philosophic
reasoning, and commonplace comment
upon peace conferences, grand tactics,
and the political bearing of tho result.
1t was n mighty drama, NIL life, passion,
movement, incident, and romancc-a
singular melnnge, wherein tears, laugh
ter, sighs and smiles, rapidly followed
each other, communicating to the bitter
and determined struggle NIL the profound
interest of q tragedy whose scenes sweep
| on before the spectator to tho catnstro-