The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1870-04-23

1880 $3.50
truth they would exclude
much If not most of the literary
poison floating in the air which is ia
ken into the system with almost every
breath.
Washington Irving, of all American
authors, was best fitted by education.
habits of thought. serenity of disposi-
ton, and enthusiastic patriotism, to
write the life of Washington. In
deed, in their respective spheres,
there was much in the character Of
the two men that was similar. What
Washington was in the military
and political world.-self-poised. gen.
ial, kind-hearted. sagacious and de-
voted to principle-Irving was in
the world of letters in which he
moved. Yet their lives were very
unlike. One constantly moved in an
atmosphere Of storms-his ears from
childhood accustomed to the thunder
of battle, and his eyes to the lurid
glare of national and party strife
while the other basked continually
inthe sunlight ofprosperity, surround
ed by friends and admirers, with not
a solitary cloud of adverse criticism
crossing his heavens of blue serene"
But this difference not only increas-
ed the admiration of the author
for the warrior and patriot. but
spiced with enthusiasm the labor of
love in which he was engaged.
The Life of Washington is Wash
ington Irving's browning work. He
undertook the biography with the in
tention of making it such, and his
success fully equaled, if it did not
exceed, his intentions. While regard
ing his work as a biography and con-
sequently admitting Of familiar an
ecdotes, excursions, digressions, and
a flexible texture of narrative" as
set forth in the preface, still it is es-
sentially historic. and perhaps no one
will gain better knowledge of the
history of his country during the
eventful period in which Washington
lived, than by reading the present
! work. The author felt constrained
to glance over collateral history, as
seen from Washington's stand point
and which influenced his plans. The
: author says of his book:
II have endeayored to execute
nv task with candor and fidelity.
stating facts on what appeared &c
be good authority, aud avoiding a!
much as possible all false colorinl
and exaggeration. My work is found
. ed on the correspondence of Wash
iupton, which, in fact, affords the
: amplest and surest ground work FOL
his biography. This have consulted
"A as it exists in manuscript In the ar
: chives of the Department of State, tx
, which [ have had full and frequen
I access" s Il.
But while the author was thus con
sclentious in his statement of facts
: he was not prevented from clothing
these facts in that choice phase
] ology for which he was already s.
famous. His descriptions have al
the charm and picturesqueness of th'
sketches which made his Sketch Bool
and Spanish Papers SO popular an(
J famous. ~
We shall attempt no detailed an
alysis of the FIVE volumes of which
this biography is composed. Our pur-
!. pose Is mainly to call the attention o
our readers to its merits. in order. i
: possible, to induce them to purchas'
, the book and become familiar will
its contents. 1t seems to US that nj
hoy should graduate from our Higl
School without being familiar will
the life of the man who has beer
/. most justly called the Father of hi
Country, and to VIII ose gallantry nne
patriotism we are i-lSDEed Tor thf
insti.~tions under whose benefcen
/: sway we as nation have enjoyed anc
are still enjoying so many blessings
This Life of Washington is printed
uniformly with the other volumes o.
: the Knickerbocke Edition o
Irving's works. The paper is beau
tiful cream tint, with upper edge:
gilt. The illustrations, which are
. very numerous, are on steel, and Of
: themselves constitute great attrac.
ton. We are pleased to know thai
+. Messrs. FISH e. BARTER have already
!. disposed of several sets aof the
Kniekerbocker Edition, and VIZ
I trust they will receive orders from
|, others, whose libraries will never be
, complete without it.
THE GATES AJAR.-Field, Osgood
} & Co., never issued book which at.
tracted more attention or was more
/ generally read than the one bearing
the above title, and written by Miss
: Phelps. We are not surprised, there.
fore, that they felt justified in issuing
, beautiful Holiday Edition. with
f twelve full page illustrations by Jessie
Curtis, engraved in the highest style
of the art by w. J. Linton. The
subjects of the illustrations are: The
Gates Ajar; Roy and Mary at Play;
Phoebe; The Death Bed Baptism
Faiths Sermon; Faiths Good Night;
Deacon Quirk's Argument; The Sew
ing Circle; Abinidab; The Garden
Walk; Doctor Bland and his Study,
and Mary and Faith.
The book is printed upon very