New-York tribune., 1874-12-22
ROSTON LITERARY NOTES.


STORIES, ny MRS. PHILIP GIIBrRr IIAMEET0N.
lFRoW A nE.rIAE CORRESPONDENT OF TIE TKIBuHE.l
BoSTON Dee 10-lt is seldom that the finest
TALENT and the rIp"s cuurr of finished scholar are
employ tho task Of whiting history f. the young
Tue juveniles OF to-day therefore. all tho more 10
he congratulated that Col. lIlg:nSon has devoted MS
he It power. writing for tetn his fascinating Young
Folks, History Of the Unitcd States" to which have
before alluded. and which he Shepard have now
nearly ready for pul caon. In the quality OF r'ai-
ahenpss know no work Of the sort winch compares
with IT, unless il be Diclt"nNs" ChrA History Of El-
gland" which always seemed to me as IntcrrS.ing aN
any Of DlcScnsa novels With the merits OF C. Ii X
cin-on'4 style EIslishrra ling pablIc too n-
miliar need any comments OF mnc; but II Ia thAg
IA ic considered in putting book Of TINS sort iato the
hands tho youuP whether 10 will help 10 III ke them
careful wrIcrs and sp rS or whether " u wrItfrn
AZ too many choo.buOkS IN sO sOvrnly III amer
that not iIuS br gained from II beyond tho Ihor
facts II contains. think tins question + STYLE ~ re-
garis juvenile books, deserves mur.I more attention
than il has received; ani il Is drlghtfal 10 n ~ ln-
sbcd a mas OF the art Coz. IilgsnS1n making
| beginning IN the right di ccton.
me theory Oh which t,s book has been written is h'
American IIi.Ory is III itself the most attrWlvc or all
sl,ciS and hc mad Interesting 70 oul l'al y"uhS
ny BENG presented in rn.l. GEAR aud graphic way.
lltllcro most school histories nave been drF ~
huSh>-iL-a mass Of dates aud details pa t"S"t rr
without fused inton symmetrical whor, au r"i-
taining hey to III" philosophy aud th' pr"r"' HoA o
hIstory-hc rca~Um In the events of To-day, why that "i
tolnoriuw need aud should Thc plan Uf 4" Thc
Young Fnks' History " il very IA rrnt ramhrrs'm"
mss oi details II uvodf T.. AMI only slci names aud
dates utroiu i ara necessary to secure clear
and definite thread Of connected incident In the MUD o;
the reader. Space thus gained for nn>trdve TRAITS
and anecdotes, w;ich br htcn statement mo story and
make tic book charming. OIc follows. not az TASK
but with eager int'r, the course OF early dIa'oyrY
II al l.,It. N
of the lyo o, ia, state Of society after that event
tho rise of p0ca parties, an tho cause AL course o.
the Ciyil War. "1nc Young Folks History. yOu Will
therefore pc:ccSc il in no sense ac'nIla'ioh bIt
fresh and GrapiIic treatment OF is su' ~.
# Lccn, far b.ck the old days Of fable and legend
tho il OF the nL.unuth ana the ton the later
days ~ the n'nul-pnirr'. TT, lays Col II S+"> ~
the mounl-budcrs w,rc Il racr Of men never stw
tho mammoth, or else they would have carved or
painted its cnr,, they III those OF the bl'd' ana
beasts winch they huCY 10 wds uniOrtuittc thi thcJ
did not also make pictures of themselves; tirn wc
should have hLown how tb"S I0'kct. W. htv' - con.
tent our,e,.n WITH tne know lrdSc Of few t."-S that
they did. F,r thry left hcn.ud won!trtul
dl.try and skil especially certain Gr At u0mIS Of
ra they buit. aud from which t"Y derive their
name. OF the most rnmdI Aap1 Of t"'o m0nnI+ II
10 in Adams CIultv. o ,io. II IL called the
scrlnit found, and r.!'"r>'ntS iunrI.~c
snake. tLnusLnd hrt lo"E nnd five fee; lck
Ling along Il bl,.H that rises ahov' = stream.
TAci" "au fra q al Il curves and OUTLINES OF the
stak,, cndin: tsL w.th triple coil II the 0rcn
mouth. cthuc ~ ~" sha" of cg! |rcUs to he
held; aaA tl egg ap?l III, nj l. 80 rc' ,r; Tai.
shows on how yIN.a s't;. tL"+o cl:tivIrG1 we con
trrncicd IT," Inia tIIili 8, mat nlv' ma 10 lntny
advances in civ ,ton, sinrr AL t.c'r "lrhworIs
Show - 81 "nGihe rlnS s.i,. T" t. nouai'
are -uppo,rd. cSp2cIay Niihr Onc-. t hccn
built for purposes OF wnis NJ; AZ anv rat D, tn"y
were built when "a. 81 th w,.tnoI,n AZ. more
Younger pas ut. f. ~ AN nttr''ting question
whether these m2n w"ro tmc ancestors Of our own
American lilLna l. seems inp.Ojln.. Ina! they were.
III" hls "i the tw' races wer" ~ very dill r.
rut Tirir or gi.l must aIw r.uln M, ,lrry ""
only know they came aid w''n'.
Cal II ,ginsou wri:c. mo vivil an interest
ii,y uilnc IA" InioI of BE co'n:; oi the North
men; OF ia" S2n.l;n i~'"N 't!i; an oI the t,'h5
,EcnL of the E..,i>d PdrliduI On this stern and rock
boiud coa>t." Aul then, through more than Two
turirs ana hall OF y!is,ltud"s. he follows Ec lon
winch gro" from thaC small bginning To Lr the
lcadln. govrrnmrnt on the American ton;in"lt, ard
QUE o til, Great Powers Of tho world. Every page OF
t!li. history tn=. T,n Colonial life The rtt,cs
ot the Revolution -t.a grIt stru% s itsf-I hariiy
know va II, you shall hIi III IA vlIhi!y porrdycd
The interest dccpcnS us we near our own lime. Col
I.luu. ON W - or IN no ilo hand of Ahoonlst.
who were 50 pa s.onalr lai,hiu 10 their grand Lii of
human lrcciou and !oba0iy no HyIns Is Urttrr
n:tc1 than he to o! h1 that lea tho war
OF the Rebellion. Or of that war uslf, which he
an acliyc prtic1paat Ia hSi ~ that has unrr
our own cycslstt forth N tnt7e pages: here
B.lurd heroes here are cnr0nircl snccrs,es
and defeats By way OF sp elm n, LIT the
Cooncls brief account ui tbs victory OF The Monitor
over the Mcrrmi ick."
A naval contest in Virginia waters, meanwhile. at
traccd he attention OF tue whoo NJ hon. and. irr'i
of the cvIILcd wOtI. 1nc U.un Oii'cT early
wir had abandoned the Nivy Ytid al. NOg,ulN ami de-
sirovrd most oI tio eS'cs; out some slp HID escaped
drsructIpu adi nipEs tnrui tnc Mcrrndrk. Tao So
crs ,onSts nad covered tai, Vessel r.Irod
anu lcdv timber, aud ha furnished her VI OF
steel. With iLs thr attacked tho Union Sqa iron 1T
Hampton Roads. Tue wooden lriBatcS ds.Iud n'r in |
vgn. Tur b.s struck ana gLncci up Yard. n,.vu. no
more feet tnan peas from pop the cUd o
tie day Uhvn IrlgtIc CumucrlInd mad dowu
nrr brave commando, ord RAG br ,:slr
she sank; nc Concess WAS bLrnrd at tmo water srdg
and the Minnesuia WAS agrodnd. 80 matteIs st,ui |
when, at III tlV n"rinG, u Ittlc vessel or III |
significant appcaanc", 'VoAiDg, us Que cyr-wIt |
ucs, has said, Ike eapsiz:u wbalc-slIp," |
aud, as another said, :" Ike u cieesebox on 10 |
raft, steamed into Hampton I;oad5. IL Muu
Tor ndr,i by Cpr. Junn - Wurd.u and Invented
bv Capt Ericsson, engineer or swedish brn. la tho
morning tno Mcriuack got under way az iia Hii bJrc
down upon the iriGLc that lay aground. Tie Monitor
akIn9Sine the MeIriuLcK opened fire. Tle
hr.d Ia rcturu For two nOurs tho lasted,
both snips usng uI"ro powerful Orlnan than
usrd il naval encounter, and nis 1T distance Of
$50 yards yet the cannOnac WAS useless Neither
the slightest ccci upon the OtGer tii 1T last tbs
Monitor sent shell through tao pJrthUc OF her uuIgU
MIST, Oug severe execution aiDUiis tile crew Acr tat
tio Mrrimack rctredtcu leaving the victory with tho
little Monitor. Tho wholc nation was rcilCvc whcu the
been cft frre TO entor Ncw-York haroor It lgt have
destroyed every wooden vessel port. Tao general
sstu0n OI iron vessels iUr wou,lc, III nc uayles
the world, may DC suiu " have followed IRON ths con-
tcst.
1t IL pie asant 10 find book vhere there IL everything
~ praise and nothing 10 condemn. and this, think
every honest critic must acknowledges to Do the
with this " Young Folks History" L.. NJ.