Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1875-09-06
THE HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY,

THE HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY,
from its Discovery by Columbus to
the Celebration of its Centennial An
niversary of its Declaration of Inde-
pendence. Embracing An Account of
its Discovery, Narratives of the Strug-
giles of its Early Settlers, Sketches of
its Heroes, the History of the War
for independence, and the War for
Nationality, its Industrial Victories,
and a Record of its whole Progress as
q Nation, by ABBY SAGE RICHARDSON.
illustrated by over two hundred and
forty engravings on wood of portraits
of distinguished discoverers, states
men, generals and heroes pictures of
public buildings, maps, and plans,
and large engravings from original
designs by Granville Perkins, c. G..
Bush, and f. o. g. barley.
There has been wanted good, reada-
bic history of the United States, long
enough to contain all the interesting
facts, short enough to be read through
without weariness and without leaving
in the mind a confused medley of de-
tails. This book is found in Mrs. Rich
ardson's History, just published. 1t is
not book made to order and merely
made to sell. The skillful author has
been at work on it for years. She has
read it to her own family and to others,
has ransacked libraries, and above all,
out of her experience as a writer and a
public reader, she has been enabled to
write bright, animated narrative which
does not flag from first to last.
The book is divided into two parts
Part |. is "The Story of the Colonies
from Infancy to Independence" She be.
gins at the beginning with the Discov-
cry of America (; tells how the Mortimer
came and went, leaving no trace behind
the wonderful story, ever fresh, evel
new, of Christopher Columbus and ther
in quick, clear succession, all the chic
voyages of discovery and the daring ad
venturers. She describes the alightine
on our shore Of those birds of passage
the early colonists, and little by little
we see the dotted line of plantations al
along the coast. All this is illustrated
by quaint maps, portraits of discoverers
costumes, buildings and ships. Then sh
stops moment to give some chapters t.
the Indians, describes their manner
and customs, and shows just what sor
of people were living in America whel
it was discovered by Europeans. Sh
tells the wars that the Colonists ha'
with them, and so brings the reade
down by degrees to the Revolutionary
War.
But just before entering on an &C
count of that war she imagines hersel
and the reader taking a tour in Amer
ca, and in a striking chapter she lift
the curtain and shows successively Bo;
ton, New York. Albany, Philadelphia
Virginia, how the people live, what the
wear, and what they eat, gives pee
into their houses, in fact and this pal
is beautifully illustrated by pictures {
the John Hancock House in Boston,
spinning-wheel, such as our great-granC
mothers used, large picture of Dutc
Household, and other excellent engrav
ings.
Then comes the Revolutionary We
The author tells the story of this wa
briefly and eloquently, sets before 1
the characters and deeds of the genera
and statesmen, follows the varied couri
of the country's struggle, and lets l
know what it cost our fathers to give l
nation. This portion is profusely i
lustrated with portraits, celebrate
buildings, like Faneuil Hall and Ind
pendence Hall, plans of battle-ground
naval engagements. This closes the fir
part.
Part III. is entitled "The Story of Il
Nation: its Birth. Conflicts, and III
umphs." Mrs. Richardson remembe
that history is something else than
record of battles and political contest
She repeats the history of the Constit
tion, then she tells us of the wonderf
discoveries and inventions which ga
us the steamboat, the steam railwa
and the magnetic telegraph; she remin
us too, of the half-forgotten horrors
t the Algerine pirates, and she gives t
defeats and the brilliant naval victori
of the war of lSl2-l815.
! Then she gives a careful chapter
4 Slavery in the United States we he
; the rumble of cannon in the distanc
% she paints the bitter conflict in Kansi
: the John Brown raid. and at leng
comes full upon the great war throu
, which we have just passed. The story
this she tells in clear, picturesque |;
guage, impartially, but with strong fe
ing, and the pages are filled with P
I. lures representing prominent men a
scenes A final chapter gives an epi
$ me of the past ten years. and so
- book closes. In another column will
3 found an advertisement of the book, q
= when we say that it is printed, boul
L and published at the Riverside Pre-
T. we have given all necessary guarant
for it's stvle In book-making.