Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-12-25
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

cisco A. L. Bancroft Co. QuaTto PIP. 400.
This is one of the best books for boys and
girls it has ever been our fortune to meet
with. 1t is beautifully illustrated and very
fully so. The taxi matter is anecdotal and
historical, and just adapted to the minds Of
youthful readers-it is in short an admirable
book in all respects for the boys and girls of
the land. Wequote willingly and freely from
the introduction. wherein Mr.. CO fin, in the
most frank mannerspeaks of his work in q brief
and thoughtful address to the boys and girls
of America "This volume is an outline of
some of the principal events that transpired
during the colonial period of our country, and
portrays the hardships and sufferings of those
who laid the foundations Of new empire. 1t
will show how the Old World laws, habits
and customs were gradually changed how
the grand ideas of freedom and the rights of
man took root and fourished. It covers the
period from the discovery and settlement of
America to the Revolutionary War. In 1876
| wrote volume entitled The Boys of '7G,
a narrative of the battles of the Revolution,
and of the trials and devotion of our fathers
in establishing the independence of the
United States. While preparing that work,
l discovered that there was no volume
in existence that would give the young
people of our country an idea of the
struggles of men in England and Europe
against the tyranny Of emperoTs, kings, popes,
aTchbishops, bishops and inquisitors to sup
ply that want wrote a second volume. en-.
titled The Story of Liberty" which traced
chain of events through a period of five
hundred years. from the signing OF the Magma
Charta to the settlement of jamestown and
Plymouth. This volume, therefore, fills the
gap between the others in time, and together
they make a series, not of general history,
but an outline history of the progress of
ideas. | desire to call your atten-
ton to a few things which will be made plain
in this volume. You will notice that the
beginning of the history of our country is
clear and distinct, while the beginnings of
the histories of other countries are obscured
by tradition or made doubtful by fable. Our
early history is definite the early history of
other lands uncertain. The history of na-
ton is like the flowing of river-there are
many rivulets starting wide apart, which
unite TO swell the ever-deepening stream.
Many of the fountain. heads of American his
tory are in England and Europe, and in or
der to obtain a correct view of what trans
PRED in the colonies we must cross the
Atlantic and follow the rivulets to their
sources. In this volume you will see
how tyranny and wrong have fought against
liberty and justice; how that banner which
the barons flung to the breeze at Runnynede,
inscribed with the rights of man, which
Cromwell bore amidst the carnage of Mars
ton Moor, which waved from the masthead
of the May flower when that lone vessel
crossed the Atlantic has never been trsiled
in the dust in this Western World but
tyranny and wrong have gone down before
IT,"
FRIENDS WORTH Knowing; OR GLNPsEs OF AMERI-
CAN NATURAL HISTORY. By Ernest lngersol. New
York: Harper q Bros. san Francisco: A. L.
Bancroft Co.
This is small work, but one fully Illus
trated and full of interest. 1t is a plain,
simple, positive statement Of certain facts in
natural history useful to know and inviting
the attention to certain animals and insects
familiar in their ordinary habits to most peo-
pie, but concerning the daily life and habits
of which there is much ignorance and mis-
conception. We are first taken into
snailery and introduced to the land and
fresh water m0llusks-which are so repulsive
in appearance-and we find them to be a far
more interesting creature than is supposed by
most people. Next we are brought to know
the ''early corners the birds-who pioneer
and accompany springs happy advent. Then
comes chapter on wild mice, and one on
ornithology, another on winter birds, another
on the buffalo and his fate, then follow chap
tiers on 1.-The Song Sparrow" How Ami
mails get Home, g Bank Swallows" &C. The
Orinia - ord ehantar nm 80 ftiviiiziou In
fuences."
"Harper's Magazine" for January, 1881,
is at hand, with three papers and host of
brilliant illustrations: "The English Lakes
and their Gent, by Moncure D. Conway !;
1.-THE Fame of the City," by John Boyle
O'Reilly; tOld-time Life in Quaker Town, :"
by Howard Pyle; 1.-The Old New York Vol
unteer Fire Department" by G, W. Sheldon ;
" From Exile, by Julia G. r. Dore; Clown
the Thames in Birch-bark Canoe, by James
S. Whitman "Anne," by Constance T.
Woolson; !" Some Great Yiolins, by Barnet
Phillips; Patient Mercy Jones, by James
1.-The Prison of Cervantes !" Christmas
eve," Ceremonie, by Robert Herrick
James Russell Lowell" by T. H. Under
wood; "Does Life Insurance Insure?" by
Titus Munson Coan; 6 Our Nearest Neigh
bors, by Alice Perry; "a Laodicean," Book
the First-George Somerset, by Thomas
Hardy and the usual departments.
The January 'Atlantic (Houghton,
AIifflin & Co., Boston, begins new volume
with a number of great and varied excellence.
The first chapters of Miss Phelps serial story,
:. Friends: Duet, are vigorous and inter-
estipg. Mr.. Aldrieb contributes an enter
tanning paper on /" Smith, which will have
peculiar interest for a host of readers. Henry
James, 81 Portrait of Lady needs no COM
mendation. John Fiske has an article on
Sociology and Hero Worship" Miss Har-
riet w. Preston contributes q delightful
literary historical essay on I" A Symposium
of Sixty Years Ago William NJ. Rossetti
begins his series of articles on 1.-THE Wives
of Poets" Richard Grant Whites paper on
Sara Bernhard will attract attention.
Mr.. Whittier's tender poem in memory of
Lydia Maria Child is one of the most charm
ipg poems. Mr.. Stedman has a fine poem on
:" Ye Tombe of We Poet Chaucer.a Other
poems, essays, stories, and an unusually va
ried Contributors Club complete a SUI
perior number of this magazine.
"Appleton's journal" for January, 1881
Cd. Appleton & Co, New York;, is at hand.
These are its leading articles: THE Veterans
of Yesterday, in three parts tpart 6rst), from
the French of Erckmann- Chatrian The
Early History of Charles James Fox = So
cial Life among the Ancient Greeks !" The
Influence of Art in Daily Life (V.-Dress)
by J. Bennington Atkinson !; =" Political Som
nambulism," by Professor j.. r. Seeley;
" Holland and It's People" Philosophy at
Concord by Mrs A. b. Blake; 1.-The Earl
of Beaconsfeld's New Novel; ''Vers de
Societe." by A. H. Japp; 1.-THE Court and
Literary Salons of Old Paris !" Eccentriei-
ties of Pronunciation . New and Old Art
Theories :" Ex-Presidents as Senators"
From D. Appleton & Co., New York, we
have Progress and Poverty by Henry
George, a work heretofore fully analysed in
this paper, wherein We pronounced it spleu-
did series of logical triumphs and book that
will make converts.