Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-01-13
LITERARY NOTES.
HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES OF
AMERICA. From the Discovery Of the Continent
BY GEORGE BANCROFT. The authors Last Re-
vision New York: D. Appleton Co., 1885,

I By G5onsH BAsoRoFT; The Author's Last Re
Washing ton: A. Brentano 4 Co w. -''''
This edition of Mr.. Bancroft's History. the
first volume OF which has just appeared, liter
ally and truly meets, to use a somewhat hack
neyed phrase. long felt want 1t will COM
prise in six handsome octave volumes the
entire original work, which required twelve,
and will be furnished at Just halfthe price of that
Necessarily the type used will be somewhat
smaller. and the paper thinner, but both are
still sufficiently good to insure very satisfac-
tory example of book making. In another
respect the new edition is preferable to the old
One objection to the work when it first ap-
peared was the charge Of diffuseness Of style
frequently made. These observations have not
been lost upon the venerable author, who. old
as he Is, shows that he is not too old to learn.
In his preface he says: "No well-founded
criticism that has been seen. whether made here
or abroad, with good will or a bad one. has
been neglected" And he adds: "Repititions
and redundancies have been removed: greater
precision has been sought for; the filter word
| that offered itself accepted; and. without the
surrender OF the right of history to pronounce
Its opinion. care has been taken never unduly to
forestall the judgment Of the reader, but to
| leave events. as they sweep onward, to speak
their own condemnation or praise" AS to the
| reliability of Mr.. Bancroft's version nothing
need be said at this late day. 1t was his
studiOus effort from the beginning ''tO secure
their details and their cOlOring." and 1t is be-
| lieved that the results of his endeavors in this
| respect have never been successfully impeached.
MIR; MS. 1SAa &C Tale Ct Modern India BY NJ
Washington: A. Brentano & Co.
Combining as 1t does, somewhat of the quail
ties OF both George Eliot and Jules Verne, this
story Is something quite out of the common.
The hero is a MOhammedan Persian, witha COM
blnation name peculiar to oriental countries,
which has been abbreviated into Isaacs for con-
Venence and business purposes and who is en-
lowed with every virtue, handsome. accOmp-
llshed, speaks many languages, and sings like
an angel Notwithstanding his religion and the
obstacle OF three wives on hand he falls desper-
ately in love with an English maiden. She re-
clprocates his passion, and the story of their
courtship-which occurs mostly during tiger
hunt,-lnakes very charming idyl though it's
sad ending haunts one. AS whole. the story is
not only one OF great promise for the future Of
ITS author,-whO by the way, is young Amer
lean, long resident in Inda,-but one Of deep
interest and decided power.
LITTLE SISTER. Boston: Roberts Brothers. Wash
ington: W. H. Morrison.
The latest volume of the ''No Name Series" is
the history Of a lovely woman whose real name
was Honor, but whose rare qualities of mind
and heart together with her active and ready
sympathy won for her the title of Little Sister,"
She is indeed just little too near faultless.-
too bright and good for human natures daily
food" to use the poets smile. Nevertheless,
she proves her title to this world by falling in
love with her neighbor. a rough but excellent
Scotch physician. The scene is mostly laid in
Philadelphia the characters are we'll drawn and
the story as whOle.is quite clever.
MISS RICHARDS BOY AND OTHER STORIES.
lens Mfe Booie With G ss ' 1y Tr a
Williams. Philadelphia: W. H. Thompson.
In addition to the story which gives this sump-
tuous volume it's title, there are nearly twenty
others, varying in length and also somewhat in
quality; but they are all moral in tone, and paint
people and things in different humors and phases
as they appear to the author who has keen
eye for nature and cOmical situations, as well as
an unusual appreciation of character In typo
graphical appearance the book is all that could
be desired.
1.-THE Overland Monthly" which used to be so
creditable to the Pacific coast, and whose de-
mise some half-a-dozen years ago was little less
than reprOach to the people of that section. to
say the least. has been revived with the new
year, and bids fair to hold longer lease on life
than before Among the contributors to the
1lrst number OF the new series are the names of
writer's well known and popular residing on
both sides of the continent. From this we Judge
that the intention is to make the magazine
little less local In scope and flavor than it was
CiahRt lOI " IllCn tfefe may seem TO be good
business reasons. but which, we cannot help
thinking. will detract somewhat from it's old
time attractiveness.
painting on China is the title of a little book
prepared by James c. Beard, published by Dick
& Fitzgerald. and for sale byJ D. Free, which
would seem to be of great service to amateurs.
and particularly to beginners, in the pleasant
work of decorating porcelain, containing as it
does full practical instructions on the whole
subject of over-glalze painting, supplemented
with number OF cOlOred plates illustrating the
text.
The Smithsonian Institution has recently issued
catalogue Of it's publications from the first
meeting OF the Regents, in 1916, to the close Of
last year. The list contains an aggregate of
nearly five hundred numbers, and covers as
might be supposed, wide range of valuable in
formation. with copious and wel-arranged in
dices, which must be great service to Seekers
after knowledge.
Mrs. Melville On the Stand
PATHETIC STORY THAT DREW TEARS FROM THE EYES
OF THE COURT AND SPECTATORS
From the New York Sun.
There was an impressive scene in the court room
IN Media Thursday at the hearing of the Melville