Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-01-01
OUR BOOK TABLE.
Some Reflections Upon Juvenile
Literature and its Influence.
Building of the Eation-Animal Life
winners in LIES Race-harsh's
Works-Etc.

With the adYent ol seSh MUMMY
attention is drawn with renewed force to
efforts made by the literary world to cater
for youth. No generation has been SO Pc
cullarly favored as the rising one, with rare
good books and marvelously attractive pages.
II the literature Of nation is to be taken as
an Indication OF its mental growth; II it has
the Influence it is generally supposed in mold
ing thought and elevating or degrading the
tastes. VS. may well feel qualification over the
agencies at work among the youth OF the
day to couDteract and negative the baleful
influence of the trashy and demoralizing
literature of which there has been so much
cause of complaint. An examination Of the
holiday books, published for children ex-
clusively, in the present year, reveals the fact
that not only has the highest skill Of designer
and engraver, printer and binder been called
in, but that in the main those writers
best fitted for the peculiar task of addressing
children are engaged. Their efforts are no
longer addressed to the comparative consider
alton between the goody-goody little ones,
who too pure for this world, have been trans.
planted to angelic seats, and the wicked and
wretched lads whose mischievous deeds fitted
them for early hades. Instead, We find such
writer's as Stockton, Greey, Norwood, Knox
Fsirrnan, Trow5ridge, Coffin, Habberton,
Otis, Biart, Brook, Piatt, Smiles, Yonse,
French and host of others addressing the
boys and girls Of this day in natural and
attractive manner, reasoning with them
through the magical iif1snce Of narrative,
informing their minds for good, cultigating
their tastes and quickenipg their appetites
for greater feasts of reason and knowledge, 10
stories, tales and historical recitals. They
transport them to foreign lands, and lay be-
fore them the customs and manners of dis
tant peoples. They carry them with wonder
full ease into the realms of history and invest
cold records with that charm to which the
skilled writer for youth alone holds the key.
They find no difficulty in leading them in the
mazes Of fairy laud of science, and
to the consideration Of the wonders
of natural history, the beauties of the world
of art the intIicaeies of political history, the
depths Of philosophy, the achievements Of
heroes and statesmen and the analysis of the
methods and styles CT the great scholars of
the world. They open to them by the necro-
nancy Of fiction the wonders of the deep,
the vastness of the heavens, the hidden
wealth in the bowels of the earth, and invest
knowledge with such sttractiveness that the
receptive mind Of youth opens wide to if.
Scarcely secondary in this work is the aid art
lends It has put some of the best efforts uf
its entire history upon pages for the criticism
of the juvenile eye, and has proven power
full auxiliary to literary skill. It is a
suggestive fact that these advances have met
wi public appreciation. The publishers
balance sheets establish this truth. Parents
have been educated up to q more serious con-
sideration of the literature their children are
to be Influenced by, and careful observation
proves that the day of trash in books for
youth has gone by. The vile remains. Jour
mails are printed for boys and girls that is
moral contamination, and fish sheets con-
tinue to poison their minds and iufame theiI
passions; but it is some consolation to reflect
that there are many pure magazines and pa
pers for the boys and girls Of the day, and
that they have all the greater attraction fol
youths because the publishers, under compel
tive stimulus are presenting them in thu
best style known to the topographic and the
engraving art.
The Scribners, New York, have published
"The Life Of Major-Genersl George II
Thomas by Thomas B. Van Horne, U
S. A., and it is for sale by A. L. Bancroft
Co., San Francisco. 1t is accompanied by
portrait on steel and by several maps. The
author has done his work upon the basis o
the remark attributed to General Thomas
when he said, "Time and history will do ms
Justice Concerning this the author himself
says: General Thomas, however. desired
that a narrative history of the Army of the
Cumberland should precede all biographical
representations of himself. Il is probable
that he overestimated the direct and suggest
i've force of such narrative to effect his OWL
vindication. and it is certain that he did moi
anticipate the disparsging tenor of histories
published since his death. Justice has moi
been done him, in the opinion of multitudes
who believe him to have been very great
man and General; and there il, there.
fore, need of a book which has been
written to give the well-deined reasons
for this belief. Private and family letters
have been excluded from this volume, in
Difference to General Thomas expressed opin.
ion, that no stfictly personal communications
should be published except with the
consent CT those writing them" Van
Horne concludes his work by ex-
pressing the belief that if resources
and losses are put in the balance against
achievements Thomas had no peer in t5s
war of the rebellion. He believes that bis
manifest capabilities demanded grander op.
portunities than his career in the army of.
forded.; but that within the limits of posi-
bic agreement more complete consonsuce CT
character and career has never been revealed
in history, "snd in both George II. Thomas
was second TO none in representing all that j:
best and noblest 10 the life of the freest an6
greatest nation ON the globe" 1t would be 8
pleasant task, did space permit, to analyzt
the work and point cut the steps by which
the author arrives st verdict to which, with
perhaps somewhat less exubarance, however
the American public give concurrence.
oddities of Southern Life and Charac
ter" is the title of an octave volume by
Henry Watterson. 1t consists of Selection
of the best parts of the books of humorous
writers Of the South. Thus we have foul
stories from Lengstreet's " Georgia Scenes :
four from Hooperfs "Simon Suggs;" thret
from Bsldwin's Flush Times of Alabama ,
fifteen from Thompson's "Msjor Jones' Ad
ventures; :" three by Colonel Crockett (Davy)
a speech by J. Proctor Knott, sHd so OF
through long list. Each division Of tbs
work is introduced by an extended analysis
of the style CT the author whese sketches art
presented. and also some biographies
notes. Some Of MIR. Watterson's selec
tons we do not think are happy
for instance, there is altogether TOT
much space given to the Major Jones
papers, which were not strikingly original
humorous as they were, that method anc
style having been employed by many writer's
He would have done better to have abridged
those papers, and have extended the admir-,
able sketches by Judge Baldwin, Judge Long
street and others. But it is.s very entertain
ing volume, and in the sense that people i;
to be measured largely by the comedy ele
ment in their composition they are suggestive
Certainly they introduce, in q compact form
varied and numerous samples IF the wit Of
the literature of the South. 1t is from the
press of Houghton, Miffliu & Co, Boston
and is for sale by w. A. & G. S. Houghton
Sacramento, at 81 80.
Among the valuable books for children Just
issued is one entitled Facts and Phases Of
Animal Life" by Vernon S. Norwood Mr..
Norwood is prominently identified with the
Eoglish society for the prevention of cruelty
to animals. In this volume he describes, il
simple language, the marvellous orsanizs-
ton, the instinct, sagacity and inventive IA