Omaha daily bee., 1889-01-27

The contents of this very readable
and pleasant volume by q we'll known
traveller ana writer had already APP
pearcd in the columns OF the New York
Evangelist. In book form it pleases
less than as correspondence because a
reader expects more. and is not satisfied
with mere charms OF style, and with
such facts rs are easily found because
they lie upon the surface. Yet the story
OF the great siege is retold with much
vivacity, and cannot fail to interest
even an apathctic reader. And the de-
scription Of the artillery aud the bat
teries would be very impressive if Cap
tain Xalinski had not perfected the
pneumatic gun, so that hundred ton
guns and similar monsters have lost
their tcrrOrs for Americans. But IL is
surprising that DIR, Field makes no mem
ton Of the monkeys of the Rock OF Glib
raltar. the great attraction OF The place
in times past. One would think by his
silence that they have disappeared,
which would be sad news. for they were
living witnesses of the primeval time
when Europe and northern Africa were
united, and when there was no Ponent
or Western Mediterranean.
luz I htSlDLNIS OF HE UNITED STATES
From WAsHINGToN TO CLEvELASD-lllus-
tratcd with portraits. Octave. Price
$3.50, Written by John Frost; continued
to the present time by Harry NJ. French.
Published by Lee ~ Shepard, Boston.
OF course the American world is well
acquainted with the scholarly and un-
preiudiced work of DR.. Frost, aud the
chief interest in the present volume is
in the continuation by Mr.. French. 1t
cannot be said that the work has been
done in an adequate manner, and it is
by no means equal to tho first part. The
life of Lincoln is particularly unsatis-
factory. and the writer seems to have
been ignorant Of many circumstances of
the highest Importance which have
been long quasi-public property before
their publication in the Century Maga-
zine. sic sempcr URANUS is not,
and never was the motto of the state of
Virginia, but sic scmper tyrannis,"
which is a very different matter.
Mr.. French had more sympathy
with Grant, but he thought it neces-
sary TO conceal the transactions which
led to the generals surrender of all his
swords, medals and gifts of every kind
to William II. Vanderbilt, so that the
hero of the country did not own a single
sword THAT could be placed beside him
in his coffin.
From LADY WAsnISGToN TO MRs. CLEvE-
LAND. Octave. Price 81 80. BY Lydia L..
Gordon. Published by Lee & Shepard,
Boston.
1t is somewhat difficult to form y just
Judgment of a book written in u style
that is lamentably coarse at times, both
in language and ideas. But it is prob
able that the lady who compiled tho
present volume allowed herself to be
influenced by the works she consulted
more than she herself realized. No one
can read the accounts Of Mrs. Andrew
regretting that more care was not taken.
1t Is not certain that such q book at the
present is called for at all, or that the
wives OF presidents ought to be consid-
cred as historical personages. But it is
certain that the author in compiling her
work has been unfaithful to the last de-
gree, and has written aboutth domestic
concerns of each Of the presidents rather
than of the ladies who lived in
the white house. No doubt it
would have been difficult to have
found much matter that treated directly
of the wives of our presidents, and this
was DECClSclN DcCduSo III JlIlcS DusU
they we're not considered as proper sub
jects for history. This is a vein of
bookmaking that does not commend
itself to the serious thinker, and per-
haps it will be we'll if it is discontinued.
1T would be terrible if with every life of
u great man there should be a compan-
ion volume of the life Of the wife of the
great man.
ANDERsONvlLLE VIoLETs. Octavo; price
$3.50. BY Herbert w. Collingwood. Pub
lished by Lee ~ Shepard, Boston.
This Is a story Of Andersonville
prison as told by both sides, and it has
been written in the benevolent belief
that the war is over forever, that
we have but one common flag, one COM
mon country, and that everything is
lovely in the very best Of worlds. The
writer belongs to New Jersey, and it is
possible that men living there may en-
q colored man in Walakah, Miss, he
might doubt, and II he were a white
man and a man Of wealth and
education and refinement, living
in Pierre Or Sioux Falls, Oak, he
would not doubt at all. For he would
know that the south is for the union
II the union is for the south, and not
otherwise. The whole public policy of
the south is sectional, and the great
northwest knows 1T, and resents it
deeply. So much for the view. AS for
the idea Of inoculating politics through
the pages of a novel, most readers will
resent hat also, for it is too much like
the jalap in the spoonful of jam, so alb
horrent to childhood.
UNDER THE MAGNoLIAs. 12mo, cloth, 81 so.
BY Lyman w. Denton. Published by
Funk & Wagnalls, New York.
DR.. Denton is a vigorous prohibition
list, and incidentally an all-round re-
former. He has written u book called
Under the Magnolias," which is u de-
scripIion in narrative form of the doings
and sayings Of Frances NJ. Willard at a
prohibition convention in one of the
southern states. Incidentally suffrage
reform is insisted upon, but the author
has not defined his meaning to himself.
Such men seldom do. All he sees is
that it is illogical and unjust that ig-
norant colored men, and foreigners
who may be, and often are, llliterate
and either socialistic, anarchistic or nj
hilistic, should be given the privilege
of voting which is denied to
American ladies', and to American
young men of fifteen, intelligent, edu-
Gated and patriotic. This is not reform,