The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1889-07-27
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

George Washington. BY Henry Cabot
Lodge. Two vols. New York and Boston:
Houghton. MiIfiin & Co.; Portland Loring.
Short q HARMONY George Washington, the
Father of his Country. has been at home the
most unkindly treated man Of his time.
Having fallen into the hands OF not over
honest country parson who wrote biogra-
ply at a time when books were few aud OBJ
portunities for culture limited. he was loaded
down with that kind Of goodness which In
real life is generally the result of pulmonary
consumption. He then seems to have fallen
into the hands Of conspiracy OF patriotism
which desired to make him the exemplar for
American youth by portraylng a being who
In the great Creedmoor match for the prize
| OF virtue had made a score Of 100 out OF
| possible hundred. or course from that mo-
ment he ceased to be human. became
.Faultily faultless, icly regular. splendldy dull
Dead perfection, no more"
In his two volumes Mr.. Lodge has rendered
the American youth great service by de-
picting Washington as he really was, a great
general, a far-seeing statesman, and strong,
powerful man with red blood in his veins, a
| NS'ceco 6Ouus uoHCct
capable Of being in wild rage when men did
him injustice, and though mainly silent. capa-
BILE also of that vigorous expression which
strawberries the wrath of the righteous
when greatly stirred. No one can feel that
Mr.. Lodge stlnts his praise or fails to wor-
| ship at the shrine. But the praise and wor-
| ship are alike directed to the great man who
led our armies with eonsummate patience
and skill. whose character and dignity were
the support Of the infant nation, whose
craftsmanship carried US through all the
troubles OF our earlier years, aud whose
counsel has matched the ripened wisdom of
our dav OF strength; ard not at all to the
model for American youth, the dead and
| hopeless perfection Of which was weari-
| ness to the flesh and perpetual temptation
to nirth. As natural revolt against per-
fectiou which human nature will not endure
even IN a hero dead and gone. there has been
| growing a sort OF feeling that Washington
was himself to blame for the figure that
has been dressed up for history, and though
few have dared to disturb publicly the rep
| utation agreed upon there has been much of
| that detractive communication between man
and man which 81 often undermines even
what seems the established fame Of great
man. Perhaps one of the most interesting
| and valuable parts Of this biography is the
| vigorous defense Of Washington distinctive
character as a representative American. To
show how absurd the resemblance attempted
to be set up by the phrase mongers between
him and the English country gentleman, the
grouping Of the facts OF his life, his career as
| a frontiersman. as an Indian fighter, rs own
| er OF lands then far West purchased from
| his own knowledge as a surveyor and with
such skill as to make his fortune, his Revo-
lntionary career and State papers-the
| grouping In fact of all the prominent events
OF his life is done in such telling fashion that
the reader wonders how anybody could have
tried to make anything foreign out of ca
reer SO distinctly American in life and
thought sd
Mr.. Lodges book, written in vivid style
full of viger and full Of love for the subject,
will do much to give back to this generation
the George Washington of real life. great
man fitted not to adorn the pedestal of i'm.
| possible perfection, but to cope, with strong
hand and high heart with the hurry burly of
life in its widest moments of revolution,
and ther to guide with wsest craftsmanship
anewly builded nation setting out through
the seething waters about the stormy shore
into the wide ofing where the tempests of a
century have tossed in vain.
| Inside Our Gate. By Christine Chaplin
Brush. Boston: Roberts Brothers. Port
land; Loring, Short q Harmony. The charm
| Ing story Of The Coloneps Opera Cloak. in
the mo Name Series" is doubtless remem-
bered by our readers, who will for that rea-
son cordially welcome Mrs. Booths new
| volume entitled Inside Our Gate. 1t Is not a
novel but series OF bright, piquant and de-
lighful sketches of home life and expert
ence, told with much humor and not little
pathos.
Heart Stories. BY Theodore Bartlett
New York and London: G. p. Putnam's
Sons; Portland: Loring, Short & Harmony.
The early death Of Mr.. Bartlett, which cut
short his literary career so sadly, gives one
an unusual interest in this little volume.
which opens with the tender and pathetic
story OF Lyddy, which received the prize for
''the best piece of fiction ever presented by
American writers"-offered by a well known
ment OF the award reached St Paul Mr..
Bartietps home. the first SHOWS OF the early
northwestern winter lay lightly on his
grave" The book contains, besides sketch
OF the arthor. The Charity Ball, A Christ
mas Story, and three POEMS Mr.. Bartletts
prose Is much better than his verses; but in
all one traces the lovabIe and interesting
traits OF the man who wrote them. A dis
tinguished novelist who knew him Intimate
~ says: mo one was ever so pure, so faith
full, so generous. / used to call him nv Sir
Galahad
Days Out of Doors. BY Charles G. All
bolt. New York: ID. Appleton 81 Co. Po,t-
land: Stevens Il jones'. John Burroughs
has been accepted as our man aield for
small beasts and birds, but place alongside
him must not be denied TO Mr.. Abbott, who
gives us the pleasant and humanizing book
OF the above title. Mr.. Abbott loves nature.
and the smallest thing that Iuns, creeps
or flies within its domain. lie is no indoor
naturalist, but goes abroad by day and rig hit
in all sorts OF weather. and views Nature as
she is. We have read this book through
with great interest, and hope that many will |
do the like.
Our Journey To The ,Hebrides, by Joseph |
Pencil and Elizabeth Robins Pennell. |
New York: Harper & Brothers. For sale |
10y Loring, Short & Harmon. A fascinating
DOCK as to cover, type and paper, with
charming illustrations. Its contents are
varied ana interesting marred only by the
unfortunate state of mind of our travellers.
we neg Mr.. and Mrs. Pennell when next
.ney Journey Tor our benefit not to 90 on
ioof' since their fatigue permeates every
page OF this, otherwise delightful volume.