The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-04-16
re dismissed as scarcely worth report

are dismissed as scarcely worth report
Ing.
But because we are willing 10 accept our
modern heroisn. as no more than Whas
men aud women. boys and girls, shoulu
make a part Of their lives. THIS does no.
I'm any way ahate our interest i'm the days
ard ways ofs long ago. when heroes were
made much OF and their doings tola III
the story or sung in the song that nave
come down to us to read ana ma III
spiratlon in IL Is 10 emphasize or 10 IL
lustrate these ways and days OF ions
ago that this collection Of reprinted pieces
has been brought together into Noiu'he
and styled Heroic Happenings As
ruje IL will be seen that examples OF
youthful heroism have been selected
though certain OF the sketches zeal win
old-order folk or tell OF the surroundings
amid which old-time herosm throNe. IL
thew NAV be found Of interest or OF help
70 the bows and girls Of to-day, In the
way Of developing the heroic element
that is common to an ages and all lands
The nurpose Of the collection will have
we'll been served.
In sending out this volume credit should
be given 10 those 10 whose courtesy or
good will the author is Indebted. Such
Acknowledgement IS due 20 Mr.. George
w Gable who suggested the story OF
"Thc Lost Conqustad0r.' TO Mr.. Henry
Bacon who furnished the eroundWork
for ION the Deck of the orient" TO Miss
a. Hingst. whose researches in connection
with Columbus made possible THE Boy
Of Genoa" and TO Miss Alkaline Ford
ham. whose notes on the reconstructed
castle Of PicrrefonGs afforded material
for "a Medieval stronghold" Credit
should also be given 10 the editors OF
81 Nicholas. Wide Awake, Harper s
Young People. Home and School Nisi-
ter. The Chautauquan. and TO Mr.. >. .
Mcclure for permission to use the stories
verses and sketches previously published
by them.
Under the title Heroic Happenings
Mr.. Eldridge Brooks has given the boys
and girls a book which cannot fail at
once TO interest and 10 instruct them.
The stories are without execution, based
upon actual facts. each Of which has
made the life Of which it is the exponent
an historic and eXalting one, so that the
class Of readers for whom the book is
especially designed by the author cannot
fail TO derive from its perusal the same
character Of benefit which Is the outcome
Of an intelligent study Of good biography
The illustrations are all admirable, those
representing Genoa from the Dorla
Palace" THE Main Entrance TO Castle
Pierrefonds," and "Pierrefonds as Richie
lieu Left It," being particularly good.
From each Of the incidents around
which Brooks weaves his sketch or his
poem he deduces, in a practical, simple
style. its great moral lesson for the bene-
NJ Of his youthful readers but he does it
ftrf hui
manner. touching upon it so naturally
and proceeding with the thread of his
narrative so easily that there is no slight
est SAVIOR of a sermonizing spirit about
them.
In his preface 10 the poem commemorate
ing the "Penitence of Origen.' after
brief illusion 10 the incident dealt with
in the poem, he has the following TO say:
THE lesson that this incident conveys is
true enough and strong enough to be given
the historical setting it has received.
The highest herosm is that which dares
to say after error, L was wrong and
after defeat, I will try again.
Big Drained and strong in mind and
thought,
But faint in heart. in action weak
Too oft our learning profits naught-
He would be brave but fears to speak.
There can be no question as TO the
admirable character Of Heroic Happen
ings" as a book especially adapted 10 aid
the mental and moral growth of our in
telIigent youth, and 1t is equally true that
there is much in the volume which can
not fail to possess interest for even the
most mature in years and development.
There are 80 many frothy and vacuous.
as well as utterly rotten. books daily
being thrust upon the reading public,
which can only weaken the morals and
retard the mental growth Of our eager
intelligent and careless boys and girls,
that the advent Of so sensibly conceived
and admirably executed work as thar
which Mr. Brooks has undertaken in
the publication Of Heroic Happenings
should be hailed with pleasure by all who
recognize the enormous power Of both
very vile and very admirable literature
upon those who read II. Even weak
twaddle. such as the Duchess" spins out
by the yard is caught ut with such avidty
bv a certain not uninteligent class that
the author has accumulated fortune
by the spinning, and with an eye ever
omen to the main chance is still at 1t.
No matter how vile. how weak or how
false q book may be, we all know that
there will be some life into which its
poison will enter; some reader who viii
clutch at 1t with all the morbid eager
ness Of an unhealthy mind. The advent
Of a clean, true strong and sensible book
into the literary world and into the home
is therefore certainly a matter OF congrat-
ulation and pleasure. A. H. H.