The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-03-26
BOOK NEWS AND REVIEWS.

AarE AND ADVENTURES or GEoRoE AUous-
aus sALA. written by himself Two vol
umes. with portrait. Charles Scribner's
Sons, New York; Preston a. Rounds.
Providence,
Two volumes OF the pleasantest sort OF
familiar talk, with many anecdotes, much
humor, some gentle sarcasm, modicum
of shrewd estimate OF things passing,
plenty OF good fellowship and large
measures Of the real milk OF human kind
ness--how better could George Augustus
Sala bid farewell TO the realms that have
for two decades known him and cherished
him and licensed him TO discourse about
events and peoplef
There are many hours OF pure delight TO
be gotten from these books, but they
ought not to be looked upon by critic.
He would find quantities OF temptations
for his pen-in the form and the sub
stance, in grammar, in construction, In
plan, in the taste that did not omit and
prune and exercise and condemn and
edit, in the everlasting al, and In many
specifications. Yet whoever attacks
all these vulnerable points will find him.
self quite out OF harmony with the popu-
lar verdict, which cannot help being to
the effect that the book is a solace, cure
And that is all that can be said OF it,
except that to writers for the press IL is
valuable as showing newspaper methods
and customs in London during the time
the present great papers were ranging up
alongside the one great paper OF the
past--The Times. Sala, was, and is,
sublimated shack" writer. Almost
everything that the public would read he
furnished. He declares that he was not
reporter, yet nothing is more evident
than that he was little else than re-
porter. He went TO see criminals hanged,
he wrote up EXPLOSIONS, he fol-
lowed royalty about to weddings
and funerals and enthronements
and dethronements; he went TO wars
and he chased rumors of wars; he ap-
peared TO be at the beck OF the editor OF
The Daily Telegraph, and was often kept
on the rail, flying from one European
capital to another, months at stretch.
He never worked under a contract, but
his time was for many years entirely at
the command OF The Daily Telegraph, for
which he wrote voluminously upon every
topic that came up. He wrote for many
other period icals, including Dickens
"Household Words" "Temple Bar"
"Belgravia," and "Al the Year Round"
lie wrote books OF travel and novels. He
made all things pay. as he declares over
aud over in his "Life" that for many
years his income was never less than
e2000-which is nearly as much as John
Wanamaker pays the man who writes his
advertisements. Ssla was the friend of
potentates and the acquaintance of kings.
Hesucceeded W here others failed because of
his genial personality. He really had ad-
venturesl He was arrested in Paris as
Prussian spy when the German army was
closing in on Paris, and only got out of
prison an hour before the Commune took
possession OF the city and began
TO chop of the heads of those sup
posed to sympathize with the Teuton in
vaders He experienced some very lively
times, in Spain, in Italy, in Rusoia, in
Mexico, in our own war OF the rebellion,
rs well as in France, and he tells them
for all they are worth. He met many
celebrated people, including the greatest
of earth in his times, and he appears TO
have reduced them all TO the common CO.
efficient OF convivial good fellowship, and
extracted from them whatever syrup of
manliness and good cheer they could
yield. He SKINNED the surface
always; but he got, at least,
clean and sweet-savored froth When
the book has been read it is entertaining
10 ponder upon why one likes it's de-
lightedly absorbed in it--and why Sala
was so popular, so much read and so
sought after by the newspaper editors of
London.
The fourth volume OF McMaster's "His-
tory OF the People of the United States"
is just at hand, aud can now only receive
an outline notice, reserving the right to
make such critical remarks as a thorough
reading may suggest, though acquaint-
ance with the preceding volumes has
prompted only admiration, and gratitude
10 the tireless and talented auth hor. The
volume opens with the repeal OF
the British Orders in Council and the
close OF the armistice concluded just
before the surrender of Hull, and takes up
the story OF the second war for indepen-
dence, carrying it through to its conclu-
sion spiritedly and interestingly, closing
with very full and valuable chapter
upon the tE.aty OF Ghent. Here begins a
new era in American history, the fighting
for existence being over and the energies
OF the country turned permanently to the
task of'economic and social up building.
and the remainder OF the volume is given
60 our economic history. There are
chapters devoted TO "The Disorders OF
he Currency" "The Tariff OF 1916" "The
Routes of transportation" "The Fish
,ries and Boundaries" "The Seminole
War, ."foiitical Reforms" "Hard Times
and Banking" "Pauperism and
Crime," "Tho American Bible and Colon
ization Societies." "slavery Beyond the
Mississippi" etc. The volume is illus
tated with many diagrams, and maps in
outline and in color.
The Messrs Appleton have inaugurated
series of little books upon "various
branches OF knowledge" which promises
to be quite valuable. The first volume is
"The Story OF the stars" and Is an ont
line of astronomy sufficient for the pur-
poses OF the young student who desires
TO get q comprehensive Rrnsn OF the