New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-08-16

,ion Of numerous problems respecting the interior
~ Africa His practical experience was sup
,lemented by the careful study OF every accesssi-
| be book on the subjects he took up. The variety
of topics which he treated IL worthy or notce'
| Mr. Markham has not only told the story OF Ken
neIl,s life but has given an idea In each case OF
h,s moro important writings. The biography,
scientific as IL is is one to surround with the air
y, romance the study Of geography. 1t is per-
hans worth while to mention slip OF pen or
,vnes on page lO9. which makes Herodotus say
no. tho Frvntian cubit was equal to the Saman
stadium. The footnote in which this error &C.
curs is confused but II would perhaps be right
I'D h. tho omission OF the word "stade' where
:. orst occurs The volume belongs to THE Cen
fury Science Series" edited by Sir Henry f.
Roscoe.
Another volume In the same series written by
Sir Henry Roscoe himself. Is devoted TO the hie
or John Dalton. the Quaker philosopher Of Man
chester who perfected. II he did not wholly orig
mate the Atomic theory upon which modern
chemistry is based. The biography Is that o.
simple-mlnded man born among the hills OF Cum
! berand who retained to his last day the dia-
Loot of the dales as well as the peculiarites OF
sneech characteristic OF the Friends His scen-
,iac Study and experiment were marked by equal
simnlicty n he could attain his object with an
ale glass and a churchwarden pipe he wasted no
time on more elegant laboratory fittings While
his international fame rested on his Atomic the
Dry his Investigations were endless. For example.
he made In his lifetime 100000 meteorological OBJ
eeryations lie was almost the first to study the
nhenomena Of color-blindness. and he was his
own subject His defect In coloT perception was
such that he scandazed his staid Quaker mother
hv presenting her with pair of stockings, drao
in his ewes. but uncommon scarcity" to her and
! her neighbors.
.r,,,o lifa NJ Charles Francis Barnard told by
AR Tiffany is that Of man who not only light
ened tho burdens Of the poor but also the Sc
vere Righteousness OF the well-to-do. When he
| hogan his work as a preacher to poor children
in Ros,on he found that even nature itself, with
It's flowers and leaves and bright coors. was
| under a sort Of threat Of accommodation lie
had flowers plenty of them, in the chapel when
he and the children built for themselves He
| oorrod from, some who could not understand him
the name Of the dancing parson." but to the
author Of this sympathetic biography he was
worthy to be reckoned az a benefactor OF hu-
manitv along with Oberlin and Howard. with
Horace Mann and Or. Howe, with Florence
NIGHTINGALE. land the great brotherhood and Sis
terhood of charity" Those OF like mind with MN,
can hardly do better than to read the lie OF 'his
son Of Harvard who devoted his education and
his energy to the work Of making this HE ana
the next happier for the poor of Boston.
Hatred Of Archbishop Laud is probably no
longer one u the passions of English history. Ger
| tainly Mr. Hutton gives many reasons why IL
should not be- Instead OF wanton tyrant a
secret Papist. the great Prlmate becomes In MS
hands a pious guardian OF the English Church'
II was I.aud who preserved to the Church OF
England both her catholicity and her freedom
That he loved form and ceremony is admitted
but he is permitted to say in his own behalf tnat
his best reason for loving them was thelr
effect In conducting TO reverence TOT sa-
cred things. To those who read Mr.. hutton
hook Laud will seem a kindly man. but like other
men of his time. constrained by intense convlc-
lions and bitter prejudces. Especially In the mar
rative Of his trial-a trial almost outside the
forms of law-are the personal merit. sef-re'
straint and dignity of the man made to shine in
comparison with the haste and insolence OF those
who prosecuted him. Those who have not read
Gardeners history will be prepared for Mr. Hut
toms views Those who have depended on the
rhetoric Of Macaulay and the bitter filings OF car
lvle can temper their opinions by the contrast
which Mr. Hutton's book places before their
minds
Mr. Abbotts memoir of the late Mayor Harri-
run or Chicago is lively as It's subject MT
Harrison was wonderfully clever in meeting the
wishes and needs of the great community over
which he presided for so many years. He had au-
dacity. he had marvellous skill in political man
agement and Mr.. Abbott insists that he had
honesty though he does admit that on one oc-
casion at least Mr. Harrison disngenuous.
As depicted in this book he ready OF speech
and an eager political fighter. with a born Ken
tuckian's full share Of physical courage loyal TO
the interests Of his adopted city as he under
stood them and successful in material way at
least in promoting those interests. His admins
tratlon does not seem to have raised chicago
above the sweeping condemnation which Mr..
Bryce levelled at cities In general throughout the
United States As a university man he had the
advantage Of many a city executive in point OF
education. and II he was familiar with the ms
and outs of ward politics ne was also clever
enough to chat on easy terms with Prince Bis
marck He was rather proud OF the fact that
the Prince approved his treatment Of the Chicago
Anarchists after the Haymarket riot. Mr.. Abbott
credits his hero also with talent az a writer. and
there are certainly entertaining passages in Mr..
Harrison's account OF trip around the world.
His own book is a study Of character which
may in time be used typical OF phase in
the history of American politics
In her biography Of Queen Victoria Milcent
Garrett Fawcett dwells especially on the early
years OF the woman. whose life on throne has
been so long and 80 beneicent The narrative
describes a career in which there Is almost
cause for regret save that the good are not i'm
mortal From infancy Victoria had the gift
genius II would be called in person not royal
of saying and doing the best things that circum-
stances made possible. II malicious courtier
in his secret journal denied her beauty a lit
tie princess. he could not deny that she was
graceful. But. as to Greville's description of her
as short. plain-lookng child 1t should be re-
meInbered that ~ p. Willis thought her "un-
necessarily pretty and interesting for the heir