The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1897-12-17

about dozen biographies of heroes of
that olden time, embracing such names
CYRUS, Darius, Alexander, Romulus,
Hannibal, Julius Caesar and Nero.
These are all volumes of convenient size,
AND INTENSELY INTERESTING.
Goirg over the Alps into Continental
Europe we shall perhaps find more diff"
ficultV of choice, as in old time there
were such an infinite multitude Of tribes,
that anything like national life and ma
ti0nal history was almost impossible.
However there are good many books
that give pictures of the older history of
Germany and France from various points
of view; among them l may m ntion
Bohn's histories and also series of books
of moderate size called the students his
tories.
l have lately been reading small his
tory of Germany written by Miss YOnge
that tells the story briefly and in very
pleasing way. Next and perhaps not
least in Importance comes the history of
England which we call our Mother coun-
try. Historians without number have
tried their hand at telling the story, no.
tably, Hume, Macaulay, Froude, Knight,
and host of others all too large for our
present purpose. But for a course in
English history of reasonable dimen-
sions, | should take Green's Short his
tory of the English People; and Justin
McCarthy's history of our Own Times.
The former begins at the Roman
conquest and comes down nearly
or quite to the reign of Victoria,
while the latter begins with the
death of William ", and brings the
tory down to the year 1897. Last
out not least one should read the history
of the United States. And here you cam
not go astray. BancT oft, Sparks, Irving,
Barkman, and host of others have told
the story or some part thereof, and if
these are too yoluminous any bookseller
can sell you history of convenient size,
and not too hard to read. l have in my
library small work by Anderson which
like very much. He does not pretend
to tell the story himself, but he makes
extracts from larger histories and weaves
them together SO as to form connected
| narrative.
| In addition to the works already men,
toned, may again call your attention to
Abbott's histories of great men in all
ages, as a convenient and interesting sup
plement to the general story Of national
life, the world over. In addition to his
tory and nearly related thereto, we may
note books of travel, whereby we learn
of the present condition of remote parts
of our own land, and of countries beyond
our own borders. AS works Of this sort
have in mind the books of Bayard Tay.
lor, which although written some years
ago are yet good authority, as foreign
peoples do not change as rapidly as We
do. Many years ago L read work which
was to me intensely fascinating, bearing
the title
STEPHENS TRAVELS IN CENTRAL AMER
ICA,
wherein Hon john L. Stephens
United States minister to Guatemala tells
the story of the buried cities and an
Gent ruins that tell of those old-time
peoples who in the long ago dwelt OF
that narrow strip of land that forms the
physical connection between the two
Americas. II one desires to read some
thing less bulky on the same subject
Baldwin's Ancient America will be
found very convenient substitute
For the story of Africa as it exists tc
day, the travels Of DuChaillu will be
found most interesting and valuable
and if TO these we add the works Of
Livingstone and Stanley, we shall have
about all that the brightest minds car
possibly remember. Should you desire
to penetrate the secrets of the far north
land the works of DIR Kane, Lieut. Greeley
Nansen and others who have braved the
frost king in bis own realm will give
Iyou the desired information. Turn we
now TO reading of a more distinctively
literary character and this we will con-
slider under two heads, viz, Prose and
Ipoetry. OF the former, essays come first
to mind, and / recall some six essayists
that are well worthy Of perusal. First
comes Macaulay, very voluminous
writer in this direction, and yon would
Iperhaps not find time to take In his four
Tor five volumes; but his essays, on
Warren Hastings. Lord Give, John
Milton, john Bunyan, Lord Ba-
icon, Frederick the Great and DR.
johnson will be found interesting as
narratives, while they are masterpieces
OF English expression. Next In order