Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1897-05-04
LITERARY.
Notes on the New Books.
information for Readers on Late
Publications.

Pinckney and Mercy Warren, in their
series of "Women of the Colonial and
Revolutionary Times" The first
named is by Harriott Horny Ravenil,
whose fathers sister preserved from
the flames a collection of the original
letters of Mrs. Pinckney, and these
form the most charming portions of
the narrative. The author has forti-
fed herself with careful examination
Of contemporary documents and gives
us an interesting picture of the life
and times in which her heroine lived
and moved. The companion volume
on Mercy Oils Warren is from the
pen of Alice Brown, writer who has
also delved deeply and faithfully and
successfully at the roots of the tree of
knowledge of our distinguished
national ancestry. She has ransacked
the annals of old Plymouth and
Dedham and the result is>a most
readable panoramic review of the
revolutionary period. Mercy Warren
was a woman Of some literary and
poetical talents and her writings are
full of admirably drawn sketches Of
the public men of her generation.
These books are indispensable to
well-selected family or public library.
They give US in Photographic detail
pictures of the times, manners aud
morals of the founders of this nation.
Dolly Madison, Margret Winthrop
and Martha Washington are the rest
Of the series.
"America and the Amer cans, from
French Paint of View" is the most
readable book of its kind of the year.
1t IS written from the standpoint of
French gentleman, who has position
in his own country and hence has no
temptation to seek his fortune here as
an immigrant or to flatter the Ameri
can people in the interest of royalties
on sales Of his book. He has letters of
introduction to public men and en-
trance to the best private families
and the highest social circles. He
takes time to visit out cities and to
stay in the country and visit our in
stitutions and places Of public resort.
The notes he takes were not origin
ally intended for publication and he
has only been persuaded to publish on |
condition that his name be not |
known. He has thus given us as frank |
and readable a picturing in print as
any people would like to see of them !
selves. The volume is an excellent |
counterpart of Max O'Rell's book on
America, but has richer flavor as
work of critical analysis. Ch harles
Scribner's Sons, of New York, have
published this volume with poster
binding, wide margins and annota-
tions that make it a delight to have
and read.
In its May number the Atlantic
Monthly will contain two instructive |
articles on life in rural New England |
and the problems presented by the
rush Of the population to great cities.
One of these articles is a study OF q |
remote village which has not been
reached by modern methods OF life.
The native characteristics, which
were not very long ago shared by a
large part of the rural population of
New England, now seem so remote as
almost to be regarded as curiosities.
This sympathetic sketch shows the
life of the village in all its phases.
The other study is of farming town
which has indeed kept somewhat
apace with modern progress, but still
retains the features of the old rural |
life. Its accurate and faithful pict-
ures of these country towns now seem
almost like descriptions of another |
civilization, so far removed are they
from the characteristic modern bus
tie of city life. All the important
problems which have risen in the
recent shifting of population and
changes of industry are illustrated in
these sketches,-the drifting away
from the old religious faiths, the loss
of leadership to a certain extent, the
decline of local patriotism from its
old fervor. Yet there are many at
tractiye features OF this life-the
leisure that the people have, their
good nature, the companionship and
the old-fashioned neighborly qualities
which they retain.
The recent growth ana increase OF
societies in which eligibility to men,
bership depends upon the deeds of an
cestors, has resulted in a great re-