The times., 1897-12-26
Moro Colonial Homes.

| The ubiquitous antiquarians in search
| of fuel for the fire OF patriotic colonial
| interest are covering the same ground
! in some Instances Not long ago We
gave an account of a volume by Marion
Earland. descriptive OF old pre- -Revolu-
tionary homes, and since then there has
| appeared tw Guud -cinIDs, hy ) ydney George
J Fish sr, on Men. Women and Manners OF
| Colonial Times" In large part the in-
4 tent of the looks is Identical some OF
the places described in each are tie same.
but Mr TisheI s work is much more com
! prehensivc, ard, borrowing from the lati-
! tude of his subject he has been able TO
! give q diversified flavor which is charm
| ing Mt. Fisher is not merely ounnois
! Saur OF his subject but he is o graceful
| historian, two accompl lishuents which
| blend with happy resultant in his spir-
tied ana synioath hetic accounts If the men
! and women of the middle of the laEt cen
tury
Mr.. Fisher calls attention 10 a significant
fact for the reason of The interest, aside
from patriotic motives, which the study
OF the colonies has for US. Ii is their va
riety. From Ma chusetts 10 the Carolinas s
tho traveller naSsed through communities Of
such distinct indi, iduahtics that they We're
almost like different nations. Each had
been foul;dcd fcr a reason and n purpose
of it's own. Each had set Of opinions AMI
laws peculiar to itself and il was not un
common tC lind the laws and opinions II
me a contra diction To thote of anoth T
Speaking OF the growing realization of
our o.ilieations to oIr forefa hers, the
wri'er saws:
We are re-discovering the debt we owe
To the colonies. We are turning TO n
vestiGate every detail OF colonial life with
a loving devotion whichit is hoped may be
a sign of stronger national feeling, or at
least OF an attempt to have true ma
tlunal feeling, and 10 give mp the So-calied
cosmopulitanism and vulgar worship OF
everything foreign which so long has been
our Dane.
Referring TO the effects of the ineyit4S'e
influence If this new association ne points
TO architecture as one of the things most
significantly affected by it. The Revolt
ton killed architecture, and the art Of
building detcriorated steadily until the ii Ill
war. wneb I'VE were in reign of horrors,
with tic scroll saw OF the carpenter trium-
phant.' The Centennial Exposition Of
1876 launched a positive influence, labelled
Ron anesque. syitli ali manner of grotesqIe-
ness and individual conceit, but even hat
has been overcome and We have discovered
that here 81 home we have Il type better
worth read0pting.
one can infer the actual subject Of
Mr.. FiSneiS chapters from their relative
titles Cavaliers and Tobacco can refer
only to The Eirginians. Puritans and
Philosophy characteIizes the Massachusetts,
colOnistS. The Land of Steady ibitS
is, OF course, a chapter on Connecticut,
Just as Rhode Island, because OF Roger
Williams, is pleasantly disguised under IFS
other name, The Isle of Errors. The
White Mountains and the Green caps 4
cha pter Which Tecites the virtues of the
Vermont and New Hampshire forcfathris.
Quaker Prosperity needs no synonym, bat
Nova CaeSarl will not stand in all min is
as al once significant of New Jersey.
Manhattan and the Tappan Zee is Il research
into the men and manners OF early New
York; Turitar and Catholic on the Chesa
peakc is palpabIy Indicative of Maryland
colonial lore; Landgra YES, Pirates and
Casiques is devoted to the Carolinas:
and 3ankrupts, Spaniards and Mulberry
Trees closes the volume with study in
Georgian coionsts. The pictures are all
beautiful and appropriate. No better or
mure divertine book could be presented
for a Gift at any time than Mr.. Fisher
Men, Women. and Manners of Col 11ial
Times" Flfiiadelphia: ]. 3. Lippincptt
Sons. SD