New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-01-09

again we are compensated for absent eleineh's
by others which In themselves OF high Vaiue.
1t would not be easy to exaggerate the value OK
these fragmentary papers They are purely
fragments Mr. Roosevelt writes as he might
speak In public; there is a careless spontahelty
which robs the pages Of symmetry and repose.
But 1t cannot take away the practically OF the
man, II cannot deprive him Of his authority as
one who relishes politics hugely and writes or
his experiences with unquenchable gusto' MT.
Roosevelt has a due sense Of the Importance OF
education but what he particularly values -
the pluck of the man who carries his education
out into the busy world and there uses 1t as
means to an end He despises the diettante
and the Mugwump. Let us be men. he declares
and let US be Americans The book is really
nlea for patriotism not unlike that put forth
by Mr. Lodge though perhaps a trfc more pict-
uresquoly expressed. Much Of the matter in TINS
book is drawn from the periodicals in which Mt
Roosevelt has described his adventures as
politician and an administrator some or me
pages make dry reading. They deal with ISSUES
over which 1t is difficult to grow very much eA-
cited now But there are some good stories 10
enliven the text-stories Of politicians ana ther
dongs- and the whole, the BOOK IS rellh-
ouished with a sense of gratitude to Mr. Roose-
Welt for his earnest feeling and his straghtfor-
ward discussion of questions Of the day
Mr. Arlo Bates in his Talks on Literature"
gives himself over to a task which the essayist
might decline since anything like this consecu-
tive and ddactic treatment of letters is hate
ful to the true disciple of Montaigne and Lamp.
| At the same time 1t the bounden duty Oh
Mr. Bates to borrow some of the essayists tools
| Each one of his talks. though tacitly linked 10
| the next should have been endowed with
| color of its own. 1t should have been tnaue
| piouant original attractive for Its own s'lNe
| Some few flowers Of style should have peeh
strewn over its natural duness. But MT BATES
has preferred to expose his dulness naked 10 'ne
world He is prosy. commonplace as l"'N'''s :"
intellectual vivacty as bad eAal"'""''o"
paper The ploddng student may derive rum
him some passably servceabe instruction nu'
the reader who goes to him for some doWf'''7"t
stimulus will be sorely disappointed. 80 VIII
he be who goes to Mr.. Frank preston H'c'i"'
for cdihcaticn and delight "Modein hhe"Sh
Prose Writers" is a thoughtful, clos ~ written
| hook and contains some respectable aHd!Se'
| ~ imnortant writer's. but there are no IDEAS III
II at once fresh and conciating MT. S'''I"S
saws OF Matthew Arnold that no belonged 10
the same class of minds as Lowell ana paF'u
A Wasson and il is difficult L. say Whlch 90 '"e
| two he more nearly reseinblrd IL N"9 mo-,
ike Lowell In his poetry and IKE NaS9'" !"
his prose without being as witty as Lowe" OF
as profound as WATSON" This is certainly
fresh But is it true? Mr. St'arHs Is usu""'
go conventional in his views that ne Is tIt's"'"'
and when he leaves the beaten U"'N ~ 10
merely frcakish. OF Miss Chapman No'"''''
marriage Questions in Modern flc'l""' anu
other Essays on Kindred SUBJECTS We S''"'"
be glad to say something utpan'' o"' Wv
IS impossi blc to read with any 'e'""SH " '''''
faction. ON the contrary au''e
tioual bore