The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-08-07
LITERATURE OF THE DAY.
MODERN CHARACTERISTICS"
is BY ANDRE LIE BON

A New Edition of @. p. Putnam's
tions"-"Torn Sails" Another
Story of Welsh Life, by the Au-
thor of "NIifanwy"-''The jug
gler," Charles Egbert Craddock.
G. P. Putnam's Sons, publishers of
the excellent and widely known "Sto-
rles of the Nations" are bringing out
that series in a new and tasteful cloth
cover of dull green, with modest dec
Grafton in gold-a binding better adapt
ed for library use than the scarlet COW
ers in which the cloth bound style was
formerly supplied, although the latter
Will still be furnished to readers who
desire to keep their sets uniform in the
original style of binding.
The latest issue in the series is
Modern France-17S9-1S95," by Andre
LIE Bon, member of the French cham
Der Of deputies. NJ LIE Bon is master
Of his subject and is possessed of a
clear and charming style. With him
CONCESSION does not mean dryness and
he has accomplished the very unusual
feat of making a highly condensed mar
rative attractive by virtue of its man
l.
Bon has the further advantage of not
writing as a partisan, whatever his
feelings may be. No outline of the
volume could be better than his own.
He says:
LAS to my conception Of the book, it
was imposed upon me by the subject
itself. After the formidable outbreak
of the French Revolution and the
events OF the French empire, civil
equality triumphed, but all problems
connected with the political organiza-
ton of the country, with public liberty
and the advent of democracy, remain
ed unsolVed, and while the first phase
ran its course, power was centered in
a propertied middle class extremely
restricted in number. This phase end
ed In two revolutions-the revolution
or 1850, which the middle class itself
got up in order to break the power Gf
royalty; and that of 1S4S, promoted by
the democracy against the middle class,
which had shown itself too inert and
TOO short-sishted to extend the suffrage
In proper time.
From 1913 to 1870 there lasted a Sec
ond phase, during which the electorate,
now recruited by universal suffrage and
master all at once Of the situation
chose TO abdicate its functions in favor
OF a dictator rather than see it's SOW
ereignty called into question by the old
PNiAtiNeii pdIlISS. Anu once again lib
erty was the sufferer. It had failed to
secure the progressive development of
parliamentary Institutions and was
thrust aside In order that popular right,
winch IS political equality, might pro-
claim its power Enthusiastically
After the ruin and shame of the Sec
ond empire, equality still subsisted and
liberty returned. France is at present
engaged on the task of finding out a
modus vivendi for both which shall
contribute to the pr, gress Of democ1 acy.
Inc Undertaking is all the more difficult
tEat the instruction Of the people.
which ought to have preceded the
change, has Jagged slowly after it,"
Inc only fault the reader Is inclined
TO ind with NJ. LIE Bon's volume Is
that II devotes too little space to the
political history Of France since the fail
OF the second empire. The author hesi-
tates to record the present or forecast
the immediate future Of his country.
though these are the points which are
or most vital interest to the modern
reader. To the third republic he de-
VOTES a scant twenty pages, briefly
pointing out the important crises of tho
last tWenty-three years and indicating
the extreme completely of the present
situation between the Monarchists, the
portion of the Conservative wing ex
cIUsively devoted to the interests of the
church, the dissensions among the Re-
prbilcans proper and the activity Of
the socialists. His final observation Ia
that' In spite Of all, France is peaceful
y living and developing its resources,
side by side with and independentJv
OF the sterile agitations of her politi-
clans" Poii'i-
as a whole, M. LIE Bon's volume ia
even more philosophy than history-as
al condensed history should be. 1t is
not only resume Of the life of France
Tor the last hundred years, but a. kew
10 mat lie as we'll, and students of the
VARIOUS periods of French history
Which it covers cannot do better than
10 10 read other documents by the light of
NJ. lie Bon's clear apprehension Of the
meaning and drift of things.
one of the particularly noteworthy
points in the plan of the book is the
insertion, at the end Of the account of
eacn great period treated, of chapter
dealing with the DEVELOPMENT Of letters
arts and sciences during that neriod
with brief consideration of the effect
OF political influences in that develop
ment The subject is a fascinating one
and doubtless NJ. LIE Bon would have
been GLAD had the limits Of his yoIume
permitted him greater freedom in it's
treatment, but even as 1t is these chap
ters VIII be found stimulating and sug-
seStIES 10 the general reader, as we'll
as to the student.
'&odsrn France" by Andre lie Bon. New
lork. D. Appleton e Co., $50. For sale
DY the St. Paul Book and Stationery com
pany. WILL
"Torr Sails"
The author of "Mifanwy" has written
another novel dealing even more ex-
Wit