New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-03-29
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
sr,GARING THE PILL OF INSTRUCTION
FOR YOUNG READERs-sOME CURL
GUS LESSON BOOKS-A GOOD
INTRODUCTION TO AMER

will ride II TO the nursery. To ID. Appleton "
Co.'S Home Reading Books we are indebted
for procession OF such hobby horses. Under
the title Of the Hall Of Shells" Mrs. a. :.
Hardy payfully discourses to children OF tender
years on the ChIors permese. the Purpura
emarjinata. the Fulgor canalisulatus and other
marine phenomena: In Uncle Sans Secrets
Mr. O. p Austin writes a little story" to make
clear some Of the complex functions and meth
DDS OF the United States Postoffice and Treas
ury departments. and in Uncle Roberts VISIT
MI f. W. Parker and Miss N. l.. Helm ex-
posnd with condescendng simplicity some as
perts Of geology and meteorology. number OF
priggish little children figure in every book
Although Miss Blanche f. Hazard babys her
readers In her description Of THE Earliest Days
In America" she has apparently spared no pains
in her own study Of the subject. The mouth
piece Of the story Is the traditional grand
mother. but the story she tells. far from be-
ing the collection Of traditional transformation
usually lavished on children. Is in reality based
on modern investigation For the crude typosra-
ply. binding and illustrations of the volume we
arc no doubt. indebted solely to the publishers
the Morse Company. Of this city.
The extreme exuberance Of tone which charac-
terizes Dr. II. p. Judson's Civic reader" The
Young American" one cannot but suspect Is
largely feigned TO please the very young. The
volume, however has one decided merit. I'm
like many school-books on American history, it
never confuses manly. whole-souled patriotism
with any spirit Of envy. jealousy and rancor
toward foreign States The book is illustrated
with cheap cuts and staring colored prints. and
is published by Maynard. Merrill & Co.. of New
York.
II would be hard to find more ambitious and
less dexterous rider OF hobbies than Mr.. Wendell
=. Garrison. His PARALLELS for School and
Home" deal with such subjects among others.
"Vicissitude.' Elasticity" the Equality OF
the Sexes" the melancholy results Of being in
sane. the advantages of death. among the
baleful aspects Of heredity. The nature OF his
arguments can be fairly illustrated by two ex-
amples. He reasons that women should be
given the suffrage. because government is only
q kind Of housekeeping, and ii is surely woman's
business 20 keep house" and that should be
kind 10 horse because, anatomically consid-
cred. a horse is very like a OF the skill
and taste Of the publishers Longmans. Green &
Co. one may speak in unqualified praise.
1t Is a pleasure TO discover any sign however
slight. of reaction from the popular tendency
The distinctive merit Of the Columbus Series
Of Reading Books" published by the Catholic
School-Book Company. lies In the fact that they
proceed slowly to their purpose The number
OF words introduced in any lesson is con-
scientiously restricted. The volumes are pleas
antly printed and illustrated.
Silver. Burdett & Co have recently published
the third and fourth volumes OF their series of
school readers. called Stepping Stones to Lit
ersture." BY both their illustrations and their
text the editors attempt to appeal in normal
fashion to the Imagination Of child. How
thorough they have been in their work is shown
by the fact that they have CLEANED some ad-
mirable material even from sources so diverse
ale at first glance unpromisng Emily
Dickinson. Emerson and Colerdge.
THE American Word Book" is a conservative
spelling book edited by Calvin Patterson and
published by the American Book Company On
every page occurs well-seected sentence or
paragraph from the best literature to illustrate
the proper of the words which have been
presc bed for spelling.
Mr.. H. s. Pancoast's Introduction to Ameri-
can Literature Is far more than a mere COM
pend; II Is more than mere collection of fine
critical Judgments 1t has something Of the
unity of the literary essay. Like Stopford A
Brooke's Primer Of English Literature" with
which It Justifes comparison. II is CON-
ment, well series OF comments on
its subject One inevitably gains from its
judicial pages definite notion Of the interna-
uona place Of American literature as a whole
"Our literature is in its origin" says Mr.. Pan
coast In his preface. "a branch Of that of Eng
land and its relation TO the mother lit
erature and its gradual divergence from II must
be constantly kept in View; "springing I'D
originally in separate English colonies II is in
its beginning" Mr.. Pancoast further states. "a
literature Of sections. and its history is
the history of gradual approx mation toward
national unity Of character" These valid
presuppositions the author never loses sight of
in his succeeding pages; by these criteria he
measures every author who passes under his
review. In any compact handbook Of lit
erature a critic will inevitably miss some names
which seem worthy OF mention. 1t is difficult
10 understand, however. why q volume inclusive
enough TO recognize Captain Charles King and
Mrs. Deland should ignore John Woolrnan
whose Quaker pages charmed Whittier and
Lamb and Emily Dickinson, certainly the most
original and suggestive poet Of her sex which
this country has yet produced The volume is
tastefully printed by Henry Holt & Co
This volume is not TO be confused for mo-
ment with DR.. F. V. \. Painters treatise Of the
same name which has recently been repub-
lished with illustrative selections The basis
OF Mr.. Painters criticisms is his belief that I'VE
are at present living our epic poem--the great
est the world has seen" But after this period
Of ardent striving and conflict is past" he pre-
diets Our golden age will come; and having
time to listen, shall perhaps encourage some
Homer or Milton TO sing" The author treats
Ct bu, few Names Of those, however. he speaks
with untamcd enthusiasm. His volume is pub
lshed by Leach. Shewell & Sanborn.
The fact that the late T.. P. Roe gains re-
Spectacle place in Mr.. +. l.. Pattee's Reading
Courses In American Literature" may suffice
10 indicate the character OF Mr. Pattee's advice.