The times., 1899-09-03

length. 1t practically ends with the Civil
War The subsequent quarter of a CEN
tury Is hurried over IN a way which leaves
the book incomplete. 1t would be q good
thing II in later editions several chapters
could be added. dealing with the events
since the Civil War and ending with the
war with Spain. Chicago; Herbert S.
Stone & Coz
The latest volume in the Twentieth
Century" series of histories is History
OF the American Nation" by Andrew C.
Mclaughlin Like several other historical
works which have appeared of late, 1t Is
analytical as well as narrative. Formerly
the American historian was content with
merely recording facts, or perhaps inter
larding his chronicle with interesting inc-
dents more or less authentic. We are now
reaching the introspeetive stage, and lat
ter-day historians are beginning to look
deeper and write more thoughtfully, that
their readers may understand what made
US the people we are how ethnologic,
social, religious, and political factors
worked together to produce tendencies
which from time to time swept over the
country, and how these agreed with the
great world forces of progress. If this
work of analysis is well done it will not
only be instructive from an academic point
of view, but practically very useful. The
reader of such histories will understand
and appreciate his political duties better
than his father did; and in a heterogen-
eous population like ours it is important
that he should understand them if the al
fairs of the country are to be carried on
with success, not to say with perfection.
There is one point which the author makes
in his preface which will strike the
thoughtful reader pleasantly. for 1t inul-
Gates commendable frankness and mod
GRAFTON. He says that the necessary brew
ity of the work makes perfect accuracy
difficult, since less than the whole truth is
sometimes as bad as falsehood.
If Mr. Mclaughlin has erred, it is on the
side of too favorable a judgment. He
seems to have adopted the plan of praising
very nearly everybody, after the manner
of school histories. Especially does he
give credit to the last half-dozen of our
Presidents, and man who praises sue
cessively Grant, Hayes, Garfield, Arthur,
Cleveland, and Harrison, TO say nothing OF
Greeley and Tilden, is certainly a man of
no political prejudices.
For the rest, this history is simply
careful. clear, and evidently conscientious
record of facts, not greatly better or worse
than similar works on the same subject.
A greater contrast than that between the
colorless and dispassionate style of this
autbor and the 1mpetuous whirlwlnd OF
words which characteriZes the work OF
Justin Mccarthy, would be hard to find.
(New York: ID. Appleton & Co, $1.40)
-Four books have recently been published
in the Home Reading Book" series, which
should be interesting to teachers and others
who are concerned with the education of
children. They are Our Country's Flag"
Our Navy in Time of War" Historic
Boston" and Uncle Sans Soldiers" The
last Of the four is in the form Of story;
the others are simple statements of fact
The books are bound plainly and mex
pensively, and illustrated with wood cuts
tNew York: D. Appleton & Co., $1.00 per
volume.)