The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-03-07
Mrs. Morrissette Reviews
Some Recent Publications

Some Recent Publications
Again the Werner School Book company
of Chicago has laid us under the obligation
of thanks for pleasure derived. and made
us wish to share that pleasure.
-Four more of Professor Baldwn's Bio
graphical Booklets have come to hand. OF
Professor Baldwin, Mr.. Bright. superin-
tendent of Cook County Qll) Public Insti-
tuition, says: "As a writer for children, l
believe that he has no living equal and his
books are within the reach of all"
-Four Great Americans is quite equal
in Information and interest to -Four Naval
Heroes" of which wrote you last week.
The oft-told story of Benjamin Franklin
is better told to children in the first vol
ume of this series than ever before, per-
haps. Commencing with the incident when
at seven the child paid too dear for his
whistle the self-revealing Incidents are
well caught and described on through his
busy youth and honored manhood. No hint
of the SANDER and mistrust that Franklin
met at times in his public life is here.
Herein is opportunity for the teacher to
get Macauley out of the 'big library" and
prove that the contemporaries of even the
best men are sometimes harsh and severe.
When a biography oTits to speak 81 sen
sufe, 1t may lead chiidfeh to believe mat
the public men of today are the hrst 10
be maligned and abused; whel cas-, the ruth
is that not one, not even Washington, es-
capped the attacks of his opponents.
In the writer of Washington the writer
succeeds marvellously in stating great is
sues with simplicity and directness, and the
Father of dis Country would himself nave
been pleased could he have foreseen the
atRf
pennies get enough of history to stimulate
his patriotism, and make him want to hunt
and see all the reasons why the first presi-
dent deserved the praise bestowed upon
him by Lee.
When little fellow reads about Daniel
Webster's father working hard on rocky
New Hampshire farm, and as how he was
elected judge, resolving to use his salary
ito educate his boys" he gets pretty vivid
idea of the value of education. This IDEA
grows on him as he follows Dan. steadily
holding his own among his mates TIL at
Is he had the great honor of delivering the
Fourth of July address at Andover' one
year before he graduated.
1t is by giving the early home and school
life of a great man that youth answers the
question: what sort of a fellow was he
as boy?" and in almost any case ne
learns that work wins"
OF the making of books about Abraham
Lincoln there is certainly no end. Inc little
volume before us opens in the Kentucky
log cabin by the brook-side, when in the
early years of the republic came the baby
Abraham to a strong, brave frontiersman
and his patient, Woodworking wife.
touching picture of motherhood was Nancy
Lincoln in her unveiled, doorless window
less, ground-foored cabin, cheerfully striv-
ing for the comfort of her dear ones, at the
close of day reading Bible stories to the
little daughter and son, teaching the little
children SO that at years of age they
could read for themselves The move to
Indiana is described and the hard camp life.
The boy there lost his mother, but SO deep
in his young heart had sunk his lessons
and all the sweet influences of her sanity
life, that after he became a nations idol, he
said: "All that am, or hope to be, owe
to my angel mother
The lessons of the life suggest them
selves to the young readers of this clear
cut vivid biography-a biography addressed
to boys, but especially pleasing to
mothers.
In abiding to the prices of Baldwin's
biographical booklets-1 cents apiece-I said
last week that hoped the time would soon
come when we of the south would have
cheap and popular biographies of our
southern great men. I spoke of Mrs. Will
liamsons Incompatible book for children,
1.-THE Life of Lee" and told you it cost
slips.
A friend in Virginia saw The Age-Herald
and as soon as he read my statement, sent
me by return mail the book list for the
Virginia public schools. There l SEQ that
the Baughman Stationery company, of
Richmond. publish an edition at rs cents.
This prize makes 1t feasible to put one or
moro copies in every travelling library in
Alabama. Many teachers and many
mothers believe there is no better book for
home or school library.
1t Is well for the young that they can be-
come intimately acquainted with many
great men, and that over and over can be
repeated the lesson that the boy is father
of the man.
HUTCHINSON MORRISSETTE.
Chm. Ed. Com. A. S. F.