Evening star., 1899-03-31

fraser, author OF ''Palladia. The Looms OF
Time a Chapter OF Accidents etc. With
two hu ldred and fifty illustra tions In two vol
umes. New York: The Macmillan Company.
| The subtitle of this work, "a record of
| modern life in the island empire" hardly
| does full justice to the work, which is far
| more than journal of happening and rou
| tine and description of things seen and
heard. There is far too much of the at
| mosphere of Japan transfused into the
pages, too much of the poetry of the is
lands, too much of the history and charac-
ter of the people, with their ambitions and
their limitations, to warrant the suggestion
| that the book is but a record of modern
life Yet it is by no means history. nor is
| it analysis of the national temperament.
1t is simply a rendition of the manifold
Impressions practical, artistic and sentt-
mental, which life in Japan makes upon an
observant visitor with power to translate
emotions into words and to appreciate the
beautiful. Mrs. Fraser has indeed contrib
uted to the literature on Japan through
her Letters Her book is written in easy
style, with deep reverence for the tradi-
| tionS of the people. Her sense of the artiS-
| tic is aroused at every turn and she aptly
succeeds in communicating her enthusiasm
| to her reader In summing up the condi-
| tons which exist in Japan today she says
| in her preface:
During the unnumbered centuries of her
silent past, the two highest virtues of ma
| tional life, love of country and sense of
| duty, had been growing deep and strong,
| in the heart of the race When the call to
arms was heard dn 1870 that root shot up
it's towering growth and broke before the
astonished world in the aloe flower of
burning patriotism the aloe fruit of hero
| deeds and hero faithfulness. The aloe dies
| with it's rare blossom; but not until the
sword-like shoot of new growth has given
promise of it's resurrection to a future
| glory. The thunders and acclaims of war
| have died away; but the sense of shared
strength and shared sacrifice, and even the
memory of shared mistakes. remain. There
| is a new bond between ruler and ruled, be-
| tween rich and poor between the princes
| and the people. And should the years bring
| the moment back on their clrcing cur
rent the Japanese people would stand
again, shoulder to shoulder, to meet the
shock.
THE STORY OF FRANCE; From the Earliest
Times to the Consulate of NAPOLEON B9naparts
BY Thomas E. Watson. In Two Volumes
Vol T. to the end of the Reign Of Louis FIT
teenth New York: The Macmillan Company
When Mr.. Watson, who is better known
as a former representative in Congress
from Georgia and candidate for Vice Presi-
dent on the "middle-of-the-road' popuiist
ticket in 1896 than as an historian, retired
to private life and eventually retired from
Journalism, 1t was widely wondered what
he proposed to do. The volume now IN
hand atteStS 10 what he HAS uoHS. 'ic mas
entered upon a field without limitations,
which has attracted some of the worlds
most famous writers and thinkers, and
which allures the student of men and af-
fairs far beyond any other field open to
the literary worker. Those who know the
new historians strong personality, ms
keen insight into motives and reasons. his
powers of analysis, will welcome this ad-
vent, for these qualities abStractly mt him
for the self-imposed task of writing the
story of great events and of great peoples.
The volume now presented speaks highly
for the manner in which the qualities men-
toned have been applied. 1t is at all
points interesting, at no point quite like
any other history of France. Mr.. Watson
writes history in the role of an interpreter.
hand on France, 1t is perhaps to be eX-
pected that he will shortly turn his atten-
tion to the more familiar and doubtless al
Turing field of the United States concern
ing which it is known that Mr.. Watson en-
tertains some grave qualms, voiced in
of view the history of the republic might
be at least interesting reading, whatever
might be it's value history.
LIFE OF OLIVER p MORTON: Including His
Important Speeches. By William Dudley
Foulke In Two Volumes. Indianapolis: The
Bowen-Merrill Company
This is a ripe time for the contemplation
of the career of such sterling American
as Oliver p. Morton, even though he has
now been dead for twenty-five years. and
the circumstances with which he was close
iy associated in active public life have
passed far into history. He arose to progni-
nence and usefulness at a period Of the