The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-12-25
New Books.

days of our forbears," the author writes
in the "Foreword," land have scant OPP
portunity to make comparisons or note
progress. The child of colonial days
was emphatically to be seen, not to be
heard" nor was he even to be much in
evidence to the eye. He was of as
little importance in domestic, social or
ethical relations as his childish success
sor is of great Importance today; it
was deemed neither courteous, decor
GUS norwise to make him appear of val
ue or note in his own eyes or in the
eyes of his seniors. Hence, there was
none of that exhaustive study Of the
motives, thoughts and acts of child
which is now rife.
The accounts of old-time child-life
gathered in this book are wholly I'M
conscious and full of honesty and sim
plicity, not only from the attitude of
the child, but from that of his parents,
guardians and friends. The records
have Deen made from affectionate in
terest, not from scientific interest; no
profound search has been made for mo-
tives or significance, but the proof they
give of tenderness and affection in the
family are beautiful to read and know.
Many private collections and many
single treasured relics have been freely
offered for use, and nearly all the SEN
fences and pages selected from these
covers now appear in print for the first
time. The portraits of children form
a group as rare as it is beautiful. They
are specially valuable as a study of
costume. Nor have l, in gathering for
this, failed to exercise what Emerson
calls 1.-The catlike love of garrets,
presses and corn chambers, and of the
conveniences of long housekeeping"
Many statements of conditions in
mi IN pf
our past comfort and present and lib
eral progress unless we compare them
with facts in English life. We must not
oVerrate seventeenth and eighteenth
century life in England, either in priv
ate or public. England was not a first
class power among nations till the time
of the treaty of Paris, in 1853. When
our colonies We're settled, it was third
rate. Life among the nobility was
magnificent, but the life of the peasants
was wretched, and middle class social
life was very bleak and monotonous in
both city and country.
From early days, life was much bet
ter in many ways in America than in
England, for the family of moderate
means, and children shared the ben
efits of the better conditions
A child's life was more valuable here.
The book is rich in good things.
One of the curious items is paragraph
on names. Parents searched for
names of deep significance, for names
appropriate to conditions, for those of
profound influence, presumably, on the
child's life"
Abigail, meaning fathers joy, was
frequently given, and Hannah, meaning
grace: Turishaddai, the almighty is my
rod,w bestowed on more than one boy.
Comfort, Deliverance, Temperance,
Peace, Hope, Patience, Charity, Faith,
Love, Submit, Endurance, Silence, JOY,
Rejoice Hoped For and similar names
indicative of trait of character vir-
tue or an aspiration to goodness, were
common. The children of Roger Clap
were named Experience, Waitstill,
Preserved, Hopestill, Wait Thanks,
Desire, Unite and Supply. Madam Aus
tin, an early settler of old Narragan-
sett, had sixteen children. Their names
were PARIS, Picus, Prersus, Prisemus,
Polybius, Lois, Lettuce, Airs, Austice,
Eunice, Mary, John, Elizabeth, Ruth
Freelove. All lived to be three score and
ten, one TO be hundred and two years
old. Edward BendalPs children were
named Truegrace, Reform, Hopedfor,
More Mercy and Restore. Richard,
Gridley's offspring were Return, Be
lieve and Tremble! With the exception
of Puritanical names, double Christian
names were very rare until after the
revolution, as may be seen by eXamin-
ing any document with many sigma
lures"
We find the whole book extremely
fascinating. 1t is a piece of original
work, an invaluable addition to the
literature of colonial times.
"Salmon Portland Chase" by Albert
Bushnell Hart. Published by Hough-
ton, Mifflin & Co. American statesmen
series. Cloth. $1.25
The author of this book is professor
of history at Harvard college. His
previous careful and critical work guar
antees that this book is of substantial
value. There have been published here
tofore three biographies of Senator
Chase. The first, J. T. Trowbridges
"The Ferry Boy and the Financier,"
although founded on valuable data fur
nished by Chase himself, is romantic
tale and really intended as a campaign
document. r. B. Warden's long and
elaborate Life of Salmon P. Chase"
lacks all the attractions of digested
facts and intelligent criticism. The
third and best biography, by J. w.
Schuckers, is written with historical
perspective, but is incomplete in the
light of documents made available
since its publication. The special value
of the new biography, aside from its
admirable critical and literary qualities,
is derived from the authors study of a
file of 5000 letters to Chase dating from
1924 to 1873, and from Chase's letters,
original diaries, letter books and memo
randa.
The book does not attempt detailed
account of Mr.. Chase's private life. 1t
does faithfully and wildly present him
as the central figure in three episodes
which are of great historic Importance
the western political anti-slavery
movement, the financial measures of
the civil war and the process of judicial
reconstruction. We are tempted to
quote a sketch of Chase himself:
In person he was one of the most
striking men of his time. More than
six feet tall, with broad and majestic
form, strongly carved and individual
features, keen eye and resolute. al
though opinionated mouth, he always
made an impression of strength readi-
ness and power. In massiVeneSS and APP
pearance of reserve strength he is Conn
parable to Webster, whom he somewhat
resembled in feature. A little conscious
of his own advantages of person, he
was always careful to set them off with
appropriate dress In manner he was
agreeable, but never deferential Most
people who met him admired his in
cisiveness and force, but he did not
hold back his opinions and was not al
ways considerate in expressing them.
Among his own friends he was genial
and even warm-hearted and affection
ate, but he had a strong sense of what
was due him and sometimes his temper
got the better of his judgment and he
would break out into reproaches.
Il"
Chase could never have been a father
of his country, he was rather one OF
those elder brethren who freely sug-
gest, criticise and complain and who
by the rectitude of their own lives and
by their unfolding of high standards