The Portland daily press., 1900-05-15

The author has taken special pains 70
make her tale historically true. and e.
pscially exploits the proceedings Of the
knights Of the Goiden Circle, which our
historians have rather slurred over. "we
Of later generation" she writes, "oap
hardly credit the extsnt Of ths Organise
sion, and the hsinousness 81 Its aims,
which included crime and the disruption
Of the Union. And Jet, she adds, ''thers
was not . momsnt In which 10 was not
held securely In tina grip Of the war
governor of Indiana. Quistiy and firmly
he broke up the organization BY arrestipE
the leaders, and prevented an uprising
which. n succsssfui, would have told
very feriousiy on the outcome Of the war"
This 10 the chief foundation for strik-
Ing and vigorous story, which includes
tire insurrscttan melted BY Clement l..
VallandighAm II Indiana In 1868. In
terwovsn with al these ,exoitins scenes
is love story, and the sketches Of the
DC opls, the scenery. the life and manners Of
the Southern Indiana Of that day. are
skilifully drawn and very Interesting.
The Burden Of Chrlstophsr was his at
tempt to solve the labor problem. and
all the trials and temptations that this
endsayor brousht In Its train. while
the book Is strongly written and the sit
ualious are very effectively presented, is
10 not encouraging TO the philanthropist
who 10 working against large odds. But
it has In its depths powerful lesson,
which each one who loves his fellowmsn
and wishes to benefit him ssnsibly and
practically, should take to heart.
The domestic part OF the starry Is very
charming and sweet, and as literA tui
the book is delight ul and most sucoess-
full. stili It rather goss to show this Is
weary old world at best, and thar
struggle as we may to benefit our kin d
the pi tails are many, and the masses are
mostly ungratsful and do not wish to be
reformed"
One takes up Mr.. Sill's little volume
Of poeticsl and practical prose with .
tender feeling of regret that lie Of suoh
Intellectual activity aud spiritual help
fulness shoull bs b brief. The three
volumes Of his published poems which
gave the author SO many friends and sd-
mirsrs, are Of great charm, thoughtful.
defeats In craftsmanship, and with uu-
usual fsl 3ity OF expression. The same
qualities are TO bs found in Mr.. Silfs
prose, with, at the same time. subtle
vein Of humor which 10 very appealing.
The little volume holds many delightful
I'll Jugs. There 10 an Introduction which
con tains q sketch Of the authors life. and
a number Of his letters to friends. These
are esssys upon nature. literature and
criticism, musio, psychology and ethics.
education and life, and 1t 10 all bright
and sweet, and very human. One IL
drawn to the man himsslf By what he
qualities which We mud in all he has to
say.
Who remembering his childhood. will
not appreciate the following: "Ceuld not
the act Of going to bed be made, from
childhood mp. less depressing opef ationY
The one daily torture Of my otherwise
kindly handled childhood was the going
t, bed in the dark. / hated the dark.
and have always hated It. Why could not
some softly shaded light have been left
for me to 20 to sleep BY, and then with
drawn, Instead of crashing down on my
wide-awake eyes that horrible club Of
blsckusssY Or how much better to have
'cuddlsd doom iu the still family gllm-
mering twilight, and let the slowly com-
ing starlight draw the child to sleepiness
and softly "kiss his eyslids down."
From Q delicious essay entitled The
Oldest Thiag Ia the World, we olip the
following pretty fancy: "Thers was one
thing older than the primevai granitsl
playing Mt that very moment about rs
IL was the mountain wind. l could put
out my hand to 1t, and reflect that 1t
might have been this very identical breath
OF air that bubblcd up through the ssa
when the towers of Atlantis went down;
or 1t might have fliokered the flame on
David's altar. You need not. l might
have said to 1t. 'thiok to palm yourself
off as freakish young zephyr Just born
Of yonder snow streak and the sun
warmed rock; you have been roaming
this planet ever since Its birth. You
have whirled In cyclones and danced with
the streamers OF the aurora; 10 WAS you
that breAthed Jobs curses, and the love-
vows OF the first lover snat was ever for
sworn"
In every respect Mr.. SINS book 10
valuable contribution to American litera-
ture.
Uh. r.,,hx{d,s aattiop of Vha Gonn-
piets PoetioAl Works OF Sir Walter Scott
is a beautiful volume In binding, print
and paper. with a fine portrait. and an
engraved title-page with vignetts rep
ressn ting picturesque Ashestiel. 1t also
contains an excellent and carefully pre-
pared Biographical sketch Of Scott. and
will be received with delight by host
OF readers, for Marmion, Ihe Lady of the
Lake. The Lay of the Last Minstrel. and