The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-10-27
JAMES RUSSELL LOWELL: A Biogra-
ply. BY Horace Elisha Scudder. In

ply. BY. Horace Elisha Scudder.r In
two volumes. Houshzon, Aifflfn &
Co., Boston
Mr.. scudder's biography Of JamessRus-
sell Lowell must take rank as thet1nQstg
important work of its class to- be, issued
this year. Advance sheets are noWs be-
fore us. Alr. Scudder has given.us
most interesting volume, and it possesses
the dual attractiveness of presenting the.
individuality Of the distinguished author
of whom it is written and at the same
time giving US a picture OF an ideal life.
The humanness Of the story that is Set
before US creates q sympathy that holds
the reader throughout the course of our
authors narrative. Most Biographies
we think we are strictly accurate when
we say '.most''--are dull and in the main
trivial; the detail, the tiresome detail, of
the hu1ndrum wearies and dissusts us,
but in the present biography there is
nothing of the humdrum, the detail is
full Of Interest, the smallest incident car
ries with it an attractivenesS and an
Importance. The good qualities of the
work may arise from the charming style
in which it is written, and then again,
they may come from the personality OF
James Russell Lowell. However this
may be, the fact is certain that the work
Z IS one OIL the DeSt DiOSIclI1So tiiehI lbs
ever been written
Mr.. Scudder begins his narrative with
the ancestry of Lowell, but he does not
dwell long upon this. though he gives
us glmpses of childhood and boyhood
that show us the basis of IoWell's fu-
ture life. There is much in the pages
: devoted to school and college life that
is interesting, even to one who cares lit
tie as a. rule for school-day' experiences.
''The First Ventures" of Lowell in the
literary work should be read by every
aspirant for the honors, and incidentally
the profits, that come from publication.
It is needless here to sketch the life OF
Lowell; this has been done again and
again. We Will say, however. that the
volumes before us will most satisfactory
present the story of Lowell's activities.
A. w. S.
THE ILLUSTRATIVE LESSON NOTES
FOR 1902. Edited by Thomas Benjamin
Nelly and Robert Remington Doherty.
Eaton & Mains, New York.
We are just in receipt OF the Illustrative
Lesson Notes for 1852. We nave welcomed
each year these useful volumes, and have
noted in each successive issue their i'm
provement The present volume is of even
greater excellence than that issued in 1901.
The type for the lesson is larger, and thus
fault more apparent to aging eyes than
their owners like to admit is obViated.
We find, too. that the passages to which
the lessons refer are taken from both the
Authorized Version and the Revised Yer
sion. and these are printed in parallel
columns above the commentary. It is
needless to point out that this arrange
nent allows quick comparison between
the versions and ready reference. AS the
vol S,,j.a Id
School students and teachers. especially
to those who use the International sun
day School Lessons, every effort has been
made 70 furnish suitable helps Explana-
tons, Illustrations, maps and pictures are
freely employed The work Will be found
extremely satisfactory to all Interested in
the subject of which it treats. e. v. G.
THE EIo1JCATION OF THE AMERICAN
CITIZEN. BY Arthur Twining IIadley.
Charles Scribner's Sons. New York
The president Of Yale University pub
fishes a volume of essays that is well
worth the attention OF those interested
in the welfare of the citizen The first
essay in the volume on our table is en-
titled The Demands of the Twentieth
Century" and in it Mr.. Hadley condenses
in few paragraphs the gist of the great
questions that confront the nation. The
second essay in the book under review is
entitled "Our Standard of Political Moral
ity." Its closing sentence is worth quot
ing: "a country like ours, which has in
so many of its parts passed in Single
generation from the lawlesness of frontier
life to the legality OF organized commerce,
may readily, in a generation more pass
from a conception of public duty that is
bounded by legality alone to one which
is inspired by a sense of moral obligation;
and learn to carry into the conduct Of
public affairs those principles and senti-
ments which we recognized as binding
upon the individual in his private dealings
with his fel!owmen.'' Next follow in Sc
uence-"Gcvernment by Public Opinion
and THE Formation and Control Of
Trusts To indicate the scope Of the
present volume, which is by no means a
large one, we cite the titles Of the essays
not already mentioned. These are: $50
cialisna and Social Reform 1.-THE Rela-
ton Between Economics and Politics. -
Economic Theory and Political Moral
ity,'' Ethics as a Political Science "Po-
litica1 Education THE Relation Between
Higher Education and the Public Wei
fare. The Direction of American Uni
versity Development Fundamental Re-
Guirements in School Education. 1.-THE
Use and Control of Examinations" and
yale Problems-Past and Present. Each
OF these ESSAYS presents a lesson and each
lesson is worthy OF study. w. w. o.
INTO THE LIGHT. BY Edward Robson
Taylor. D. T. Elder & Morgan Shepard.
San Francisco.
The somewhat tawdry and flamboyant
appearance OF Into the Light" a poem
oy Edward Robson Taylor, does inius-
tee to the contents of the book. MIR. Tay-
ior mas not written a great poem, but he
mas written che that is more than re-
spectacle, and is far above the avera se
OF the day. 1t is in the metre of tie
hubalyat of Omar Khayyam, and the
thought is hardly more original than the
method of presentation; but it is a Sc
rious and worthy attempt to say thai.
which. If often said before, cannot be
said too often. Mr.. Taylor is optimistic,
and he believes in the constancy and per-
nanence OF effect He holds that it is
our duty SO to live that we shall aid, not
hamper, the progress of humanity toward
It's far-off but discernibie goal. is best
to let him speak in his own words. and
we select Stanzas AL[II., NLIS. and
SLV. of his poem as most amply and
fairly showing his thought and pow crs: