The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-01-13
ssThe Idle Rorn.n

THE Idle Born" by H. c. Chatfleld-Tay-
Tor. Herbert S. Stone & Co., Chicago.
In the preface to his story Mr. Chat
f1eld-Taylor processes to believe that in
the eternal conflict between the powers
of good and evil the good is slowly but
surely advancing. After reading this
satire of the world of fashion, a comedy
again to the preface to be treasured con-
corning the views of one so well qualified
to write of the idle born"
Mr.. Taylor believes that society is
not all bad When amid the lights and
prattle Of modern society men of affairs
find recreation from the strenuous life of
the age, society fulfills useful purpose.
He does not hesitate to criticise the
faults of class that has made extrava-
gance an ambition, and he calls the world
Of fashion with its splendid trappings
and its clink of gold" a tawdy sham of
small moment to the real world which
moves on, paying little heed to society
save perhaps to laugh or point a moral.
After reading 1.-THE Idle Born a story
of modern society life in New York, one
is more appreciative of Mr.. Taylors views
as expressed in the preface. The story
is brilliantly cynical and epigrammatic.
The situations are something crude, and
the conversations are trivial, but Mr.. Tay-
lor explains that 1.-The canvas is small
because the people are SMALL
'SThe Transit of Civilization"
1.-THE Transit of Civilization from Eng
Century," by Edward Eggleston. D.
Appleton &, Co. New York.
This work by the author of Begin
ners of a Nation" is an Independent book,
but it may also be studied as second in
the series upon which he has been so
long fret Io IN
show exactly what America owes to Eu-
rope. and the basis of these obligations,
as will be readily conceived, were laid
in the seventeenth century. The titles
of the chapters give an idea of Mr.
Eggleston's endeavor. They are: Men
tai Outfit of the Early Colonists." "Di-
erosion Concerning Medical Notions at
fish, Folk-Speech, Folklore, and Liter
allure" 1.-THE Tradition of Education -
Land and Labor in the Early Colonies -
| weights and Measures of Conduct" and
1.-THE Transit of Civilization
The work is a series of historical pic
| lures describing many phases and condi-
! tons of American life during the period
Of early settlement rather than history
as usually understood. The religious
| ideas which accompanied the immigrants
of the seventeenth century to this coun-
try are shown, and the change which
these ideas underwent by the strange en-
vironments found or appealing conditions
encountered. The chapter relating to
| the early speech of the colonists, to their
| folklore and to their literary habits will
appeal with force to the student of that
| period.
The study of superstition and witchcraft
in connection with the book cannot but
prove interesting, and the richness Of IL
| lustration shown in tn authors treat
ment Of mother English, of literature, OF
folk-speech and folklore lends an inter-
esting charm, while his intimacy OF
| knowledge as regards the measures OF
standards of a period when 1.-The sun,
moon and planets were flames of fire
! with gravity, revolved about the earth
by countless angels"