New-York tribune., 1902-12-08

THE ROMANCE OF OLD NSMv6N1LT11lll E1swfoTS' T1lls.
trated- 12mo. pp.-x, 800 BOSTON, L. - Ae
Co.
The Tondon which Milton lived IN for the
greater mart of his life is reconstructed pari ps
mart IN Miss Mead's book from the many rec
ords of the period, and with the anu VI SUI
,,,.,+.I ,ic+ures as may be had by dlscrln1i-
mating and intelligently informed visits. a
plirnnse. Of course, is also given Of the cam
-. =, ,,;,, he sr,ent his early student years.
.,5 The village home in Horton to which ne re-
,,,a5 aftarward. together with mention OF ms
,,a,,als abroad in 1851. This method OF con-
srrueting the story of an authors NE lioili Inc
scenes in which it was laid is becoming laiiliiii
Of late and has been done for the paliis'a INNS
and lofty poet and intoerant polelnlSl mere wiz
care and taste. The many quotations. "iiiC
form the body of a book of this klno' hfoin 'iie
records Of contemporaries and the eslIila 'ioi9 -
later men, are neatly pieced toselheA ~
story Of the times which such book aiming ~
=. tor+,, fo,,e- = -roundings, is apt to become
The double burden of tracing the Su"'e
caraer and reducing the present scenes TO theil
-;,i-,al state while calling up the history u
she day at large, is added to the requirement ol
,szing an account of informal wanderlnss' Will
on accompaniment of historical gossip Inc re-
s,1It is usually neither superior soit VI
hook nor a book to be read without Vlsltlns 'ne
oaras discussed When il is done well' as III
tbe present case. it may prove conNeitel'
Gathering Of information and suppleiiei1' "
s,,,o1 histories and biographies which miss the
casual and sightseeing note occaSiOi.a. ."--o1+
cnrsive reflections give more personal Interest
TO the description Such Is tlie Ne
Of the chapter Horton:
-o .o-;..,, visitor TO Horton the day
+.,a+ commentaries his country's oeclal deIo 80
Of independence will reEnernb Der 1 huiis es tr;rer
Magma Charta Island And he VIII mo mo ;;+; nosttrS
o .oneorsn+ with his feeling after visiting
the home of the republican Milton, than ~
wend his way across the ueIos; enonnies to
waving grain and gay with scarIet pupPIeo' ~
che spot where his ancestors ana M1iton -
7o15 hrought tyrant John to sullen SupInlss
10 their Just demands On the margin OF tLte
- - na NAV embark and as the sun casts
grateful shadows eastward, ne mag -
gently down beside the long. narrow lsI11III -
the r1,sby margin of the stream, where White
swans build their nests. a notice warns nm
NOT 70 trespass, for the gray stone mousse uto4i
it. whose gables are half ma py 9eilse ile3s
berry is private property some Gay PeIIIa e
this English nation that so loves its own great
history will reclaim this historic spot, ana MARX
MAGMA Charta Island with memorial OF liIe
hraEe men who made ii world famous. Or per-
hans-yyho knows 2-some American. VINO mas
spent three years at Oxford, and learned TO
love the history of the race from which he
sprang may be impelled TO honor that Whlch
Is best in her. and after placing IN Camorloge
and in Horton fit memorials OF Milton. may De
moved to erect here worthy monument TO the
bold barons-
Reproductions Of photographs and old engraV-
lngs form the Illustrations, printed in brown
Ink The miniature portrait of Milton painted
II, 1861 by William Faithorne is used as frontis-
piece and the book is daintily bound in holiday
dress. A commendable feature is the outline
nap Of London in Millions time, though the
accompanying map of Millions England" CIV
ing section of the Thames and Cam River sys-
tenls is almost a little blind in its restriction
Bright and gossipy as it ought to be is 1.-THE
Romance of Old New-England Rooftrees, IN
The Little Pilgrimages series, in which the au-
.hor preserves for US the traditions of the Old
Witch House in Salem; the Stark House, IN
cambridge the Swan House. of Dorchester; the
Brook Farm, at West Roxbury; the Dorothy
@ House of Quincy; the Paul Revere House in
Boston. and nearly twoscore Of other New-Eng-
and houses and localities that are most worth
knowing. The treatment Of them is happy and
adequate. whether We consider the awful story
IF the Rev John Williams and his family being
dragged from their Deerfield home by savages.
with murder lessening their number every few
miles OF the lghtsome tale of John Hancock
ana his Dorothy O.
We are glad 20 gaze on the houses which the
pictures present and to meet the good people
K-ho once lived in them but we do not by any
means agree with all the pronouncements made
ev the author Mary c. Crawford. She is decid-
.dly inclined to forgive Sir Harry Frankland
gor his treatment Of Agnes Surriage, The Maid
# Marblehead,' apparently on the ground that
Sir Harry was handsome clever and baronet-
She thinks him knightly and sincere follower
# the Church of England and its teachings
lnd she also believes that in manner and per-
ION, he strongly resembles the Earl Of Chester
deId-which may may not be a compliment.
We refuse to be rlacated in this manner. Sir
fo11r6 Agnes when she was a mere child
made her his ward-taking her from her par
ant-had her educated, and saw her develop into
me of the sweetest and loveliest Of women, yet
se exposed her TO ostracism and insult because,
though living with her. he would not marry her
We are inclined to believe that the Lisbon earth
suake was looking for him especially, because
sf his wickedness, and glad that the lady
gith whom he was carriage riding (while Agnes
was left at the hoteD when 1t happened bit him
On the arm while they were buried under the
sebris of fallen buildings II required that
earthquake and that bite to give him realizing
sense OF the enormity of his past conduct and
.ause him to make atonement
What delightful narshalling of syllables
was made by Deborah Sampson, the runaway
Sharon girl who enlisted soldier in the Con-
tinental Army. when she wrote home TO her dis
tressed mother, in this fashion:
Dear Parent: On the margin of one of those
rivers which intersects and winds itself so beau
tifully majestic through vast extent of terri
tory OF the United States IS the present situa-
ton OF your unworthy but constant and affec-
tionate daughter. / pretend not TO justify
even TO palliate my clandestine elopement. In
hopes of pacifying your mind. which
must be afflicted beyond measure write you
this scrawl
AS Thackeray says. "foine language The letter
reveals pose. and are inclined to take Deb
orah's sayings and doings with grain Of salt
where she is her own historian. General Pat