Evening star., 1902-03-22

TIE CoNorERoR; Being the True and Rcmantic
Franklin Athcrt"n. New York: The Mac
milan Company
Mrs. Atherton has made a somewhat bold
venture in the realm of biography. Novels
by the hundred score have been written
around the lives of famous men and
women. Biographies in equal number have
been prepared with more or less of hctlon
interviewer into their pages. But it is
seldom that a biographer deliberately
chooses to employ fiction in the sense OF
providing ina aginative details for the hlllns
out of the historical skeleton and to ac-
knowledge as much. tIamiltOn's life is
well known in most Of its intimate facts.
Mrs Atherton has not been content TO
utilize them to the full and there pause,
hut she has been led by the fascination of
her subject TO embroider items and con-
versations upon il. The reSait is in some
places satisfying. in others Disappointing
Hamilton becomes it Is true. more VlVid
personality by this means than might nc
the result Of more circumspectiy historic
account. But the reader is likely to be
confused occasionally by the uncertainty OF
where the historic line has been sharply
urawTl. Conversations supplied OUT OF the
writer's brain may bear the stamp of verl-
1heless The COnqueror' possesses a dis
tinct charm, partly from its literary excel
lence. partly from the completeness of the
portrait it presents of Americas first great
financier.
Mrs Atherton has written from the stand
point of ardent admiration for Hamil-
ton. but she does not conceal his obvious
moral faults, while nalf palllatIng them
She gives him great share of the credit
for the organization of the Union on a
stable basis. shows him in the thick of
the fight for the Constitution and later for
the establishment OF the banks. The feud:
between him and the other national lead
ers. notably Burr. are traced to their ORR
gin. and in every case the book pre-
sents most strongly the Hamiltonian eide
Of the controversy. The story of the duel
is briefly told. and the book ends simply
aNi effectively with an account of the
funeral of Hamilton. the last page being
covered by a reproduction of the inscrip
ti0n upon the tomb.
The Conqueror'' will not be formally
issued until the 10Th instant.
THE BASIS OF SOCIAL RELATIONS. Ry Daniel
g. Brinton. New York: e. T. Pufnams Sons
The manuscript of this work was left
with other papers when DR.. Brinton died
in 1899. At that time he had attained to
position Of exceptional influence in The
world of science. was the professor OF
American archaeology and linFNistics in
the University of Pennsylvania and had
written several monographs on primitive
religions. anthropological subjects and the
rise of the Anglo-saxon race. He was most
distinguished however. as a psychologist.
and ii is in this light he appears in THE
BASIS of Social Relations" The work is
study in ethnic Psychology. Its purpose Is
10 expound theory now generally re-
Ceived by American and European 1nVestl-
gators-that a psychological unity Of man
kind exists IN definite and certain degree,
that under the same conditions different
races of the earths people will advance to
the same intellectual result. Dr. BrintonS
work Is not light reading. But neither is it
10 be comprehended by scientists only. It
Is a clear and absorbing exposition Of great
philosophical and scientific truths.
THE METHODS OF LADY wALDEEHrRsr, BY
Frances Hodcson Burnett. New York: FRED
erick 4. Stokes.
Perhaps the strongest plea for the meth
ods Of Lady Walderhurst lies in the force
with which their chronicler has portrayed
the characters toward whom the methods
were directed From poor, commonplace
Emily Walderhurst herself down to her
husbands assistant gardener Mrs. Burnett
has drawn each of the fgGres IN her story
with distinct individuality. Whether or not
these characters were worth the effort or,
either singly or IN combination have any
lesson to teach is, of course, Il different
story. The reader follows their various do
enthusiasm and which is placidly content
when Alec Osborn dies the death Of the
ordinary stage villain. He is even glad
that the heroine does not die. Fut further
than this the people of Mrs Burnett's book
however well drawn, are too commonplace
and dull to arouse sympathy. The work is
proclaimed as an analytical study Of mod
ern English society. Maybe in modern
English society there are villains who in
trigue with servants and adopt the melo-
dramatic methods of four centuries ago. 1t
may be that poor young girl rise to
the daily life of a marchiones and take her
post among other titled women with the
familiarity and confidence of those to the
manner born. But such things at least
unusual. That may be Mrs. Burnett's plea
for Lady NalderhurSt-that she has woven
marvellous history about very simple per
sons. The book will inevitably be widely
read. But the reader can well close the
book with thankfulness that only in stories
is ne likely to encounter the society into
which Lady WalderhUrst went intrep-
Idly.
THE HAND OF COD IN AMERICAN HISTORY.
BY Robert Ellis Thcm!son. 5. T. u. New
York: Thomas Y Crowell x &C.
Or. Thompson, the author of this rev
erent and intimate study OF national events.
is president of the Central High School Of
Philadelphia His work is an outgrowth
of his lectures and the result of many RS
given to studying the forces behind the re
corded events which have produced the
present American republic His position is
that from the time Of the discovery Of
AmeriCa-whiCh occurrence ne believes TO
have been withheld from the people of the
earth until the new civilization mad raised
its head-the hand OF the Divine Providence
has been behind the American people We
are for today. he thinks. what the Jews
were to the world in the days of the bibli-
cal exodus The authors style is clear. his
knowledge of American and general history
is manifest on every page and the plan
of the work is most comprehensive. The
book cannot fail to inspire its readers 10
deep thOuGhtfulness on the nations future
THE CRIMSON WING BY II. c. Chatfeld-Tarlor.
and En.l .t. l.