The Irish standard., 1905-01-21

historian, novelist, cssayist and Ma
tionalist member Of parliamcnt-at
one time, indeed, the leader of the
major section of the Nationalist party
hits made several welcome contribu-
tions to the literature of "Reminiscences,
but his latest book is of a strictly auto
biographical type, says the New York
Sun. We refer to can Irishman'S
Story which is published by the Mac
Millans. In the fluent, unaffected
style, which recalls with more or less
distinctncSS that of SmOllett, Gold
smith and Tllackeray, without, per-
haps, ever attaining the pungency Of
the first named, the grace of the Sec
onl or the distinction Of the last, the
author rccounts the story of his boy
hood, his scllooldays, his early friends;
and recalls the sympathy and earnest
ness with which he entered into the
Young Ireland" movement and his
Introduction to journalism and litera-
luI L. ! ICHtS, lHlOuSlI uuSyy
fruitful and cvcntful years, we are
conducted to the authors recent dis
abling illness, which compelled him to
retire from public life and to employ
the remnant Of his energies in the field
wherein they had been first exercised.
Since we must needs be eclectic in our
notice of Il volume, the whole of
which, however, will be read with in
tcrcst, we have chosen to pass over
the first eight ana last two chapters,
ami to direct the readers attention to
what Mr.. Mccarthy has to tell us
about his experiences in the United
States, about his association with the
Irish Nationalist party and about his
personal relations to Mr.. Parnell and
to Mr.. Gladstone.
There are few New Workers. we'll ad-
vanccd in middle life who do not recall
with pleasure the articles published in
the Galaxy during the later COS and
earlier '7O's on notnbilitics in English
public life. How Mr.. Mccarthy came
to make these and other contributions
to the American periodical press is re-
counted in the ninth and tenth chap
ters of this volume. Our author tells
us that he had long had Il strong desire
to see something of the New World,
and so, when lie made up his mind to
resign the editorship of the London
Morning Star, in which, by the way,
he was succeeded by John Morley, he
decided to try what would come Of
visit to the United States He in
dufgcd in the hope that story of his,
"My Enemy's Daughter" then passing
through Harpcr's Magazine, might act
as a sort of Introduction to the Ameri-
can public, and that he should not ap-
pear as an absolute stranger in the
literary world of the great American
republic. Another influence urging him
to the fuliillmcnt Of the project was
the fact that n brother WON he had
not seen for many years, was married
happily and was living with his wife
ana children near the city Of New
York. We are reminded that at that
time most Irishmcn had already begun
TO regard the United States as a sort
Of second home, and Mr.. Mccarthy
knew that, on going out there, he
would meet with that brother and his
family, whom, otherwise, he was likely
never to see. The resolve to cross the
Atlantic was supported and stimulated
by the advice of some American friends
and especially of Cyrus w. Field, the
well known protector of a submarine
tclcgrnphic cable between England and
America. We are told that during his
sojourns in England Cyrus w. Field
was in the habit of making frequent
visits to the editorial rooms Of the
Morning Star. He and Mr.. Mccarthy
became friends, and from him our au-
thor received number OF letters of
introduction to eminent Americans,
and much useful counsel as to the best
way of employing his time during the
expedition. With his wife and family
Mr.. Mccarthy left England in Septem-