Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-02

duences which have gone to the evolution
Of q national art. He has insisted upon re-
yertfng to the beginnings and laying es-
pecial stress upon the fundamental difficult
ties IN the way of the encouragement and
development of art in the early days of the
new world, when the struggle OF existence
was Intense and there was little to ehceur-
age the painter or to bring him to a proper
state OF culture. Yet those early conditions
are Of vital Importance In laying the
Foundation of a treatment of the whole
broad subject, and Il Is for this reason that
such art workers as Benjamin West and
John Singleton Copley, although they re-
NAMED British subjects to the end of their
days are given a prominent place in the
volume. From these two painters radiated
influences which served to shape the
careers and form the tastes of their numer-
Gus pupils, who were to form the first gen.
GRAFTON Of native American artists. Mr..
Isham divides the entire course Of American
art into the colonial the provincial and the
cosmopolitan periods. 1t required the great
disturbance caused by the civil war to
break the American painters from their
stay-at-home habit and to send them
abroad to acquire a wider view of their art.
AS a result of this migration the author
says: Even after their return, when they
had begun half consciously to reflect native
Ideas in their work. they still tested 1t by
comparison with what was being done else
where. In fact, American painting had be-
come an integral part of the painting of the
world. The methods, the ideals, the achieve
ments of Europe were all open to the
American artist. who. according to his tenn
permanent and ability, chose or rejected
what he would. The old period of isolation
was over"
In its general treatment of the subject the
work Is highly attractive and instructive.
Mr.. Isham eschews that which he styles
1.-THE ungrateful and impossible task of re-
cording the names and works of every meri-
torious painter and confines himself to
general discussion with such personal men
Al: Il. to- 4
theme requires. The reproductions of typi-
cal works of the periods and phases of
American art are well chosen and admirably
executed.
IL LIBRO D'ORO; of Those Whose Names
are Written in the Lambs Book of
Life. TRANSACTIONS by Mrs. Francis
Alexander. Boston,: Little, Brown &
Co.
Lucia AleXander-the mother of Fran
cesca Alexander, whose STORY of Ida" and
collection of italian legend, published I'M
der the title Of THE Hidden Servants" are
so widely known--has in this volume given
to the Englsh-speaking world a priceless
collection of more than 40 miracle stories
ana sacred legends, written by fathers of
the church and published in Italy in the six
teenth. seventeenth and eighteenth GEN.
turtles. The collection is derived from four
books: l. Selections from the Lives of
the Holy Fathers. together with the Spiri-
tual Field, Venice, 1923. II. Selections
Tuscany" Florence. 1927. III. Selections
from the Wonders of God in His Saints"
Bologna. 1888. ". Flowers Of Sanctity,"
Venice, 1925. The stories are rich in sacred
history and legend, and many Of them
have a deeply religious significance which
will appeal to all spiritually minded peo-
pie.
MISS CHERRY-BLOSSOM OF TOKYO. By
John Luther Long, author of Madame
Butterfly" &c. illustrated. Philadel-
phia: ]. B. Lippincott Company.
Miss Cherry-Blossom'' first appeared ten
years age, serving the excellent purpose Of
presenting Mr.. Long to his American pub
lie as writer of delightful romances of
modern Japan. Since then he has written
several other stories. which have been
warmly received, but there is still demand
for this initial book of the series, and the
publishers have now reprinted 1t in an
especially attractive form, with each page
Illuminated in soft tints and graceful
Japonesaue designs. The preface takes the
form of an intimate colioquy between the
author and the god Asamra relative to the
qualities of the story and the emotions Of
the writer toward his first-born novel. The
edition Is particularly adapted to the holt
day season, forming most attractive gift
book.
ROMANCES OF OLD FRANCE. BY Rich
ard LIE Gallienne, author of "Old Love
Stories Retold," &c. Illustrated New
York: The Baker & Taylor Company.
Mr.. LIE GalIienne is just the one to turn
over the timedulled pages of the old ro-
nances and extract the jewels of thought
and sentiment from them and give them a
modern setting. He has the light touch of
the connoisseur, the fine discrimination, the
keen sense Of proportion. In previous vol
umes he has offered in latter day form,
while preserving the ancient spirit, certain
tales more or less historic, that have come
down from the times of the troubadours
and knights Grant and gentlemen adven-
turers and princesses in towers In this
dainty and artistic volume, which is adj
mirably suited to the gift-making season,
being gem of the publishers art he
sets forth half a dozen romantic tales
which are clearly fictitious, such as might
have been chanted or recited by the ador-
ably handsome youth in the frontispiece
who stands, instrument in hand, against
garden wall ready to sing to his audience
of fair danes and gallant gentlemen of the
court.
THE TRUE STORY OF PAUL REVERE;
His Midnight Ride, His Arrest and
Court-Martial, His Useful Public Serv-
ices. By Charles Ferris Gettemy. IL
Illustrated. Boston: Little Brown & Co..
Here is offered a well-considered and
readable biography of Paul Revere, within
the limits of a volume of moderate size
supplying an existing need. 1t gives not
only the incidents in the life of a man in
whom even every school child is already
interested, but throws light on certain
minor events in local revolutionary history
not generally familiar. Use has been made
of original documents, and full descriptions
are given Of Revere's copper-plate engrav-
ings and caricatures. The book describes
Revere's ancestors, early life, and work, his
five rides to New York and Philadelphia
as messenger of the revolution and his
ride to Concord; 1t shows Revere as citizen
and soldier, gives an account of the Penob-
scot expedition, the court-martialing of Re-
we're, and the three years struggle that
preceded his final acquittal; it presents cor
respondence touching the alliance with
France. the adoption of the constitution
and deals with the famous Austin-Selfridge
murder trial, In which Revere was fore
man Of the jury.
AMERICAN COMMONWEALTH SERIES
RHODE ISLAND; a Study In Sepa-
ratism. By Irving Berdine Richman
author of Rhode Island, Its Making