Evening star., 1909-07-10
BOOK REVIEWS.
he LIFE AND TINES OF LAURENCE


-T is a remarkable fact that no ade-
quate biography of Laurence Sterne,
despite the Importance of the part
he played in the evolution of the
English novel, has been prepared
heretofore Much has been written about
him. but ii has not been trustworthy. IN
decd surprising liberties have been tax
en- with the truth regarding the author 5
life, even his letters being garbled IN
their reproduction in print. Prof. cross,
realizing the Importance of procuring
personal history of Sterne and an account
OF his times, has found the research
difficult. II was necessary to so back 10
original materials. owing to the lack OF
authentic biographies Though not abun-
dant, these materials prove adequate at
most points. The period of his childhood
was covered by his own memoirs, written
for his daughter just before his death.
The period of his service as prebendarS
of York and vicar of Sutton was covered
by series of letters 10 friend, by the
anecdotes of a Juvenile admirer and by d
series of local pamphlets. Then at the
time when Sterne was at the height ol
llis fame there were many letters writ
ten by him to various friends, references
10 him in newspapers and in contempo-
rary memoirs and correspondence. per-
sonal journal covering six months OF the
year before his death. and finally the
observations of a member of the French
Academy. who devoted to Sterne a close
observation in Paris. Singular changes
have been made by biographers in the
letters written by Sterne to his friends.
There are many forgerieS and interpola-
tions. Prof Cross gives an instance o1
one letter, which has been expanded and
elaborated from the form preserved by
Sterne himself in his private letter book
into an almost unrecogn.zable version Ii
appears to have been the taste of BIZ
ographers TO present Sterne in the light
OF more witty, more brusque and more
vulgar writer than he was.
The consequence of Prof. Cross efforts
iS a volume of rare interest to the stu
dent of English literature. Sterne worked
at the time of many changes In the in
teIectual life of the English people. and
his career, as outlined in this volume,
is reflex of the evolution of the ma
tional temperament. Prof Cross holds TO
the theory that "Tristram Shandy" and
The Sentimental Journey" were in
large part autobiographical
BY Edward Bedinger Mitchell. New
York: Frederick A. Stokes Company.
The publishers of this volume have
seen fit to warn its readers that the
characters in the romance have no coun-
leEpdflS Whatever III Tic ISdi lilC VI ia
key, which is the scene of the final COM
plications. This is lively story of in
trigue and carries the reader along with
a certain impetus notwithstanding the
occasional straining of probabilities. 1t
touches upon the Young Turks movement
TO overthrow the power of Abdul Hamid
and secure a constitution.
RECORDS Of THE COLUMBIA HIS
TORICAL SOCIETY, Washington, d.
c. Compiled by the Committee on
Publication and the Recording Sec
retary. Volume II.
Volume II of the Columbia Historical
Society records covers 19oS-O9 and in
cudes number of important papers.
Those reproduced are The Plan of
l'Enfant for the City of Washington and
Its Effect Upon the Future Development
of the City," by Glenn Brown: George
town College in the Early Days." by Rev.
Edward /. Dewitt, 8. j.; Historic Rock
Creek" by Louis P. Shoemaker; The
Abraham Young Mansion by Allen c.
Clark; "A Sketch of Francis Scott Key,
With Glimpse OF His Ancestors" by
i. $. Key Smith; History and Reminis-
cences of ST. Johns Church. Washington.
d. c. by Alexander b. Hagner; THE
Virginia Portion of the District of Co
lumbia," by Amos Burr Casselman. In
addition the volume contains the usual
record of communications made to the
society and a particularly interesting
memorial tribute to Ainsworth r. Spot
ford. who died last year.
BY THE GREAT WALL; Letters from
China. The Selected Correspondence
of Isabella Riggs Williams, Mission
ary of the American Board to China,
1S66-1S9I. Introduction by Arthur
II. Smith. Illustrated. New York:
Fleming Fl. Revell Company.
Mrs. Williams went to China as a mis-
sionary in 1866 and spent the remainder
of her life in that field patiently working
10 bring enlightenment to the Chinese of
distant stations. Her husband was en-
gagged in the same work. and her daughter
enlisted in the cause of Christianity in the
old land. Mr.. and Mrs. Williams had
many tragic experiences. being often men
aced by fanatics. In 1900 Mr.. Williams
and twenty-five missionaries escaped from
the Boxers to the Russian frontier, jour-
neying forty days across the terrible des-
ert of Cobb. Mrs. Williams wrote numer-
Gus letters in the course of her service in
China which give instructive glimpses of
the missionary life. The present volume
has been compiled from these letters. with
Il connective text of biographical char
acter. Many photographs add to the in
terest of the volume. which DIR. Smith. in
his brief appreciatory introduction. styles
"a little window opened into the life and
work of an exceptionally equipped mis-
Sionary."
THRICE ARMED. BY Harold Bindloss,
author of Alton of Somasco." etc.
New York: Frederick A. Stokes
Company.
Mr.. Bindloss has written several sue
cessful stories of the northwestern coun-
try, but none that has more vividly pre-
sented the spirit of that region than the
the sea and tells tale of commercial ad-
venture in the waters around Vancouver.
II relates To the efforts of young mar
iner to break the man who ruined his
father and incidentally the undertaking
OF a small struggling shipping company
10 establish itself against a powerful op-
position. The feat involves dangers not
only from the sea, but from treacherous
men. Mr.. Bind oss is a master crafts
man in describing a storm or sea adven-
ture. and in this well balanced narrative
he has several opportunities to display
this faculty 10 advantage.
THE SPELL OF ITALY. BY Caroline
Atwater Mason. Illustrated. Boston:
l.. Z. Page Co.
This is that unusual product, a guide
book that tells story with a touch of
human interest and at the same time gets
the reader into close relationship with the
scenes and places described. 1t is an ac-
curate, anecdotal account of the most
ersed by tourists and many points that
arr, often OyprlOoSed hy the hurried yisi