Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-12-17

y =
months after that. An appealing vein Of
poetry runs through the text-the poetry
Of the open road. the free life. the fell
lowship with nature. Incidentally, a
rations and illustrations the volume be-
comes an especially attractive addition
to the holiday book shelves.
TALES FROM THE OLD FRENCH.
Translated by Isabel Butler. Bos-
ton: Houghton Miffiin Company.
Miss Butler has chosen fourteen typica.
ume. picking for this purpose those that
represent what is best of the art of the
old French story tellers in all it's forms
tales Of romantic love, Of chiralry. of do
nestle life and folk stories In addition
to being good stories. with a direct in
terest for modern readers. these tales
illustrate the modes Of thought. the sen
timent, religious belief superstition and
even the daily life Of the middle ages.
Miss Buffers English style is exception
ally adapted to such a purpose and rem
ders the French text with fidelity and
literary grace. The volume is attract
lively printed with decorative initials and
black-letter marginal titles.
THE AMERICAN COMMONWEALTH.
By James Bryce, author of "The
Holy Roman Empire" In two vol
new culClOu, completely re-
vised throughout. with additional
chapters. New York: The Macmil-
Ian Company. Washington: Bren-
tanos.
ambassador Bryces American
commonwealth made it's first appear
ance more than twenty years ago, and
was Immediately recognized and &C.
copied as the standard authority OF
reference for all desiring a compre.
hensive account Of the American po-
litlcal system. It was originally pub
iished before the days Of the interna-
tional copyright and was, therefore.
only partially protected in the United
States. Consequently this important
work appealed to the literary pirates
and certain garbled and uncompleted
editions have been placed on the mar
ket and offered to the public without
any indication Of their misleading
character. Mr.. Bryce revised his work
in 1898. adding considerable material
to bring 1t up to date and to include
his more mature reflections on the
American political system. These
authorized versions. There is now Of
fered an entirely new edition Of 1.-THE
American Commonwealth The text
has not only been further revised and
ments and to include the latest Stats
tics--even in some instances the 1910
census figures-but several new chap
tiers and notes have been added.
Among these are included discus
sions of recent legislation regarding
primaries. recent tendencies in state
politics. a detailed consideration Of the
latest phase Of immigration, a chapter
on the negro problem and recent move
ments toward disenfranchising the
negro in southern states. another on
the new transmarine dominions and
one on the lines Of development in the
universities Of the land. Besides these
there are minor alterations and addi-
lions on almost every page. rejecting
the political changes which have taken
place since 1890. In the case Of one
or two important topics Mr.. Bryce has
followed a unique and highly success
full procedure. allowing his old chapters
cent opinions in new chapters. This
permits an interesting comparison be-
tween his earlier and his later impress
Sions.
BIOGRAPHIES OF LEADING AMERI-
LEADING AsERicAN MEN OF
SCIENCE. Edited by David Starr
Jordan, President Of Stanford Uni
versity. With seventeen portraits.
New York: Henry Holt & Co.
Mr.. Henry Holt conceived the idea of
adding to the Leading American series
Of biographies a volume that should in
clude short and sympathetic sketches OF
fifteen leaders, in American science. each
written by q man in some degree known
as a disciple of the subject This project
was intrusted to President Jordan of
Stanford University and the result Is one
of the most important of the series. the
text having been extended to include
Simon Newcon1h and William Keith