Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-05-28
BOOK REVIEWS.
THE LIFE Of DANIEL COLT GILMAN:
BY Fabian Franklin. New YORK:

THE LIFE OF DANIEL COLT GILMAN
BY Fabian Franklin. New YORK
Dodd. Mead & Co.
Education is In debt to Mr.. FABIAN
Franklin for a complete. well organized
appreciative review Of the life OF Daniel
Colt Gilman, whose name stands through
ont the world for science and learning.
Seldom has biographer so rich a chance
10 contribute to the history Of ideals
expressed In habituai action. The official
relations of this American educator as
president OF the Carnegie Institution,
president OF Johns Hopkins University,
presiden, of the University of Cahfor-
mia and chief organizer Of the celebrated
Shefield Scientific School at Yale make
a high honor roll OF distinguished service
to America. Each Of these institutions
in sense unique, owes its special char-
acter. it's general scope and Its uhdis-
puted rank to the broad scholarship, the
modern spirit and the bold original IN
itiative of this leader in education Inc
author rounds his work into complete
ness by prefixing. on the one mana. 10
his~nucleus OF public service fine. clear
tracing OF the influence of ancestry, tram
Ing, association upon this indlViouahty'
and, on the other hand, by annexing TO
his own personal Geographic enort many
letters from celebrated men, letters OIL
interest and import as further reveia-
tion of the private character and puohc
significance of Daniel Colt Gilman.
LEADING AMERICAN NovELIsTs. By
John Erskine. Phi. D.. adjunct pro
lessor Of English in Columbia Uns-
versity, author of THE Eiizaoethan
Lyric With six portraits. New
York: Henry Holt & Co.
From the arrest brought about here by
4 combination of this title and the table
of contents one passes to the preface, that
repository of purposes, sometimes OF
apologies. to discover, if possible. why
Brown (-harles Brockden, for identif1ca-
tion) Simms CWilliam Gilmore), Cooper.
Hawthorne. Stowe and Bret Harte, this
half dozen only. are counted as our lead
ing novelists. 1t turns out that the ad-
yantages Of dissolution and time are, IN
this case the dictatOrs of rank. This, out
of the preface. Out of a careful reading,
however of this wholly fine and wise ap-
nraisement it appears that leadership here
is less a matter of superior literary pow
er than one of some sort of ptoneersh1p IN
American fiction. Brown. the first In time
of our novelists: Cooper. the nrst high
ciple Of Cooper. but with the wide, new
neishborhood of South Carolina as his
field; Hawthorne, the adventurer OF the
soul: Stowe, the abolitionlst evangelist
Bret Harte the incarnation of California
the forty-niner. Each essay, II not open
to the possibilities of great originality, Is
nevertheless admirable in us compete
ness, in its many sided views, In the depth
and skill of it's critical analysis, IN JUS IN.
terpretation and placing. The literary
manner of the author himself toward IN
tellisent readers is simple. hand-to-hand,
inviting and delightful.
THE EXCURSIONS OF 4 BOOK Low
Err: Being Papers ON Lffe!ar!
themes. By Frederick Rowland
Marvin Boston: Sherman, French &
Co.
The charm of a genial mood radiates
here. the mood of a cultured personality
opening out in mellow talkative hours.
Unmindful. in this instance, at least, OF
the dull mechanics Of composition. the
author, In vagrant, happy way, touches
here and there upon the lighter literary
themes. soliloquy on books, made In
the fashion of an ardent booklover's
apostrophe, a charming story about an
old-time bibliophile. perhaps the first OF
book collectors; a view of literary 1ame,
an amusing and significant COLLECTION o.
book edications, a keen review OF LOm-
broso's Man of Genius are among the
themes that fill these golden hours. The
whole manner of the man. in his happy
comradeship with his audience and in his
attitude toward literature and the life
out Of which 1t springs, makes of this
book a delicate, epicurean literary re-
freshment.
A MANUAL OF PRACTICAL FARMING
BY John McLennan. Phi. D., superin-
tendent of farms at the New YORK
State School Of Agriculture, Alfred,
" Y New York: The Macmillan
Company.
The farm is. happily, becoming popular,
as various back-to-the-farm movements
prove. Good roads. rural delivery and
the telephone are moving the farmer into
town and stirring him with the energy
Of the urbanite. Free education and
definite personal aid in agriculture by
both state and federal governments are
uncovering to the farmer his own re-
sources and possibilities. At this rate OF
concentered influences, soon the independ-
ent and healthful life of the farmer viii
be at premium and the city will nc
longer stand the sole mecca of am
bilious youth. Mr.. McLennans handbook
of farming is a definite and timely influ-
ence in this general movement. Based or
scientific study and experiment, simple
practical, untechnical IN terms, and COW
ering every part of farm life, it clearly
deserves a place at the reading hand OF
every awakened farmer The volume
covers the two general subjects of agri.
culture and animal husbandry. The
former deals with the analysis of soils
very simple and easy; their preparation
including fertilization and drainage. and
their tillage How Plants Grow makes
an interesting chapter. upon which Is
based discussion OF the root systems OF
NEW PUBLICATIONS.