Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-10-01
BOOK REVIEWS.
SEVEN GREAT STATESMEN; In the
warfare Of Humanity With urea


late president and professor OF MS
tory at Cornell University: author
of "A History of the Warfare OF
Science With Theology, ETC. Ne"
York: The Century Company.
a NDREw D. WHITE here offers
seven noble studies in pure
~ craftsmanship by way of the
"A biographies of as many wise
men of continental Europe
Sarpi Grotius, Thomasius. Turgot, stein,
Cavour. Bismarck. by name and order.
a chronological listing this. set aside pS
The unscholastc reader, who begins with
Bismarck as the one nearest himse1 III
time and condition, therefore the one
nearest TO comprehension. Having maze
This choice. one is Immediately lifted UP
bv the great spectacle OF man VINO
completely bures himself personally
through the large ardors of building an
empire out of scattered patches OF Ter
man life. the great German empire. mace
almost completely possible by the unseh-
ish devotion of one man. At the outset
the reader planned to pass from BIS
marck TO CGvour as the one next nearest
to his understanding. AT this point now
ever. he hastens back to Stein. another
German living in the time of the great
Napoleon in a search for the seeds OF
Bismarck's harvesting. Similarly. from
the study of Cavour, that champion OF
Italian freedom and unity. one thledus
back to another Italian, Sarp Nene-
tan of the middle ages. who fought the
good fight of temporal freedom from
Rome. The remaining members OF TINS
band Grotius, Thomasius. IurSot. stahu
for freedom from the tyranny OF church
or state or class. each fighting for this
In his own time and with the weapons
of his own condition. The whole makes
an inspiring study. the sort upon Whlcn
succeeding generations Of youth should
be nourished for the clear definition or
ideals. for the example of great FORCES
in human progress, for the stirring OF
ones own spirit toward patriotic self
forgetting action. 1.-The history OF the
world is the biography of great men,
JOHN BROWN: 4 Biography Fifty
Years After. BY Oswald Garrison
Willard A. NJ. Lift. D. With illus
fractions. Boston: Houghton Mifin
Company.
Along with one s absorption in the thrill
ing substance of this life Of John Brown
runs an undercurrent of amazement at
the mountain of labor involved IN It's
production. The whole study gives an
impression of the unremitting pursuit Oh
fact through tangles of error. supple
menting the body of the book is remark
able photography of twenty close pages,
illustrating in slight measure only the
mazes to be threaded in this quest. Hun
dreds Of original documents. cotem.
poraneous letters. and the testimony OF
living witnesses, together with other ma
terial hitherto out of reach. all either
contributing to new views or serving 10
verify or to correct old ones. round this
study into substantial, authentlc, con-
elusive life of this man and. incidentaiy,
define the stressful period through which
he passed. Out from the whole steps
this dramatic. self-driven figure. clearly
a victim. First victim to himself, then
to his friends. then, last or all and ieast
of all, victim to his foes. Henry ward
Beecher said concerning the possible res
cue of John Brown: Let no man pray
that Brown be spared. Let Virginia make
him a martyr. Now. he has only biunoer-
ed His soul was noble; his work miserable.
But a cord and a gibbet would redeem all
that and round up Browns failure with
heroic success" This exaltation over the
martyrdom Of some one else would be In
terestingly naive were 1t not for the mere
matter Of John Brown himself. Neverthe-
less it is not an unfair picture OF the
aloof security OF those northern entnu-
siasts whose temper helped to inspire
John Brown, left to tread the wine press
alone Out Of the radiate activities and
influence Of this man Mr.. Willard draws
a compact. vivid historic picture OF the
terrible focusing of this period upon our
civil war. Straight and clear in its lit
erary way. this biography is q marvel OF
research and "Reminiscences. 1t Is also
deeply significant as plummet OF hui
man reach and broadly instructive in Its
historic aspect.
LOUISE CHANDLER MOULTON. Poet
and Friend. BY Lillian Whiting.
Boston: Little. Brown & Co.
Miss Writings memoir of Louise Chan
dler Moulton is. in effect, an apotheosis
OF friendship, carried up even to faint
observation of the poet. Not twice would
one meet a band so notable as that sur
rounding this gifted woman in the init
macy of mutual regard. Letters from
DR.. Holmes, Whittier, Longfellow. Miss
Alcott. Whistler. Elihu Vedder, George
Meredith, Dreaming. and a host Of others
light up this richly active life and reflect
the finely artistic and intellectual atmos-
phere in which Mrs. Moulton moved.
Added to these letters are "reminiscences
and personal records of annual Journey
ings abroad. each year more abundant
than the one before 1t in the pleasures
OF social and literary life. So absorbing
do these experiences appear that one
casts about for the seasons and moods
OF poetic creation. Mrs. Moulton seems
TO have possessed in marked measure
the power to make full use OF all the
between whites of busy life-almost. as
II were. to sing while on the wing. This
biography is very vivid work. Not
often does a memoir carry with it so
keen sense OF personality, corporeal
and present. Out of it one easily OBJ
tectifes this brilliant group of writer's
and artists whose center is the gifted
subject of this excellent memorial
THE LOVE OF BOOKS AND READING.
BY Oscar Kuhns, author OF The
Sense Of the Infinite" etc. New
York: Henry Holt & Co.
Information. advice and stimulation lie
within these quiet reflective essays on
reading and books. They gather into a
clear. double appeal. the first growing out
OF their fine substance, the second spring
Ing from their personal touch with his
toric readers. The author, in orderly
manner, by way of introduction. traces the
origin of reading, its growth and the
veneration in which ii was held by differ
ent nations. Interesting this, too. Then
follows delightful companionship with
great readers from Petrarch. 1.-The apostle
OF the modern reader" on through a pro-
gressive company. with informal comment
on the books that have meant most to this
distinguished band. 1t is an exciting mat
ter To find ones self loving the very book
that Shelley loved. or Macaulay, or Amiel
or another, approaching 1t In the same at
titude. gathering out from 1t the same
influences. allowing only for differences in
capacity. THE Great Prose Writer'S and
THE Love of the Great Poets elaborate