The Washington herald., 1912-06-02
Literary Review of Latest Publications

VoopRow WILSON STORY OF his LIFE:
b WiIIla1n Bsyard hale. DoublsdAy. Pase
Co, New Y0k CITY.
The authors object is to acquaint all
those who seek information about a
high-uiuded citizen and vigorous gov
ernor with the Democratic candidate for
the Presidential nomination. He tells
Of him as a man and why and how he
has done what he did do; OF his attrac-
tive and vigorous personality, his equip
ment Of high talent, and Of shrewd COM
mon sense, and withal the rare essential
saving grace Of humor. We see be-
lever in Democracy, q hard and fair
fighter free from phariseeiEm. What we
do not see is a trace Of the demsgogue.
The author furnishes this incident to
show the reader the kind Of man the
former professor OF Princeton, the dry
bookworm OF a college, in reality Is:
Mr.. Nugent, OF Newark, referred In the
Governors once TO the way in which
votes were obtained for one Of wilson .
reform measures
what 90 you mean?" queried the
Governor sharply.
''Its the taIk Of the State House that
you got them by patronage"
Good afternoon, Mr.. Nugent," said
Gov. Wilson, pointing to the door.
discounted boss.
You're no Judge" replied Mr.. Wilson,
his finger continuing to indicate the exit.
Mr.. Hale has done much for those who
wish to know Mr.. Wilson better.
THE WIT AND HUMoR OF COLONIAL DAYS:
By Cam Holiday. J. B. Hppincott Co.. PhiIA-
delphia
This book Is a compilation OF Ilustra-
tive examples rather than q treatise. The
pages abound in jokes, puns, and funny
stories Of the period whereof he writes.
What has come down to us from the
seventeenth century Is mostly legendary.
The author finds that the first colonist
to crack a joke was Nathaniel Ward in
his Simple Cobbler OF Agawam." We
should say Of him to-day that he
rushed" into print. Mr.. Holiday finds
that most Of the early humorists were
more humorous the more serious their
object was. To the view OF modern
readers the epitaphs Of those days were
grotesque. Here is one composed by a
New Haven pastor to commemorate a
clerical friend:
Here lies the darling Of his time
Mitchell expired in his prime.
Who four years short Of forty-ssFsn
Was found full rpe and plucked for Heaven
Among the punning Puritan preachers
Of the eighteenth century Msther Byies,
Of Hollis Street Church, Boston. holds
first rank But he did not enjoy a
monopoly in the field Of wit. He had a
neighboT. Joseph Green, who was his
rival and quite naturally the two wits
were sharpened one upon the other. Once
Parson ByIes composed a hymn written
during a voyage. and his neighbor paro-
died 1t with a psalm, the opening Quat-
rain Of which Will show its mock solem-
nifty:
With vast snnszgnsut We surey
The wonders Of the deep,
Where mHeksrel swim and porpoiSs play
And cabs and lobstsrH creep
The book limits its field to Colonial
Days" but in reality the author con-
tinues the study down to the opening OF
the nineteenth century.
HISTORY OF The PEOPLE OF THE NEITHER.
LANDS: By Pstrus johannes Blok, Professor oi
History in the University Of Lsydsn. Translated
By Oscar A. BieTstadt- Published BY G. P. Pun,
mans Sons, New YORK
At last a professor has found time tc
complete the work par excellence Of his
life. This is the fifth volume and deals
with modern times only. It opens with
the death Of William III and the re-
establishment Of affairs in the Neither
lands, resembling closely those Of his
early childhood. His relative and heir,
William John Friso, died shortly after
him, leaving the Stattholdership once
more in sbeyance during the long mi
nority Of his posthumous son. It goes
without saying that the professor has
industriously rubbed the tarnish on the
regulations Of King Philip as well as
Alva-
The history Of eighteenth century Hol-
land is q saddening record OF dwindling
prestige abroad, Of corruption and in
competence at home. The great powers
gradually discovered the military, naval
-
the after-effeCts of its superhuman ef-
forts of the Golden Age. Public once
became a private snap" and even q
family snap, Of the patricians. Commerce
and industry declined, England improv-
ing every opportunity to grasp the sea
borne trade Of her old rival Only
finance hourished, thanks TO the ac-
cumulated wealth Of the fathers.
The history Of the Netherlands in the
nineteenth century follows that Of all
Northern Europe. It is a history of re-
viving prosperity, still more one OF the
struggle for the political rights OF the
common people. The only great figure
Of all this period is that Of Thorbecke.
the champion Of democracy. the Trainer
Of the country's modern constitution,
who, fighting vested interests, was
handicapped also by the enmity Of Will
lam III. king with a high opinion of
his royal prerogatives.
The volume becomes decidedly hard
reading once its author reaches the his
tory Of our own times in the Neither
lands Il almost appears as il Prof.
Blok, writing for his own country
men, had relied upon their general IA
milisrity with his subject matter, with
out thought Of his less well informed
foreign readers.
Professor Biloxi faces the future Of the
Netherlands confidently. The dream OF
a greater Netherland in South Africa,
he holds, has been dissipated by the
English conquest of the Boer republics,
but he looks hopefully to the Dutch
East Indies, where, under a liberal ad-
ministration, the natives are clamoring
for the HoIlanders education, and for
self-government.
PRACTICAL FLY FISHING: BY EnsIyn NJ GIN.
Published by ScZibusr's Sons, New York City.
This Is the first American book de-
scribing this most artistic and fascinat-
ing method Of angling for trout, though
the dry-fiy has been the favorite lure
Of English anglers for many years. The
author demonstrates the adeptability Of
the dTy-fiy 70 American streams While
this book will interest all fy-hshermen,
its principal purpose Is to lend a help
ing hand TO the beginner in dry-hy FISH
ing and to aid the wet-fiy angler u
become an expert both with the floating
fly and other tackle necessary for the
successful pursuit Of this sport. All the
rules OF the game are given from the
purchase Of the rod to the first cast on