The New York herald., 1922-11-26


is entertained by Mr.. Lytton Strachey
attracted so much favorable attention here
and in England. Treating Washington's
character. therefore, as the key to his
greatness. Mr.. Thayer has studied it with
exceptional care in order to present Wash.
ington as man more clearly to the com
prehension of the reader. The appearance
of this biography is timely. if only to con-
tradict the intimation by Mr.. III. G. Wells
in his outline of history to the effect that
Washington was habitually an indolen
man. Every American household in which
there is any considerable collection OF
books at all ought to possess a Life OF
Washington" Irving's monumental work
in five volumes requires more shelf space
than can be afforded in ordinary libraries
nowadays; one volume biography is es-
sential. Mr.. Thayer's book is just what
was needed.
The announcement in March. 1921. OF
the death of John Burroughs in the eighty
fourth year of his age, brought a sense OF
profound regret to scores and hundreds OF
lovers of nature study throughout the
United States. He had become the most
popular writer OF the day upon natural
history in its more familiar aspects The
older readers who used to be enthusiastic
over the writings of Thoreau became ad-
mirers of the books of John Burroughs
and others classed him with the school of
nature lovers represented by John Muir.
The widespread interest in the man and
his writings makes the present time Pc
culiarly appropriate for the publication OF
such book as his artist friend. Mr. Clifton
Johnson, has produced under the title of
John Burroughs Talks" Mr.. Johnson's
acquaintance with Burroughs arose out OF
his employment to illustrate two collec-
tions of his essays. The artist had long
been an ardent worshiper of the author
and he availed himself of the opportunities
afforded by their many meetings to make
careful notes of what Burroughs had to
say on almost every subject under the
sun. In his old age the venerable natural
ist reminded the present writer of Rip Van
Winkle. and he was quite as delightfully."-
talkative The notes taken by Mr.. johnson
have been classified and arranged in this
volume SO as practically to constitute a
tolerably complete autobiography of John
Burroughs. The artist has sought to give
faithful report OF the authors uncon-
ventional talk and thus furnish his ad-
mirers with narrative of the chief events
Of his life. taken down from his own life.
The outcome is an exceptionally interesting
portrait OF a remarkable character.
John Burroughs refused to regard him
self as a naturalist strictly speaking. He
said he preferred to call himself nature
lover. The place which he occupies in
American national biography was won. not
so much by a scientific study of nature as
by the writing Of nature essays in which
he recorded the observation of familiar
facts concerning plants and animals which
usually escape the notice of ordinary OBJ
servers. He disapproved the womens col
leges in which they make a feature of
learning about nature by dissecting cats.
Nor had he much sympathy with those
who go out to the fields deliberately 10
study nature. "They make dead set at
it for little while and then return to
their money making or to society and the
fashions"
Without making any fuss or pretense
about it, John Burroughs really lived "the
simple life" which 80 many praise and so
few practice lie did not care for money
further than enough to enable him To live
and maintain his family-a wife and child
in reasonable comfort Aside from his
work .LllL L.- ~ -.r-r-.-.al ...---.-..-.