Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-12
NEW BOOKS
AT RANDOM
I. C.. NJ.
A REPORTER FOR LINCOLN. The
Story of Henry Wing. Ida M. Tar


years ago a little corner of the Union
Army caught up another heroic boy in
an acclamation of Lucky Wing" In
both cases the spontaneous tribute was
to youth courageous, youth foreseeing
and prepared, swift to act, steady to
hold, strong to carry on, modest in
success. United as these incidents are
at heart, naturally they differ much
in externalS. Wing was an inconspicu-
Gus tool Of war, Lindy popular herald
of peace. One was, in spite of himself,
spectacular, projecting a miracle Of
modern science, the world itself look
ing on. The other was hidden away in
the secret movements of the Union
Army that was menaced and desper.
ately imperiled. In the short half-cen-
fury plus, lying in between the two,
the world has advanced thousand
years in progress and publicity. Yet
the two are identical in spirit, both an
essential part of the glorious period of
outfaring fearless youth.
X X X X
This is the story of Henry Wing,
soldier in the Civil War, cub reporter
for the New York Tribune, unofficial
agent of the President, the lad whom
Lincoln came to trust and love, the
homage and pride to the great man
above him.
**
Not long ago up in New England
Henry Wing died. The IS postwar
years added to the 81 with which he
set out to be soldier counted him
well into the sos at the time Of his
long leave. A young man, neverthe.
less, in whose mind up to the last
still lay, clear-cut and undimmed, the
picture of those dark days when the
Union itself stood at the edge of ir-
remediable disaster. 1t is this unfad.
ing picture that, not long before his
death, Henry Wing drew out from his
memory chest for Miss Tarbell to see.
A picture of action, that of a headlong
youth bent to the job of discovering
the whereabouts of the lost army"
Grants army, forebodingly silent, ma
rooned, 1t was feared by the Confed-
crate forces, somewhere between
Washington and Richmond, as it in
fact was. Now and then the picture
widens in scope to admit advancing
lines of unframed boys who are mown
down like swaths of grass, over which
and upon which succeeding lines of
other raw recruits march to their own
destruction also. A terribly piercing
picture' But the great figure is that
of Lincoln himself, as alive in effect as
today is alive. Not a Lincoln essen
TALLY different from the one the world
has come to know, but by virtue of
this close and vital contact. Lincoln
even more poignant in simplicity and
loneliness and bewilderment and suf-
fering, who, in extremity, turns to
he frItc q ND 6nnnnd
Here he is seen in the act Of turning
to this alert and devoted boy for many
a scrap of real news, of definite fact
to set off against volumes of conjec-
ture and hearsay. There are no bar
riers of pomp and circumstance be-
tween the two, for this is one OF the
really great men of all time, possessed
of a passion for the truth of the mon-
strous dilemma in which the Union
is involved and, in possibility, the
world itself.
Accepted from Henry Wing at first
hand, supported and substantiated by
collateral evidence, the story is offered
as a thing of deep intrinsic worth
even among the concededly greater
values of Lincoln'S life and service.
1t is, in sum, little thing drawn off
from the impending tragedy of the
wars darkest hour. Its very limita-
ton, however, throws a light upon
Lincoln that no intervening figures
obscure. Here are, in effect, just a
man and a boy-the man at the low
est ebb of resource, the boy much
like a watchful dog waiting for the
word to go. A luminous story whose
light penetrates the heart of Lincoln.
~ tee, ,fD for
youth courageous, gallant, devoted to
something high and fine.
With the practiced skill of expert
ence in art, Miss Tarbell let's the beau
tiful story alone, or appears to do so,
which is the main point. Here is
little book upon which a half hour of
time will give back years of under
standing and sympathy to be applied
wherever the need arises-much as
Henry Wing in his small way was able
to answer the call of Lincoln, Presi-
dent Of the United States.
X X X X
THE GREAT GOOD MAN. William
E. Barton. The Bobbs- Merrill Co.
William Barton, like Ida Tarbell.
has given much of serviceable and
distinguished authorship to the life
and influence of Abraham Lincoln.
And as Miss Tarbell has done in the
story of Henry Wing, so here Mr..
Barton also has drawn out from a
rich stock of Lincoln lore a special
point of approach, a fresh line of &C.
quaintance and study. This, too, Is a
story for youth, addressed directly to
1.-The boys and girls of America"
Therefore, while the substance of Lin
coins life has not changed in the
IF hfS ntYfh nv<@ I'D
could not change, the mood of it's pro-
lection is new one. 1t is as if. for
the purpose of the book, Mr.. Barton
still holding fast to full budget of
fact concerning Lincoln and his part
in American life-had himself stepped
back into his own early years of eager
curiosity, of joy in every sort of ac-
ton and adventure. In effect, he
became in feeling and attitude boy
again in order to give a good send-off
of this Lincoln story into the hearts
of young folk everywhere.
The story itself is all here, yet how
different in it's appeal! In this case
the movement is swifter, more
changeful, more Zestful. The places
to stop and look around and stay
awhile are other than those which
would, naturally, give pause to older
readers. The emphasis falls in new
quarters. stressing the boyhood of
Lincoln and throughout gathering all
along the great mans career
thousand items fascinating to youth,
important, too, yet of a character
that the elders are likely to pass by.
Reading, one visualizes the zest of a
group of Boy Scouts following the
forest life Of this boy of the back
woods, with ak in hand helping to
make a clearance, or, better yet,
drifting down the Ohio River, or at
night reading by the light of a pine
knot. Easy to. follow this youth up
to New Salem, and joy of purest ray
to share vicariously with him the
pride of being Capt. Lincoln. now a
Young man. So gradual and yet so
,,;,,id 10 the unfolding of the story