Evening star., 1928-04-21
THE LIBRARY TABLE
By the BookloUer


education There Is also coming to be
a new view Of history from which new
method of historical writing is evolving.
Once history consisted chiefly Of the
annals of kings and queens and dynas-
ties, of military and naval conflicts
and of diplomatic intrigues. The life OF
the common people figured but slightly,
II at all. in such earlier history. AS
democracy emerged historical writing
was affected so that 1t came to mean
more largely political history, to which
more recently the elements of economic
Interpretation have been added. Still
more recently the emphasis has been
shifted to consideration of the social
factors of the life of the people. The
so-called new history Is therefore no
longer chiefly concerned with political,
military and diplomatic matters, but
deVotes itself primarily to tracing the
evolution of culture, to the genesis of
institutions and to the Interpretation of
the significance of such historical proc
esSes. Some earlier examples of this
new historical method were the his
tories of John Richard Green Of Eng
land and of John Bach McMaSter of
the United States. The outstanding
book of the day by masters in this
school Is THE Rise of American Civili-
zation," by Charles and Mary Beard.
The most recent and most impressive
example. because of its extent, is the
composite work The History of Ameri-
can Life" edited by Arthur NJ. Schles-
niger and Dixon r.. Fox, to be In IL
volumes, each by different authority.
II Il
Since but one-third of the volumes
of The History of American Life" have
thus far been published. the scope of
the work can best be given by extracts
from the prospectus:
This pioneer series Of volumes pene-
trates relatively new field of American
history, great field which has been
known In many of its parts, but un-
mapped on any such scale, has seemed
a wilderness of unrelated facts. It is
the purpose of this series to present
both for the historian and for the gen.
eral reader the story of our civilization
from its far-off beginnings TO the pres
ent moment: TO show how Europeans
became Americans; how farmers, fisher
men. planters. merchants and the rest
grew rich or poor: how they organized
their common life; how they built their
common interests into institutions
churches. schools and all those multi
farious social enterprises which in total
make the substance OF civilization. So
cial history has lacked synthesis: the
editorial design of this series makes at
least a start in that direction. The
transit of civilization from the Old
World TO the New has been constantly
within the authors contemplation. and
the reader under their guidance sees as
in slow -diSsoiving picture the cease
less action OF this environment upon
imported custom, study In that tre-
mendous social chemistry where prin-
ciples have been so little understood
On the other hand. the original factors
in American life, sprung from our own
SOIL are steadily observed In social evo-
luton. In the actual presen-
tation ii is moving picture of pano-
Tan1ic sweep, but one where breadth is
not attained at the expense OF particu-
larity. composition or perspective
Close ups of individuals at work or at
play continually reassure the reader
that he has here an intimately human
story and not speculative. theorixed
Interpretation, thinly stocked with evil
dence. The authors are al
ways seeking explanation OF the phe-
they discover and present,
either from contemporary philosophers
and lterateurs or from the logic Of the
facts themselves. Bat In their richly
furnished narratives the reader fiffds
the concrete evidence and instances
needed to sustain their judgments
Mere antiquarianisin they avoid: quaint.
curious and picturesque as much of
their matter fortunately is, they have
selected it mainly for the light it throws
upon the process of American life. Fac
tionai rivalry. party strife and state
craft, which. after all. have never been
an important personal concern Of many
people. have been left 10 the political
historians: but fundamental matters,
like the broadening of the suffrage, the
democratizing of political control
through conventions and the like. and
such expressions of the public con-
science as movements for reform are
all given due attention"
A# &&
The four volumes OF The History of
American Life thus far published in
ctude. Volume II, The First Ameri-
cans. l607-l690." by Thomas ]. werten-
baker: Volume III. Provincial Society,
i690-l163," by James Truslow Adams !.
Volume VI. The Rise Of the Common
Man. l830-l850." by Carl r. Fish.
Volume VIII. The Emergenee OF Mod
ern America. iS65-l87S," by Allan
NevinS. These volumes are all we'll
written and are interesting reading. Not
least valuable are the numerous illus
trations. consisting of reproductions of
old prints. cartoons, title pages. fac
SMILES OF documents. pictures Of dug
outs, picnics, mohS. interiors of houses
furniture and implements OF special
f44fa fn FaSf4sV4nfMs&fRK4z {e he MIA
ture of the Capitol from the White
House In 1898. reproduced In Fish's
The Rise of the Common Man" This
particular view was previously unknown
TO the Booklover Among the authors
announced TO write the other volumes
are Ida NJ Tarbell. who will cover the
period 1878 10 1898. and Preston w
Slosson. who will write the final volume
covering the period 1914 10 1927. The
remaining volumes are announced for
early publication.
Robert Browning differing from most
people Of Importance, ms we'll as some
of 10 Importance, In our day. wished
that no biography OF himself should be
written Perhaps ne was diSguSted, If
not frightened by the revelations and
llSENkAku14A ut GIAA1GA tk8S NtAakdllsAft va
many OF Cariyle's papers and his earli-
est biographer. Browning was appar-
entity suspicious that his wish would
not he respected. so he wrote what was
intended as mental autobiography In
the last poem to be published during
his life. 'parleyings with Certain People
of Importance In Their Day" 1887 !,
Few understood IT, as few had under.
stood much OF his cartier work. Most
people were not willing 10 give IL the
thought necessary for understanding,
and those who were willing admitted
that 1t was cryptic, A recent scholarly
book elueidateS this photographed
poem, partly by giving Its background
of English and italian history and lit
erature partly by text explanation
"Hrownings parleyings; The Autohiog-
raphy of Mind, by William Clyde DE
VAne,
~