Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-28
NEW BOOKS
AT RANDOM
I. C. NJ.

1 1 - W. We
FRANKLIN: Apostle of Modern Times
Bernard Fay. Little, Brown g Co.
Recurrently, great figures of the past
are summoned into the present by
chronicler and artist, as if for re-
testing of the powers by way of which
| In erect, brought forward for fresh
appraisalS of the wearing quality of
| their fame as this is tried by the new
] outlook and the changed standards of
later days. And to the degree in which
they stand in active touch with each
succeeding present, rendering to it the
wisdom of old experience, offering to it
the valid and unchanging things of
| mind and spirit-to that degree are
such historic figures of perennial serv-
ice to the world which long since gave
| to them curt bodily reputation.
To be In any measure potential in
| the present, that man or this one out
| OF the past, near or remote, must be of
clear kin to it. He must look out upon
| life much as today looks upon it. He
must take hold of it in the same sort
| OF grip. He must assess its values in
the current coin of common use. Then
only does he call to the present, then
only does he become influential as in
terpreter, guide, inspiration even. Other
wise, the historic figure is of interest
| TO the antiQuary alone, to the pure
scholar accidentally interested in the
past, as such, regardless of the fact
that 1t has no essential contact with
after years and periods, either as inter-
prefer, guide or monitor.
There are not so many Of these men
OF high fame in this respect in the
ages that are past. And no wonder.
This is day OF miracles-bewilderin
and dazzling to those even who are a
living part Of 1t, to those actually par
taking OF its achievements. And vet,
J after ALL 1t is certain quality of mind
tnat makes for kinship, not the feats
OF material progress not passing modes
and manners. not words and gestures.
So here and there, going backward in a
search for old ties and tried under
standings, we now and then come upon
one who Is, in essentials, of our own era.
One who meets the astounding day that
this day Is with confidence and COM
posture, and competency. He possesses
| the modern mind"-that is, what we
call such an appearance. One could-if
this were the place to do it-select at
random few striking and enlighten-
ing figures to illustrate this modern
mind" working in long-gone periods of
history. However, let us not wander out
upon such excursion. Let us, instead,
| go along with Bernard Fay through the
adventures Of one mans life, adventures
which the author has followed in the
gusto of a personal partaking. Mr.. Fay
literally ransacks Benjamin Franklin
| for the full content of that rich and
luminous American who moves out here
| as clearly and definitely cotemporaneous
a.. as Mr.. Fay himself, or as any other of
| us who are part of the passing throng.
] The writer is, primarily, out for facts
1 for all the facts of Benjamin Franklin
i as these come into the open under the
inner drive of Franklin, boy and man
/ and ultimate Observation-Disclosures the
outer impact as well of wide range of
scene and circumstance and activity.
| We all know the story. Went to
school to it. Brought up on it. Yet,
this fresh adventure of Franklin is
strikingly different from those early les
sons on "a great American" or even
from subsequent reading on the subject.
Education, so fatally committed to NOR
ais and precepts, kills of many a good
man who might otherwise remain alive
and potent in charm and persuasion. A
queer fellow-so our fragments of rec
election said-given even as boy to
writing down laboriously moral precepts
| for his own guidance. A play-boy who
| few kites and rather blasphemouSly, so
| 1t was limited, invited acquaintance with
the mystery Of electricity thereby and
made questionable attempts at inter-
ference with lightning, one Of Jehovah's
own gestures. Queer fellow who made
almanacS and possessed a passion for
his fellowmen, for folks, the palmer the
better. Rising man who won confidence
and enough Of respect to send him to
France when that country and his own
were in very ticklish situation. Pop
ular figure in France, especially with
| the ladies. And there, in our memory
test, the story decorously stops. That
! is what we know about Benjamin
| Franklin. Rather, that was Just about
the sum of our rather Indifferent in
formation, till we cast in our lot with
Bernard Fay. And is Mr.. Fay the only
one who has written the life of Frank
lin? Rather not. But he is of the lat
est. He is impressively competent in
he is possessed Of the purpose to re-
create, not only Franklin, but to re-
create the period which so inf1uentially
! shaped the career of this man and
| which, in turn, embodied the activities
and the spirit, certainly of the colonies
and Of France itself in one of its critical
periods of development. And England,
too, comes into the picture by way of
this plain American, Franklin. You
| will find it difficult to recall personal
study which involves also as an inherent
part Of 1t such close-knit substance of
the man, the period and the place as
this biography projects. In a way that
looks like simple thing to do-and is
not.
Here the boy-life Of Franklin, his
| play and work, his thrifty outlook, his
trifling economies, his dreams forever
moving seward toward far adventures,
his comings up against the elderS-just
these few and familiar engagements,
Of that day. These small-boy activities
embrace and portray the community it
self in its Intervene of dour religion,
hard work and exceeding thrift. Men
and women Of historic record come and
go here-the Mathers proclaiming the
| represent devil and the terrible
wrath to come, and many another Of
the same hard stripe and, no doubt, of
good worth to their day. So, through
out, in following the personal career of
Benjamin Franklin-his growth in
years and influence, his man-Size worth
| to his country at home and abroad, his
rich and lovable nature, his quick and
kindly comprehension of the man-ani-
mal-throughou in each phase of
Franklin'S growth and increasing pub
! lie service Bernard Fay achieves the
substantial effect of history, in its sa-
lent points and at given period, en-
bodied in the life Of an individual and
projected in many of its most signif-
cant aspects by way of the personality
and the public career of, PROBABLY, the
most clearly representative citizen of
America that has yet come into any
thing like the historic valuation.
The book Is history. It is biography
1t is adventure out Of which the read
er steps in possession of q brand-new
compatriot to admire and honor. Such
the effect of vivid and dramatic per-
- %I,fC eorio,,v aud