Skip to content

Chapter XXXIX: Part 2: , Three Boston object lessons in taxation; Part 3, Private (19)

Text size

=Survey.= 22: 854. S. 25, ’09. 950w.

=McFarlane, Arthur E.=^{[11]} Redney McGaw: a story of the big show
and the cheerful spirit. †$1.50. Little.

9–28951.

The story of a typical New York street gamin who joins a circus just to be transported to a farm out West where he hoped to join a chum. Hardships of earning his living are offset by the excitement of the life and such thrills as result from saving a panther-tamer, preventing a train-wreck and a wild ride on an elephant. The human quality in circus folk is brought out, also their wit and intelligence.

* * * * *

“His philosophy under trying circumstances is healthy for young readers.” M. J. Moses.

+ =Ind.= 67: 1366. D. 16, ’09. 30w.

“Since the days when James Otis’ ‘Toby Tyler’ was so enthusiastically received by juvenile readers, there has been no more refreshing circus story than ‘Redney McGaw.’”

+ =Lit. D.= 39: 1020. D. 4, ’09. 120w.

“It would make anybody laugh to read of the enforced battle between the two tramps.”

+ =N. Y. Times.= 14: 709. N. 13. ’09. 120w.

“Mr. McFarland writes with the easy pen of the journalist and the keen observation of a Kipling.”

+ =R. of Rs.= 40: 766. D. ’09. 40w.

=McGhee, Zach.= Dark corner. **$1. Grafton press.

8–34812.

“A story of the uplifting of a lot of rural folk by educational means. The hero is a schoolmaster, who, in addition to being a young man of remarkable intelligence and energy, is now and then extremely entertaining by reason of the humorous views he takes of persons and things with which he comes in contact. A feature of Mr. McGhee’s little volume is the dedication of his story to ‘men of talent, strength, energy, and culture,’ who ‘pursue lives of toil, poverty, and obscurity that they may brighten the minds, ennoble the souls, and increase the opportunities of other men’s children.’”—N. Y. Times.

* * * * *

“With many rawnesses and roughnesses, it is in some inscrutable way a very likable little story.”

+ − =Nation.= 88: 200. F. 25, ’09. 280w.

“He has pictured some interesting bits of Southern life.”

+ =N. Y. Times.= 14: 103. F. 20, ’09. 180w.

=MacGowan, Alice.=^{[12]} Wiving of Lance Cleaverage. **$1.35. Putnam.

9–27261.

A story set in the Tennessee mountains that tells of the clashing temperaments of a young husband and wife while they “are fighting it out” and learning to agree. “The difficulties that beset Lance and Callista before they reached a happy married haven are of general human interest, but in the case of the hero, take on especial coloring from his temperament—which is distinctly a Tennessee mountain product.... With Callista it is otherwise. Hers is the case of many a spoiled beauty who does not know how to cook.” (Nation.)

* * * * *

=A. L. A. Bkl.= 6: 134. D. ’09.

“There are most excellent character portrayals all along the way.”

+ =Nation.= 89: 600. D. 16, ’09. 250w.

“Contrasted with the hothouse atmosphere of so much of the fiction of the day and with the subtleties and complexities of its characters this story of children of nature, simple, strong, direct, is as refreshing as a lung-filling breath of their own mountain air.”

+ =N. Y. Times.= 14: 726. N. 20, ’09. 300w.

=MacGrath, Harold.=^{[8]} Goose girl; with illustrations by André
Castaigne. †$1.50. Bobbs.

9–22181.

A narrative of love and adventure in which the main interest centers in a peasant girl, who tends geese in the German state of Ehrenstein. The daughter of the Duke of this principality had been abducted when a child by a band of gypsies and after sixteen years of search was supposed to be found. Further developments proved that it was not the reigning princess but the goose girl who was the stolen child.

* * * * *

“A harmless tale which has a touch of romantic charm.”

+ =A. L. A. Bkl.= 6: 56. O. ’09. ✠

“The genre is beginning to show signs of wear, the mechanism of its romance is beginning to creak; it is time for the invention of something new.”

− =Ind.= 67: 550. S. 2, ’09. 120w.
=N. Y. Times.= 14: 501. Ag. 21, ’09. 200w.

=Macgregor, Mary.= Romance of history: The Netherlands. (Romance of
history ser.) **$2. Stokes.

9–5227.

A story of the Netherlands for boys the material for which is freely acknowledged to have been drawn from Motley’s “Dutch republic” and Prescott’s “Philip II.”

* * * * *

“The lurid details of the Inquisition and general style make it less suitable for children’s than for young people’s or even adult’s reading.”

+ − =A. L. A. Bkl.= 5: 95. Mr. ’09.

“Mrs. MacGregor writes very well, and her book ... will be an excellent introduction to the fuller studies of Prescott and Martin Hume.”

+ =Sat. R.= 105: 53. Ja. 11, ’08. 170w.

=Mach, Edmund Robert O. von.= Art of painting in the nineteenth
century. *$1.25. Ginn.

8–34260.

“French, German, British, and American painting are discussed, each in a separate chapter; Italy, Spain and the Netherlands are classed together in one chapter; Russia, Denmark, and Scandinavia in another. A book of 170 pages covering so large a field implies that little more than brief sketches of principal names has been possible. But the preface warns us not to expect ‘art-criticism, nor clever and pithy sayings,’ so we need not be misled. There are thirty-two full-page illustrations.”—Dial.

* * * * *

“A convenient handbook.”

+ =Dial.= 46: 233. Ap. 1, ’09. 130w.

“A good example of over-condensation.”

+ − =Outlook.= 91: 335. F. 13, ’09. 120w.

=McIsaac, Isabel.= Hygiene for nurses. *$1.25. Macmillan.

8–25736.

Discusses with generous use of quotations from good authorities such subjects as food, air, soil, water, sewage, garbage, causes and dissemination of disease, personal, household and school hygiene, hygiene of occupation, disinfection and quarantine.

* * * * *

“Though intended as a first book for nurses, these chapters ... are not too technical, and equally important, for the housekeeper. They are scientific, clear and very practical.”

+ =A. L. A. Bkl.= 4: 292. D. ’08. ✠

“Much of the information is good, but there is far more of it than the average nurse may be expected to comprehend; nor will she be able to use many of the directions unless she already knows too much to need the book.”

− + =Nation.= 87: 529. N. 26, ’08. 120w.

=Mack, Arthur Carlyle.=^{[9]} Palisades of the Hudson. *75c. Palisade
press.

9–25288.

A slight volume, fully illustrated, dwelling upon the formation, tradition, romance, historical associations, natural wonders and preservation of the Palisades of the Hudson.

* * * * *

“Probably nowhere else will one find in convenient compass so much information on this subject.”

+ =Lit. D.= 39: 540. O. 2, ’09. 100w.

=Mackail, John William.=^{[5]} Springs of Helicon: a study in the
progress of English poetry from Chaucer to Milton. **$1.25.
Longmans.

9–7035.

Contains the substance of the author’s two official courses of lectures delivered in 1906 and 1908 at Oxford. The subject suggests “that all European poetry is connected with and indebted to Greece; and that English poetry especially is indebted to the Grecian stream, from which it has borrowed, directly and indirectly, at three turning points of its development. These three stages which Professor Mackail has selected in order to study the growth and progress of English poetry as a phase of life, are embodied in Chaucer, Spenser, and Milton. Each of these is treated at considerable length in an essay abounding in erudite, broad, and luminous criticism.” (Cath. World.)

* * * * *

“An excellent review of the general movement in English poetry as exemplified in Chaucer, Spenser and Milton.”

+ =A. L. A. Bkl.= 5: 173. Je. ’09.

“His gift is for detailed appreciation; it is because his book is not concerned with the progress of poetry that it is worth reading.”

+ =Ath.= 1909, 1: 640. My. 29. 680w.

“Professor Mackail is learned and technical without being pedantic; he has to convey subtle appreciations of the supra-sensuous and intangible in terms proper to concrete expression; but he manages to express intelligibly what he wants to say, and he has always something to say that is worth listening to.”

+ =Cath. World.= 89: 252. My. ’09. 420w.

“In the end, Professor Mackail’s work is rather to be valued for its general suavity of tone than judged in accordance with the correctness or originality of its separate ideas.”

+ − =Nation.= 88: 444. Ap. 29, ’09. 960w.

“He does not touch the vital heart of the poetry, nor does he bring it to the point of contact with real life; his criticism does not stimulate, and for purely academic analyses, covering no new ground, there can be little demand.”

− =N. Y. Times.= 14: 195. Ap. 3, ’09. 400w.

“Essays which are not only penetrating and learned, but which give one the thrill and delight of work which has a universal quality.”

+ =No. Am.= 190: 408. S. ’09. 470w.

“The immensity of the subject is a difficulty, but the present volume proves the author’s ability to compress a vast amount of good matter into a small space without distorting proportions or confusing his meaning—a rare gift.”

+ =Sat. R.= 107: 691. My. 29, ’09. 1200w.

“Professor Mackail’s mellifluous prose rises often to eloquence, but it escapes the defect of that quality and is never vapid or obscure. He coins memorable phrases, but he eschews paradox. Last, and it is a high merit in a modern critic, he avoids the kind of pseudo-scientific jargon in which some scholars choose to expound their views. He is never forgetful of the dignity of English prose.”

+ =Spec.= 102: 818. My. 22, ’09. 1900w.

=Mackail, John William.=^{[10]} Swinburne: a lecture delivered before
the University on April, 30, 1909. *35c. Oxford.

A tribute to Swinburne the student, the poet, the man.

* * * * *

“Perhaps it is early yet to give his poetry the full meed of praise and at times Mr. Mackail seems over-cautious, but then it is the way of the world to hesitate before it lays the laurel wreath on the grave of mortality become immortal.”

+ − =No. Am.= 190: 409. S. ’09. 500w.

“It it an admirable piece of criticism. It abounds with good things,—many of the lecturer’s own, some chosen with rare insight from the utterances of others.”

+ =Spec.= 102: 865. My. 29, ’09. 230w.

=Mackay, Constance D’Arcy.=^{[12]} House of the heart and other plays
for children; designed for use in the schools. *$1.10. Holt.

Ten plays suitable ethically, dramatically, and educationally, for public school performances. The plays contain lessons in manners and morals, and are so simple in setting and costumes that, with the full directions accompanying the text, any teacher can stage them successfully.

* * * * *

“A practical little volume for home or school use.”

+ =N. Y. Times.= 14: 798. D. 18, ’09. 60w.

“The collection is really worth having for constant use.” B. L. Israels.

+ =Survey.= 23: 376. D. 18, ’09. 130w.

=Mackay, Mrs. Helen Gansevoort (Edwards).=^{[5]} Houses of glass:
stories of Paris. **$1. Duffield.

9–9473.

“The sketches are all of Parisian life, about stupid and lovely women of the half-world and their sordid or tragic stories, the intrigues of clever women of the social world and the attempts of silly American women to tiptoe around the edge of the pit and look down into it without getting their feet muddy. They are told with dramatic effect, and the author has a very good knack for making vivid a scene or a character with an illuminating phrase or sentence.”—N. Y. Times.

* * * * *

“Frankly, they are wonderfully well done, these short sketches in the Maupassant manner—although, of course, they are not quite Maupassant in quality.” F: T. Cooper.

+ =Bookm.= 29: 320. My. ’09. 550w.

“While one may honestly admit a difference of opinion regarding the importance of the subject-matter of this collection of stories and sketches, there can be no question about their vividness of portrayal and their mastery of technique.” Philip Tillinghast.

+ − =Forum.= 41: 397. Ap. ’09. 730w.

“The best things in the book, artistically, are some of the short impressionistic sketches of phases of life in the restaurants or the streets. Their illusion of Parisian life and scene is unusually good.”

+ =N. Y. Times.= 14: 240. Ap. 17, ’09. 200w.

“The literary artistry of the book is of a distinctly high order.”

+ =Outlook.= 91: 814. Ap. 10, ’09. 70w.

=MacKaye, Percy Wallace.=^{[12]} Poems. *$1.25. Macmillan.

9–31271.

Mr. Mackaye knows the trick of setting words aflame to kindle a wondrous soul afire. His art is broad, as this volume attests. From his epic ode read at Fort Ticonderoga, July 6, 1909, and his “Sistine eve,” in which the dramatis personae are figures in the paintings by Michelangelo and Botticelli on the ceiling and walls of the Sistine chapel, to his dainty lyrics seems only a step for this singer who is instinct with melody.

* * * * *

“No one can read the Ticonderoga ode without a sense of the presence of a large and free imagination. While the ‘Sistine eve’ has a rare beauty of feeling and phrase. The courage and unconventional handling are admirable, but the work is occasionally rough and inharmonious. Mr. Mackaye has abundance of material and the highest aims; he needs more patience and restraint to give his work that touch of art without which genius is crippled.”

+ − =Outlook.= 93: 651. N. 27, ’09. 210w.

=Mackaye, Percy Wallace.= Ode on the centenary of Abraham Lincoln.
*75c, Macmillan.

9–4103.

A poem delivered before the Brooklyn Institute of arts and sciences at the Academy of music, Brooklyn, New York, February, 1909. “The idea—parallel between the birth in the manger at Bethlehem and that in the rude Kentucky cabin—is as good as it is old, and the opening lines which picture the wilderness about the cabin, the frozen night, the voices of the wild creatures that break the wintry silence just miss being really impressive.” (N. Y. Times.)

* * * * *

“Its regular rime and meter are well suited to its subject, and both thought and feeling find original expression in its lines.”

+ =Ind.= 66: 490. Mr. 4, ’09. 170w.

“Despite the stirring swing of the lines here and there, it must be said that as a whole he has not succeeded in fusing the humbler details of Lincoln’s life with the elevation of his general theme.”

− + =Nation.= 88: 166. F. 18, ’09. 90w.

“Of large Miltonic sound it fails to measure up to the requirements of the case in the article of matter.”

− =N. Y. Times.= 14: 83. F. 13, ’09. 160w.

=Mackaye, Percy Wallace.=^{[5]} Playhouse and the play, and other
addresses concerning the theater and democracy in America. *$1.25.
Macmillan.

9–10640.

In an introduction Mr. Mackaye says: “The vital problems which confront the drama in America to-day are not questions of dramatic art: they are questions which concern the opportunities for dramatic art properly to exist and to mature. Primarily, they are not æsthetic questions; they are civic questions.... They are questions which concern, on the part of dramatic artists, liberation; on the part of the public, enlightenment.” His five addresses are: The playhouse and the play, dealing with conditioning influences of the theatre upon the drama: The drama of democracy, showing a possible goal for our native drama; The dramatist as citizen, treating the civic status of the dramatist’s profession; Self-expression and the American drama, emphasizing need of leadership; Art and democracy, dealing with art as public service.

* * * * *

“Visionary but suggestive.”

+ =A. L. A. Bkl.= 5: 173. Je. ’09.
=Ind.= 67: 93. Jl. 8, ’09. 230w.

“It is well that they should be offered in this convenient form, for—and this will be admitted even by those who do not agree with all his conclusions—they are full of interesting and pregnant matter.”

+ =Nation.= 88: 469. My. 6, ’09. 750w.

“There is a great deal of earnest thought and a sincere devotion to the drama to be found in Mr. Mackaye’s book. But it leaves the reader cold, for many of the reforms urged are purely Utopian.”

+ − =N. Y. Times.= 14: 290. My. 8, ’09. 600w.
=R. of Rs.= 39: 767. Je. ’09. 140w.

=McKeever, William Arch.= Psychologic methods in teaching. $1.
Flanagan.

9–8597.

A three part work which tells a teacher what to see, how to interpret the thing seen, and how to conduct the teaching so as to produce the best results for the child. Part one discusses the principles and methods of teaching; part two treats of the special branches of instruction; and part three presents the subject of moral instruction.

=McKenzie, Robert Tait.=^{[12]} Exercise in education and medicine.
*$3.50. Saunders.

9–19600.

“In the present volume there is nothing of the propagandist movement to beguile puny muscle or tight purse strings. A definition and classification of exercise is given in the first chapter, followed by the physiology of exercise and the use of massage and passive motions. Exercise by apparatus and the German system of physical training are outlined in detail, and a comparison is made with the results of such modifications as are in most prominent use in America. An interesting account is given of the jiu jitsu or ‘soft business of Japan.’... The chapters on ‘Playgrounds and municipal gymnasiums,’ ‘Physical education in schools,’ and ‘The physical education of mental and moral defectives’ may be read with profit.”—N. Y. Times.

* * * * *

+ =N. Y. Times.= 14: 764. D. 4, ’09. 380w.

“This book represents a distinct advance in the literature on physical exercise. It is well written, and interesting. It contains a good deal of material of scientific value.” T: A. Storey.

+ − =Science=, n.s. 30: 716. N. 19, ’09. 1250w.

=Mackinlay, Malcolm Sterling.= Garcia the centenarian and his times: a
biography. *$4. Appleton.

9–9291.

“The biographer presents a brief sketch of the elder Garcia and his activity in Spain, Italy, Paris, and England, and the circumstances in which Manuel and his two sisters, Maria and Pauline, afterward the great singers Malibran and Viardot-Garcia, were brought up—breathing the very atmosphere of opera house and concert hall. There is naturally much space given to the visit of the family to New York in 1825, when the father brought the first Italian opera company that ever came to this country.” (N. Y. Times.) “He gives us an interesting account of Garcia’s method as a teacher, and illustrates his modesty, courtesy, patience, and humour by some characteristic anecdotes.” (Spec.)

* * * * *

+ =Ath.= 1908, 1: 459. Ap. 11. 450w. + =Nation.= 88: 259. Mr. 11, ’09. 770w.

“He has presented a record of this remarkable life, as well as of the two remarkable sisters, that will be an important addition to musical biography.”

+ − =N. Y. Times.= 14: 41. Ja. 23, ’09. 800w.

“To sum up, the new matter contributed by Mr. Mackinlay might have furnished forth a magazine article, but affords no excuse for the publication of a volume of three hundred and thirty pages.” C. L. G.

− + =Spec.= 100: 618. Ap. 18, ’08. 1750w.

=Maclaren, J. Malcolm.=^{[8]} Gold: its geological occurrence and
geographical distribution. *25s. Mining Journal, London.

GS9–181.

The book is divided into two parts, namely the General relations of auriferous deposits and the Geographic distribution of gold. “The longest and most valuable section of the book is occupied by an account of the geological structure and mining history of all the chief goldfields of the world. This part of the work occupies 544 pages. The goldfields are classified by continents. Those of Europe are described first, and in proportion to their economic importance receive longer notice than those of Australia and South Africa. The longest section is that on the goldfields of North America.” (Nature.)

* * * * *

“Though many geologists may be disposed to differ from the author in some of his conclusions as to the formation of good ores, they will be no less grateful to him for this valuable and trustworthy summary of the voluminous gold literature issued during the past twenty years.” J. W. G.

+ − =Nature.= 81: 34. Jl. 8, ’09. 730w.

“The book is well written, and while it contains much of interest it is doubtful whether it fills any great and pressing need which is not already occupied by other works.” W. R. Crane.

+ =Science=, n.s. 30: 57. Jl. 9, ’09. 450w.

=Maclaurin, Richard Cockburn.=^{[12]} Light. (Columbia univ. lectures.
The Jesup lectures, 1908–1909.) *$1.50. Columbia univ. press, N. Y.

9–18151.

“This book, while not comprehensive enough to serve as a text-book, will meet the requirements of those who wish to acquaint themselves with the experimental part of the work that has given us our modern theory of light. The subjects are treated in the following order: (1) Early contributions to optical theory, (2) Color vision and color photography, (3) Dispersion and absorption, (4) Spectroscopy, (5) Polarization, (6) The laws of reflection and refraction, (7) The principle of interference, (8) Crystals, (9) Diffraction, (10) Light and electricity.”—Science.

* * * * *

“They are popular in their mode of presentation and at the same time abreast of the latest developments in the science of optics.”

+ =Dial.= 47: 523. D. 16, ’09. 50w.

“The style of the book is clear and concise, and should prove invaluable to the large body of teachers of physics throughout the country. They will find in it much that is scarcely touched upon in the ordinary textbooks and their appreciation of the difficulties of presenting such a subject in the technical language will put them in that sympathetic frame of mind that helps so much toward the understanding of a writer.” Mary Proctor.

+ =N. Y. Times.= 14: 708. N. 13, ’09. 850w.

“The author’s standing as a physicist is a sufficient guarantee that the book is free from errors, and the subject is treated in a very readable manner, free from mathematics and requiring little or no previous knowledge of the subject on the part of the reader. It brings the subject down to date, or as much so as can be expected in a popular treatment.” R. W. Wood.

+ =Science=, n.s. 30: 768. N. 26, ’09. 170w.

=Maclear, Anne B.= Early New England towns: a comparative study of
their development. (Columbia univ. studies in history, economics and
public law. v. 29, no. 1.) *$1.50. Longmans.

8–18393.

“Gives in some detail an account of the institutional life of a Massachusetts town of the seventeenth century, by means of a comparison of the institutions of five of the earliest of these towns—Salem, Dorchester, Watertown, Roxbury, and Cambridge.”—Eng. Hist. R.

* * * * *

Reviewed by H. E. E.

=Eng. Hist. R.= 24: 197. Ja. ’09. 60w.
=N. Y. Times.= 13: 439. Ag. 8, ’08. 570w.

=McMahan, Mrs. Anna Benneson.=^{[12]} Shakespeare’s love story,
1580–1609. **$2.50. McClurg.

9–27050.

A charmingly illustrated book whose text has grown out of the privilege that the author has taken of selecting a few of Shakespeare’s sonnets from their arbitrary setting by the original publisher and of placing them between the lines of the pages that we know of Shakespeare’s wooing.

* * * * *

+ =Dial.= 47: 466. D. 1, ’09. 150w.

=McMurry, Charles Alexander.= Special method in reading in the grades;
including the oral treatment of stories and the reading of classics.
*$1.25. Macmillan.

8–33789.

“This book is a combination of two earlier volumes both of which deal with special method in reading.... In the present form the book will be found to contain in the main three lines of treatment of the subject. In the first place, it is a plea for the teaching of reading in all grades for the sake of its content. Secondly, several chapters are devoted to a consideration of the technique of teaching reading to beginners; and thirdly, the book contains a course of study in reading for each of the grades together with illustrative lessons.”—El. School T.

* * * * *

“Contains a large amount of suggestive and helpful material.”

+ =Educ. R.= 37: 317. Mr. ’09. 60w.

“The bibliographical material of the book is extensive and valuable.”

+ =El. School T.= 9: 390. Mr. ’09. 460w.

“Even if he has been a little inclined to draw the subject toward himself, his book contains a good many useful hints and observations, particularly so with reference to the primary teaching of reading—to say nothing of the advantage of having the entire matter once worked out and exhibited.”

+ − =Ind.= 67: 297. Ag. 5, ’09. 140w.

“The fact that Dr. McMurry speaks with the enthusiasm of conviction and experience should make this work stimulating to primary instructors.”

+ =Nation.= 88: 415. Ap. 22, ’09. 140w.

=Macnaughtan, S.= Three Miss Graemes. $1.50. Dutton.

9–35443.

“The reader makes the acquaintance of three aristocratic and rather superb young ladies, who might be mermaids as far as their knowledge of English society goes. They are chaperoned by a mean and affable lady of title who, though a farcical figure, is portrayed with considerable knowledge of a class who collect acquaintances much as a philatelist collects postage stamps. The author might have spared us that figure, unaccountably dear to fiction, the ass who poses as a literary genius.”—Ath.

* * * * *

“Skilful character portrayal and the contrasts the plot provides make the main interest in a slight and somewhat vague story.”

+ =A. L. A. Bkl.= 5: 114. Ap. ’09.

“Humour, irony, and pathos distinguish the first eighty pages of this novel; but there is a noticeable drop when the scene shifts from a Scottish island to London.”

+ − =Ath.= 1908, 1: 505. Ap. 25. 100w.

“Though it lacks the directness and artistic finish of ‘The expensive Miss Du Cane,’ the story has the quaint daintiness of its own heroines and is a pleasant companion for an idle hour, its very gentle verbosity having a certain soothing quality.”

+ =Nation.= 88: 171. F. 18, ’09. 230w.

“The book’s interest and charm lie in the author’s remarkable skill in the portrayal of character and in the cleverness with which she carries on the contrast between the unworldliness of the three girls and their London surroundings.”

+ − =N. Y. Times.= 14: 71. F. 6, ’09. 540w.

“A story which chiefly impresses us by its grace and beauty, though there is a certain hiatus in the presentment which requires either courage or obtuseness on the part of the reader to overcome.”

+ − =Sat. R.= 106: 118. Jl. 25, ’08. 320w.

“It is clever satire of its acidulated kind. Admirers of Miss Macnaughtan’s earlier work—among whom we desire to be reckoned—will regret that she should have deviated so far from the paths of geniality in which her engaging talents have hitherto been most conspicuously displayed.”

+ − =Spec.= 100: 754. My. 9, ’08. 550w.

=MacNutt, Francis Augustus.= Bartholomew de las Casas: his life, his
apostolate, and his writings. **$3.50. Putnam.

9–2758.

A biography which seeks to “assign to the noblest Spaniard who ever landed in the western world, his true place among those great spirits who have defended and advanced the cause of just liberty, and, at the same time, to depict the conditions under which the curse of slavery was first introduced into North America.” The author includes the events that best illustrate the character-development of this sixteenth-century historian of early Spanish America, missionary worker, and staunch friend of the Indians.

* * * * *

“The interest and utility of this able biography is enhanced by its appendices.”

+ =Cath. World.= 89: 108. Ap. ’09. 900w.

“Is pleasantly written, contains good portraits and a map, and shows careful study of the writings of Las Casas, but does not really add very much to our knowledge of him.” W. L. G.

+ =Eng. Hist. R.= 24: 830. O. ’09. 290w.

“A fascinating story of Las Casas and his publishers have given the story a material form that is a delight to the eye.”

+ =Ind.= 67: 254. Jl. 29, ’09. 400w.

“The book is an impartial, entertaining record of one of the most important periods of the world’s history. Best of all, Mr. MacNutt has succeeded in fusing a human interest into the dry facts of history.”

+ =Lit. D.= 38: 304. F. 20, ’09. 520w.

“The book is in many ways so satisfactory that one lays it down with a distinct feeling of regret that lack of thorough and careful study has prevented it from being really good.”

+ − =Nation.= 88: 388. Ap. 15, ’09. 800w.

“Mr. MacNutt makes him a most vital and interesting figure.” W: A. Bradley.

+ =N. Y. Times.= 14: 94. F. 20, ’09. 470w.
=R. of Rs.= 39: 507. Ap. ’09. 70w.

“He has spared no pains in making it as authentic and as complete as the thoroughgoing study of documents and books could ensure.”

+ =Spec.= 102: 503. Mr. 27, ’09. 450w.

=Macphail, Andrew.=^{[10]} Essays in politics. *$1.80. Longmans.

A group of Canadian essays in politics dealing with such subjects as the patience of England, Canada’s patent-law, her last political election, commerce, a neighbor’s view of the United States, and British diplomacy in relation to Canada.

* * * * *

“No one will agree with the author in everything, and all will be pleased by the way in which he puts his paradoxes—as they will seem—at points where his opinions are not shared. We heartily commend Mr. Macphail’s essays, and do not fear that anyone will adopt his opinions as a whole.”

+ − =Ath.= 1909, 2: 124. Jl. 31. 300w.

“The book is well calculated to offset aggressive publications that assume preferential tariffs as the indispensable basis of federation. There is much in it that rings clear and true.”

+ − =Nation.= 89: 383. O. 21, ’09. 530w.

“We can best sum up what we feel about this suggestive and admirable book by saying that if we could have our way we would oblige every cabinet minister at home and throughout the nations of the empire to read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest it. Though we may not agree with it in all its details, we are thoroughly at one with the spirit by which it is inspired.”

+ − =Spec.= 103: 418. S. 18, ’09. 2000w.

=McPherson, Logan Grant.=^{[6]} Railroad freight rates in relation to
the industry and commerce of the United States. **$2.25. Holt.

9–13047.

A book for the general public and younger railroad men which furnishes clear, first-hand information on the present freight rate system and tells how it has been evolved. Preparation for this exposition of the effect of freight rates of the railroads upon the industry and commerce of the United States has taken the writer to every part of the country to interview shippers, representatives of commercial organizations and officers in charge of the traffic departments of railroads.

* * * * *

“Though somewhat biased in favor of the railroads, it will be a very serviceable volume for students and should be added to large libraries already having Haines’ ‘Railway corporations as public servants’ and Noyes’ ‘American railroad rates.’”

+ =A. L. A. Bkl.= 6: 44. O. ’09.

“There are several chapters in this volume of particular interest because of their wealth of information. Their main value lies in the extensive data which has been collected rather than in the deductions that are drawn. The volume unfortunately lacks logical arrangement of the subjects discussed.” G. G. Huebner.

+ − =Ann. Am. Acad.= 34: 622. N. ’09. 470w.

“It must be admitted that the book is interesting in spite of its defects, for it contains many concrete details in the way of unofficial information gleaned from interviews and intercourse with railway men. On the whole, the book cannot be regarded as a safe guide for the student; neither is it of much real value to those who can detect its defects and erroneous conclusions.” C. W. Doten.

− + =Econ. Bull.= 2: 228. S. ’09. 900w.

“Exhaustive volume.”

+ =Ind.= 67: 658. S. 16, ’09. 400w.

“Few would be inclined to dissent from these conclusions and Mr. McPherson has rendered service in furnishing much new data upon this vexed problem. The work is not fortunately arranged. This is very noticeable despite a serviceable index and a detailed table of contents.” L. C. Marshall.

+ − =J. Pol. Econ.= 17: 479. Jl. ’09. 500w.

“While his study is condensed, and in some respects incomplete ... he has added much to our knowledge of the subject by simplifying for the layman, with great success a very complex system of rate adjustments.”

+ − =Nation.= 89: 357. O. 14, ’09. 1200w.

“Takes up the economics and laws of a subject more vexed than any other among present problems, and treats it worthily. Mr. McPherson has a rare talent of compressed and yet luminous exposition.”

+ =N. Y. Times.= 14: 674. O. 30, ’09. 570w. + =R. of Rs.= 40: 384. S. ’09. 110w.

=McSpadden, Joseph Walker.=^{[10]} Waverley synopses: a guide to the
plots and characters of Scott’s Waverley novels. 50c. Crowell.

9–21669.

The third of Mr. McSpadden’s series of synopses of great authors. The plan of the book is to place the various stories in their proper historical sequence, to give a cast of characters and an outline of the plot. There is a general index.

* * * * *

=Dial.= 47: 241. O. 1, ’09. 40w.

“The work has been done with care and intelligence, and presents such a clear review and summary of the immense mass of Sir Walter’s work as will make it especially valuable for students of English literature in high schools and colleges.”

+ =N. Y. Times.= 14: 576. S. 25, ’09. 180w.

=Macvane, Edith.=^{[8]} Black flier. †$1.50. Moffat.

9–14216.

A motor-car story ingeniously piecing together a series of exciting and unexpected happenings. A young man at the moment of his marriage finds an error in the license, hastens off to have it corrected, meets with an accident, is picked up by a young woman, in spite of expostulations is carried off in a motor car to the Scottish border, and there seems powerless while she registers his name as that of her husband. The woman flees while he is charged with the theft of her car. How these events end his intended marriage and start him along another path of romance is the concern of the tale.

* * * * *

“The book does not carry conviction with it. Nevertheless, it is destined to be widely read and popularly enjoyed, because it does give an exhilarating illusion of the rush and swirl of a mad flight, the breathless onward plunge through space, the fascination of limitless and lawless speed.” F: T. Cooper.

+ − =Bookm.= 29: 647. Ag. ’09. 470w.

“One of the most fascinatingly ingenious comedies that we have encountered in the fiction of recent years.” W: M. Payne.

+ =Dial.= 47: 46. Jl. 16, ’09. 470w.

“It takes some effort on the part of the would-be time squelcher to swallow whole this initial situation, but, what with an ever-present sense of its comedy, notwithstanding its distressfulness to her characters, and a good, swinging style, the author has made it entertaining.”

+ − =N. Y. Times.= 14: 464. Jl. 31, ’09. 600w.

=Macvane, Edith.= Thoroughbred. †$1.50. Dillingham.

9–8813.

Deals with a trying situation between husband and wife. The husband, cashier of a large trust company, is accused by the real criminal, the president of the institution, of misappropriating a half million dollars. The “thoroughbred” wife takes a hand in the game, and tho she makes a few false moves, checkmates the malefactor and saves her husband’s reputation.

* * * * *

“Its plot is well made, its action rapid, and its emotional atmosphere kept at a high figure. Nevertheless it is an entirely artificial story, and, while there is nothing in it that might not happen any day, its inspiration has come from other novels and not from real life.”

+ − =N. Y. Times.= 14: 146. Mr. 13, ’09. 160w.

=Madách, Imre.= Tragedy of man; tr. from the Hungarian by W: N. Loew.
$1.50. Arcadia press.

A drama which in dealing with Adam in his various reappearances since the garden of Eden days deals not with the life of one man, or of the nation, but with mankind as a whole. “The hero is Adam, the eternal type of humanity. The work displays the whole history of man, not merely his past, but his present, and even his future. We witness the whole process of man’s development, up to the time when the human race will be extinguished, and its earthly home become frozen and uninhabitable. Seen through the eyes of the poet, that history appears a huge, grim tragedy. The problem for the poet to solve was, how to compress such an immense subject within the narrow limit of a single drama.” (Introd.)

* * * * *

“Few books are better calculated to enlarge our continental narrowness and to teach us to respect the intellect and genius of less progressive races.” Bolton Hall.

+ =Arena.= 41: 254. F. ’09. 670w.

“A faithful translation of the great classic, so far as its argument is concerned, but as for reproducing it in English as a poem, the work of Mr. Loew is a failure.”

+ − =Ind.= 66: 1035. My. 13, ’09. 200w.

“The poet—at least in this version—has not succeeded in imparting any real life to the shifting characters that crowd his canvas. No one ever appears really to want anything or to do anything. It is all talk; and, as to the English, not very good talk.”

− =N. Y. Times.= 14: 98. F. 20, ’09. 1000w.

“There is not, it must be confessed, much poetry in the English version, but a perusal of even a portion of this great poem is worth while for its demonstration of the intellect and genius of the Hungarian people.”

+ − =R. of Rs.= 40: 123. Jl. ’09. 100w.

=Maennel, Dr. B.=^{[9]} Auxiliary education; the training of backward
children; translated by Emma Sylvester. **$1.50. Doubleday.

9–24001.

Discusses the rise and development of schools for defectives, plan for admitting pupils, the parents, health of pupils, traits, the organization of an auxiliary school and classification of pupils, the program, course of study, methods of teaching, discipline, preparation of pupils for church, relation of state towards schools, the teachers and the principal, the pedagogical value of the schools, and the education of exceptional children in the United States.

=Maeterlinck, Maurice.= Blue bird: a fairy play in five acts; tr. by
Alexander Teixeira de Mattos. **$1.20. Dodd.

9–8584.

“Written with charming simplicity, and telling a story admirably suited to childish interests and understanding, this play makes an equally strong appeal to adults by its imaginative symbolism, its freshness of humor and observation, and the inventive spirit which animates its parable. It deals with the dream adventures of Tyltil and Mytil, the children of a wood-cutter who are commissioned by the fairy Bérylune (the very counterpart of an old neighbor, Madame Berlingot) to go in quest of the Blue Bird whose possession will enable man to discover the hidden souls of animals and things, and so deprive them of their last vestige of independence.”—Nation.

* * * * *

“The child’s naïve point of view is well sustained.”

+ =A. L. A. Bkl.= 5: 174. Je. ’09.

“To attract the attention of young people to the romance and the wonders of science, while telling an ingenuous story of fairies and magic, is no easy task; but it is one M. Maeterlinck has accomplished, and that without letting his desire to be instructive fetter the freedom or gaiety of his fancy.”

+ =Ath.= 1909, 2: 163. Ag. 7. 1100w.

“Is certainly a very charming piece. It makes as real and as intense an impression as did any of M. Maeterlinck’s earlier successes.” E: E: Hale, jr.

+ =Dial.= 46: 296. My. 1, ’09. 1500w.

“This fairy play, ostensibly written for children, obviously like many another of the kind intended for grown-ups, is pure joy and optimism.”

+ =Ind.= 66: 765. Ap. 8, ’09. 420w.

“It is possible that some of the original charm of this fascinating vision may have been lost in the translation, but enough remains to prove it a masterpiece of its kind. Only genius could charge a nursery tale with so much significance without robbing it of its childlike character.”

+ =Nation.= 88: 366. Ap. 8, ’09. 900w.

“The play is literature—and poetry—of great power and charm; it is cast in dramatic form not through caprice but through the inherent demands of the theme. The translation merits praise.”

+ =N. Y. Times.= 14: 207. Ap. 10, ’09. 1200w.

“Unimaginative and literal-minded people are warned off these premises; they will find nothing but nonsense here; but those who like ‘The little white bird’ and ‘Peter Pan’ will delight in the poetic beauty and freshness of feeling of this modern fairy play.”

+ =Outlook.= 92: 69. My. 8, ’09. 330w.

“We are sure that children would delight to have it read to them, just as a fairy story of strange creatures that appear natural in the fresh imagination of children.”

+ =Sat. R.= 107: 792. Je. 19, ’09. 150w.

=Magnus, Laurie.=^{[9]} English literature in the nineteenth century:
an essay in criticism. *$2. Putnam.

9–35847.

Not so much a history of English literature between 1784 and the present day as a survey of that literature as a whole and an essay in its criticism.

* * * * *

“Will be valuable as a supplementary work for advanced students in English literature rather than as a textbook.”

+ =A. L. A. Bkl.= 6: 79. N. ’09.

“Mr. Magnus’s style is scarcely satisfying; the issues are apt to be obscured by conscientious epigram and rhetorical exuberance; but the book shows qualities of care and thoroughness, though its conclusions too often engender a spirit of controversy rather than of conviction.”

− + =Ath.= 1909, 2: 204. Ag. 21. 800w.

“On the whole it may be said by way of general stricture, he hardly seems to be at the most advantageous point of view somehow. Not only is his formula too cramped; he is almost too much of the thing he criticises to be a thoroly safe critic. The merit of the book consists in its ‘aperçus’ and flashes of insight which are at times exceedingly penetrating.”

+ − =Ind.= 67: 710. S. 23, ’09. 320w.

“With Victorian literature in general, he is heartily sympathetic and at the same time discriminating. In dealing with individual writers he is direct, specific, and vivid. The failure of Mr. Magnus to bring into strong relief the main currents of literature in his period is due, in the first place, to the lack of political and philosophical ballast, and in the second to an almost total neglect of foreign influences, arising from a wish to prove the independence of English literature.”

− + =Nation.= 89: 143. Ag. 12, ’09. 1050w.

“The book is distinctly adapted to those readers who already have a pretty wide acquaintance with English literature. For the student to whom the ground is unfamiliar there is the double bewilderment of a multitude of names not met with often enough to become fixed in the mind, and casual references to matters biographical and literary that need to be known as a condition precedent to the enjoyment of such incidental criticism.”

+ − =N. Y. Times.= 14: 534. S. 11, ’09. 1200w.

“We do not know of any book dealing with the same subject in which the reader, anxious to improve his knowledge of modern literary history, will gain more. We cannot accept all Mr. Magnus’s dicta.”

+ − =Spec.= 103: 352. S. 4, ’09. 150w.

=Mahabharata.= Bhagavad gítá “The songs of the master”; tr. with an
introd. and commentary by C: Johnston. $1. C: Johnston, Flushing, N.
Y.

8–18365.

A trustworthy English version of a poem embodying the essence of Vedantic philosophy. The translation is accompanied by a general introduction and separate introductions to each of the eighteen books of the Gítá.

* * * * *

“Mr. Johnston’s judgments at the outset are not such as to inspire confidence in his guidance. With courageous independence he takes no heed of predecessors. The difficulty of the translator, of course, lies in the philosophical terms. Mr. Johnston evidently desires to make his version intelligible and interesting to English readers. He therefore strives to avoid all technicalities, but he is landed consequently in frequent vagueness and inexactitude. With the ethical and religious vocabulary Mr. Johnston is far more successful, and his deep sympathy with some of the fundamental conceptions of the poem makes his interpretations full of suggestiveness.” J. E. Carpenter.

+ − =Hibbert J.= 7: 700. Ap. ’09. 2850w.

“Can be recommended as the most satisfactory version of the ‘Bhagavad Gítá’ in the English language. It would be possible to point to a good many passages in which, in the opinion of the present reviewer, he has not used the best equivalent for the technical terms of the Sanskrit or has failed to reproduce the force of the original.”

+ − =Nation.= 87: 117. Ag. 6, ’08. 400w.

“Those who wish to know something at first hand of the essence of Vedantic philosophy will find this fine translation, with its admirable expository commentaries, a convenient and satisfactory little volume.” J. H. Coates.

+ =N. Y. Times.= 13: 445. Ag. 15, ’08. 2200w.

=Mahaffy, John Pentland.=^{[11]} What have the Greeks done for modern
civilization?: the Lowell lectures of 1908–09. **$2.50. Putnam.

9–27603.

A brief, popular summary of the author’s study regarding the influence of Greek civilization upon modern life, showing his conclusions regarding the modern world’s political, social, literary, artistic, and philosophical heritage from the Greeks.

* * * * *

“These lectures have all the popular qualities and charm of style that characterize the author’s earlier writings.”

+ =A. L. A. Bkl.= 6: 121. D. ’09.

“He seems to be lecturing to the intelligent workingmen in a mechanics’ institute, or the ‘young ladies’ of a fashionable boarding-school. The broad and deep handling of his theme is also somewhat hampered by the cut and dried academic divisions into which the lecturer divides his subject. It is impossible for Professor Mahaffy to write anything that is not informing, and these lectures, thin and superficial as they must needs be as adopted to the audience the lecturer considered he was to address, are interesting.”

+ − =Lit. D.= 39: 784. N. 6. ’09. 750w.

“We have dealt at greatest length with his chapters on literature and art since they most invite to controversy, and we have touched most on those few points in which we have been presumptuous enough to disagree with the famous Irish scholar whose book has fascinated us.” Christian Gauss.

+ − =N. Y. Times.= 14: 720. N. 20, ’09. 1750w.

“These lectures are a valuable contribution to the discussion now going on in the interest of the culture studies which suffer in the pursuit of bread-and-butter studies.”

+ =Outlook.= 93: 516. O. 30, ’09. 320w.
=R. of Rs.= 40: 763. D. ’09. 70w.

=Mahan, Alfred Thayer.=^{[6]} Harvest within: thoughts on the life of
the Christian. **$1.50. Little.

9–15066.

A collection of the scattered, occasional thoughts and reflections of a lifetime bearing upon the conception summed up in “Because I live, ye shall live also.” The underlying theme of the work is the mystical relation of the individual life of the Christian man, and the corporate life of the Christian church, to the life of God in Jesus Christ.

* * * * *

“A book of this kind from the pen of a distinguished layman will exert an influence among wide circles that would be impervious to the professional divine.”

+ =Cath. World.= 89: 683. Ag. ’09. 550w.

“A work of devout and disjointed meditations, springing from a narrow and inflexible creed. It must be chiefly of interest to those who share its convictions.” J: Bascom.

+ − =Dial.= 47: 72. Ag. 1, ’09. 1100w.

“They are all marked with deep piety, and some of them show clearly that they were written by one with a very great knowledge of the Bible.”

+ =N. Y. Times.= 14: 420. Jl. 3, ’09. 400w.
=R. of Rs.= 40: 256. Ag. ’09. 60w.

“We thank Captain Mahan for a piece of self-revelation which is in a high degree edifying and interesting.”

+ =Spec.= 103: 792. N. 13, ’09. 420w.

=Mahan, Alfred Thayer.= Naval administration and warfare: some general
principles, with other essays. **$1.50. Little.

8–31976.

Descriptive note in December, 1908.

* * * * *

“They contain admirable statements of fact and opinion from the viewpoint of an authority in naval art and history.”

+ =A. L. A. Bkl.= 5: 80. Mr. ’09. ✠

“The general reader will not care for the first chapters, dealing with our Board of admiralty and the United States navy department.”

+ − =Ath.= 1909, 1: 11. Ja. 2. 1300w.

“His method, which, as somebody has said, is to deal with a few large, plain, simple ideas, contributes to render his work intelligible and interesting to the lay mind in a measure very much beyond the degree in which this quality is usually found in books of experts.”

+ =Cath. World.= 88: 681. F. ’09. 700w.

“While every product of Capt. Mahan’s fertile pen deserves careful reading, this latest collection of essays possesses the added merit of exceptional timeliness.”

+ − =Nation.= 88: 94. Ja. 28, ’09. 800w.

“The chapter which deals with the organization of the navy department is by far the most important, particularly so as it deals with a subject that is now so very much before the country.”

+ =N. Y. Times.= 14: 40. Ja. 23, ’09. 1000w.

“Each essay conveys sound information in an entertaining, readable way. It is a volume of essays easily read and well worth reading.”

+ =Outlook.= 90: 888. D. 19, ’09. 420w. + =Spec.= 102: 60. Ja. 9, ’09. 800w.

=Major, Charles.=^{[11]} Gentle knight of old Brandenburg. $1.50.
Macmillan.

9–26322.

This gentle knight is fat and a wondrous beer drinker, but nevertheless he plays a heroic role in the love story of the Princess Wilhelmina of Prussia, beloved sister of Crown Prince Fritz who was later to become Frederick the Great. Both are cordially hated by their father, the weak, bad-tempered old king who is the prey of Austria’s spies; whose persecution of the sweet princess and whose terrible treatment of courtiers form a strange and complicated story. The hero, kidnapped by the king’s agents for his giant regiment, wins the king by his fearlessness, the princess and her brother by his loyal friendship and at last by a series of complications worthy of the author of “When knighthood was in flower,” wins his heart’s desire.

* * * * *

=Makower, Walter.= Radioactive substances: their properties and their
behaviour. (International scientific ser.) *$1.75. Appleton.

8–33947.

“The author’s aim in writing this volume is to present the chief phenomena and theories relating to radio-activity in a concise and simple form.... All branches of the subject are treated in this book. Beginning with chapters on the nature of gaseous conductivity and on the methods of measurement employed, the author goes on to describe the discovery of the radio-active substances, the nature of the radiations they emit, the emanations, the active deposits from the emanations, and their successive transformations. In the concluding chapters the activity of substances in general and the mechanism of radio-active changes are briefly discussed.”—Nature.

* * * * *

“A popular treatment in comparison with Rutherford’s works but full and scholarly.”

+ =A. L. A. Bkl.= 5: 142. My. ’09.

“That there is room for such a book there can be no doubt. Nor is the book wanting in matter not to be found elsewhere, or only discoverable with difficulty. We have discovered only two clerical errors.”

+ − =Ath.= 1908, 2: 794. D. 19. 1450w.

“It can be studied with profit before taking up Dr. Le Bon’s treatise in the same series.”

+ =Nation.= 87: 583. D. 10, ’08. 120w.

“In summarising work on points about which there is difference of opinion the author shows a commendable caution, and his verdict usually appeals to one as safe. The book constitutes a valuable addition to the literature of radio-activity, and can be recommended to those interested in that fascinating subject.” J. A. M.

+ − =Nature.= 79: 157. D. 10, ’08. 470w.

“To one at all interested in the progress of physical science this volume will well repay a careful reading.”

+ =N. Y. Times.= 14: 594. O. 9, ’09. 330w.

=Mallet, Bernard.= Thomas George, earl of Northbrook, G. C. S. I.: a
memoir. $5. Longmans.

9–14131.

Sketches Lord Northbrook’s family history, his early life, his early private secretaryships, his work in the capacity of Civil lord of the admiralty in Lord Palmerston’s government, of Under secretary at the India office, War office, and Home office, etc; treats at length the period of governor-generalship of India; and devotes the last chapters to his relation to the affairs of Afghanistan and Egypt.

* * * * *

“He was clear, calm and consistent, almost methodical in his statesmanship; and this book resembles its subject.”

+ =Am. Hist. R.= 14: 613. Ap. ’09. 340w.

“Mr. Bernard Mallet has admirably performed a most difficult task.”

+ =Ath.= 1908, 2: 507. O. 24. 1800w.

Comments

Log in to leave a comment.

The book review digest, volume 05, 1909Chapter XXXIX: Part 2: , Three Boston object lessons in taxation; Part 3, Private (19)

0%36 min left in chapter