THE HESPERIAN.
its author is a greater writer than the author of "Robert
Elsmere," the only result will be to give an added promi
nence to an immoral work. While if -Robert Elsmere" is a
good book the "offset" has no right to exist, for it is useless.
And usclcssncss is a sin.
.
The first volume of Professor Howard's work, "Local
Constitutional History of the United States," has been pub
lished and TllR Hesperian is glad to recommend it to its
readers, as a book that will certainly be useful in the class
room and entertaining in the library. It would be presump
tion to attempt to give anything like a sketch of the book,
for it is a work thai needs long, careful, scholarly considera
tion to be appreciated; but a word about the plan and method
of arrangement may not be out of place, nor wholly val
ueless. The author treats the history of local institutions as a
whole, and docs not confine himself to any particular phase
or phases of his most interesting subject. Then too, he has
gathered from literature and from other sources a vast
amount of fact; the authoi hies quoted are innumerable and
as well known and as trustworthy as they arc numerous. As
the prospectus sets forth, "it is practically impossible for
anyone but a specialist to obtain a clear view on the subject
oflocal constitutional history." Now it is just this clear
view that the Professor presents, for he has made a specialty
ol this kind of work. The author conceives of the local
institution, not as mere things, hutasli',ng, breathing organ
isms which have been evolved from the old forms of
Greece, Rome, and of the new nations. The subject is
treated then as a unity, and as a living unity.
In arrangement the book is admirable. The complete
work will contain five parts, two of which will be in the
second volume. The division of the first volume is as fol
lows: The Township; the Hundred; the Shire. The two
parts of the second volume are, the City; and the Local
Magistracies. The first chapter under any one of these
major topics is devoted to the evolution of the Township, or
Shire, as the case may be Then follow chapters on the dif
ferent forms ol the same organism and on the rise of the ins
tiuttions in the colonies and states. A careful study of the
table of contents will enable one to comprehend how much
has been done to give the reader a clear, concise and logical
plan of the book. Sometimes the author has seen fit to take
up a seemingly insignificant institution and trace its rise,
rightly thinking that they are of interest and of value.
Professor Howard has been writing on his book for the
last six or seven years, and of course has been at work long
before that. So one may get an idea of how thoroughly the
work has been done. The University owes a great deal to
Professor Howard, for he has undertaken a work that has
.never before been attempted; and his book cannot but draw
attention to its author, part of whose success the institution
that he represents will share, and of which it will certainly
be proud.
The Literary World, under the date of April 13, con
tains a review of Arthur S. Hardy's new story,"Passe Ros.e,"
a sketch of which The Hesperian presents to its readers.
The following is what the World has to say about its "The
story of Passe Rose1 relates to the time of the great Frank
ish king, Charles; the scenes are in and about the court.
The minor characters, the abbot, the prior, the court ladies,
ank the brave captain Gui, of Tours, are studies from life.
The author has not presented us with half living creatures,
but with men and women into whose nostrils he has breathed
such a breath of life that they have become living souls. I,
were an easy taslofor anyone to copy names and dates and
descriptions, but to call back the old hcros and heroines of
that mosl romantic time and make them live again this is
the loving task of a master hand. Mr. Haidy has studied
carefully the manners and customs of the eighth century;
but others might do that and yet handle them as a pigmy
would struggle with thcaimorof a giant. It is his power
and pleasure to wield lightly and gracefully, every instru
ment he touches."
V
Who, that with a deep dislike for mathematics, ever
floundered in the deeps of trigonometry or analytical geom
etry, would have imagined that a mind filled with the horrid
combinations of those branches of an education could ever
turn itself to anything as pleasant as book writing. Or who
would think that .1 mind being thus diverted would ever
wish to return to the straight and narrow way again. Yet
this is what Mr. Arthur S. Hardy, professor of mathematics
at Dartmouth, docs. He is said to spend his summers in
writing novels; his winters in writing abstruse mathematical
treatises. The Hesperian can not say from examination
whether or not the mathematical products of Mr. Har.ly's
pen are as good as the lighter work he does. Rut they need
be no better to be excellent. Evidently, this writer does not
entirely put away his class room methods, even when wiiiing
books not dealing with such weighty matters as the higher
mathamatics. For there is in his writings a consciencious
ness, a regard for consistency, a complete working together
of all parts, that comes only from the mathematically trained
mind. Fact, enlivened with brilliant imaginings i the char
acteristic of his writings. In "But yet a Woman" this is
noticeable, and it is with a grateful feeling that the reader
comprehends this fact, that what the author says he has
reason for. Hence it must require a vast amount of labor
for Mr. Hardy to write a book, because he allows nothing to
go half done or poorly done There is nothing easier than
to throw together a lot of statements, or to draw out a cer
tain idea, without caring whether one is consistent or whether
one has ground for all he says. On the other hand nothing
is harder than to make such writing successful.
What is good in thestyly of "Butyc-ta Woman," remains
in "Passe Rose," Mr. Hardy's new book; though probably
"Passe Rose" will have more readers owing to its more
romantic character. It is a very charming story, and onj
can not help wondering whcie the author got his model for
Passe Rose herself. The general impression one gets of the
book is very bright. There is at first a chaos of pleasant
pictures, interspersed with some not so beautiful, a few dark
portraits, and behind all the same grand back-ground, human
passion. After a time though, a settled idea of the book
begins to form in the reader's mind. One character takes
pre-emminence Passe Rose. All the beauty and purity of
her soul dawns upon the reader like a new light, a beauty
and purity rendered only more lovely by the stern and fierce
character of the times in which she lived. Unrestrained by
parents, friends or occupation, free as the air P.isse Rose
was yet as true a woman as well could live. Beautiful of
face and form, exposed to temptations great enough to try a
stronger mind, ambitious and fortunate, she sacrificed her
all for her love, and gave up her love for her duty.
The story ends by the return of Pas.se Rose fro.n the
king's court to await the .time before her betrothal and this
apparent neglect of a powerful part in the story is called by
some a weakness in an otherwise poweiful story; but itypuld
seem to one that in suggesting instead of stating what-lPasse
Hose's future was to be the author has -done well. It- is a
