=The Lives of Mary and Martha, mother and wife of Washington=: by
Margaret C. Conkling, with a steel portrait, 18mo, scarlet cloth.
MISS CONKLING, who is a daughter of Judge Conkling of Auburn, is
favorably known as the author of Harpers translation of “Florian’s
History of the Moors of Spain.” She also wrote “Isabel, or the Trials
of the Heart.” In the preparation of the pretty little volume she has
done a praiseworthy deed, and we hope she will receive the reward she
merits. She has taught us in the work
“how divine a thing
A woman may be made.”
The mother and wife of Washington were, in many respects, model
women, and the daughters of America will do well to study their
character--which is finely drawn on these pages.--_Literary
Messenger._
This beautifully printed and elegantly bound little work, reflecting
the highest credit upon the skill and task of the publishers,
contains biographical sketches of Mary, the mother, and Martha, the
wife of the Father of his country. It is a most valuable contribution
to the history of the American people, embracing not only the great
public events of the century during which the subjects lived, but
those pictures of home life, and that exhibition of social manners
and customs, which constitute the most important part of life, but
which, from the fact of their apparent triviality and intangibility,
the historian generally passes over. The authoress evidently
sympathises earnestly with her subject, and feels that in the
exhibition of those womanly virtues which characterized the heroines
of her narrative, she makes the most eloquent plea in favor of the
dignity of her sex. It is dedicated to Mrs. WM. H. SEWARD, and
contains a finely executed engraving of the wife of Washington. We
cordially commend it to the public, and most especially our lady
readers.--_Syracuse Journal._
This acceptable and well written volume goes forth upon a happy
mission,
“To teach us how divine a thing
A woman may be made,”
by unfolding those charms of character which belong to the mother and
wife of the hero of the Land of the Free; and in the companionship
of which, while they illustrated the watchful tenderness of a
mother, and the confiding affections of a wife, is shown those
influences which made up the moral sentiments of a man, whose moral
grandeur will be felt in all that is future in government or divine
in philosophy; and one whose name is adored by all nations, as the
leader of man in in the progress of government, to that perfection of
human rights where all enjoy liberty and equality. To say that Miss
Conkling has fulfilled the task she says a “too partial friendship
has assigned her” faultlessly, would perhaps be too unmeasured
praise, for perfection is seldom attained; but it will not be denied
but that her biographies are traced in the chaste elegances that
belong to the finished periods of a refined style, which fascinates
the reader with what she has thus contributed to our national
literature.
The design of the volume is, to picture a _mother_ fitting the
“Father of his Country” in a light full of the inexhaustible
nobleness of woman’s nature, and yet as possessing that subdued and
quiet simplicity, where Truth becomes the Hope on which Faith looks
at the future with a smile. The mother of Washington was tried in
a school of practice where frugal habits and active industry were
combined with the proverbial excellences of those Virginia matrons,
who were worthy mothers of such men as Washington, Jefferson,
Marshall, and Henry. Miss C. has pictured with fidelity and elegance,
her views of this remarkable woman; not less beautifully has she
sketched the character of Martha, the wife; following her from
her brilliant manners as the Virginia belle, through the various
phases of her lite, she gives a rapid but comprehensive view
of those characteristics which make up the quiet refinement of
manners native to her, and which ever gave her the reputation of an
accomplished wife and lady. And with peculiar delicacy Miss Conkling
has portrayed the thousand virtues with which she embellished a
home; her amiable disposition and winning manners made the happiest
to the purest and best of all men fame has chosen for its noblest
achievements.--_Syracuse Star._
=The Life of Gen. Zachary Taylor=, 12th President of the United
States, brought down to his inauguration. Steel portrait, 12mo.,
muslin; a new edition, by H. Montgomery. $1,25.
∵ 18,000 of the above work have been sold by us.
“THE LIFE OF GEN. Z. TAYLOR.”--_H. Montgomery_, Esq., editor of the
Auburn Daily Advertiser, has found leisure, amid the multitude of his
engagements, to get up the most respectable looking and carefully
prepared biography of the old General we have yet seen. It makes a
neat volume, and is printed on excellent paper and new type, and
bound in the very best style. It cannot fail to find a tremendous
sale; a result due alike to the book itself, and the enterprise of
its busy publishers.--_Albany Evening Journal._
“LIFE OF GENERAL ZACHARY TAYLOR, by _H. Montgomery_,” is the latest
and most complete of the numerous volumes purporting to be ‘Lives’
of the General. The author of this work--likewise editor of the
Auburn Journal--is already known as a forcible and pleasing writer,
handling his subject with a masterly hand; these characteristics are
fully developed in the book before us. The stirring incidents of
General Taylor’s life, and the recent battles on Mexican soil are
well portrayed--the very fair and impartial style of narration being
a rare quality in depicting battle scenes. The book will repay an
attentive perusal.--_N. Y. Tribune._
THE LIFE OF MAJOR GENERAL ZACHARY TAYLOR. _By H. Montgomery._--Another
and still another “illustrated” Life of the great American, (would
that he had as many lives as the publishers give him,) the American
whom Carlyle would recognise as “a hero” worthy of his pen’s most
eloquent recognition; THE MAN OF DUTY in an age of Self. An American
in everything; in valor, in strong muscular sense; in simplicity and
directness and cordiality of feeling; an American in every thing,
save in devotion to our new political God of Expediency.
The volume before us is put forth in Auburn, by the editor of the
Auburn Daily Advertiser, whose vigorous, fluent style, and skill
in compressing his materials, must make his elegant volume very
generally acceptable. Many of the traits ascribed to General Taylor
have been assimilated by some of his admirers to the leading military
characteristics of Frederick the Great. But, unlike Frederick, Taylor
is anything but a martinet in discipline; and, though his movements
of small bodies of troops against vast odds, are characterized by
the vigorous will and iron determination of Frederick, the arbitrary
disposition of the Prussian despot is wholly alien to his tolerant
and candid nature. Taylor’s affectionate and almost parental relation
to his soldiers, perhaps, alone first suggested the parallel, as we
find it hinted in the following stanza of some verses upon one of his
battles, quoted by Mr. Montgomery:
“‘OLD ZACH!’ ‘OLD ZACH!’ the war cry rattles
Among those men of iron tread,
As rung ‘OLD FRITZ’ in Europe’s battles
When thus his host Great Frederick led.”
_Literary World._
Transcriber’s Note:
Page headers are displayed as sidenotes. Footnotes were renumbered
sequentially and were moved to the end of each chapter.
Words and phrases in italics are surrounded by underscores, _like
this_. Those in bold are surrounded by equal signs, =like this=.
Words may have multiple spelling variations, inconsistent
hyphenation, or inconsistent use of diacriticals. Eleven misspelled
words were corrected. Obvious printing errors, such as backwards,
upside down, or partially printed letters and punctuation, and
missing or excess space between words, were corrected. Final stops
missing at the end of sentences were added.