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Show I! HISTORY AND FICTION. A Nation's Idol: a Romance of Franklin's Frank-lin's Nine Years of Happiness at the Court of France. By Chas. Felton Pidgin. Published by Henry Altemus Company, Philadelphia. Certainly the author of this very lively live-ly and pleasant work does full justice to the homely and keen philosopher. The dedication is "a tribute to the memory mem-ory of Benjamin Franklin, born In Boston, Bos-ton, January 17, 170G; died In Philadelphia, Philadel-phia, April 17, 1700, aged Si years 3 months soap-boiler, candle-dipper, stu-I stu-I dent, printer, author, editor, postmas- ter. member of Legislature, colonel, , member of Continental Congress, one of the framcrs of the Declaration of Independence, Inde-pendence, inventor, scientist, philosopher, philoso-pher, successful man of business, philanthropist, phi-lanthropist, statesman, diplomat, and member of the convention that framed . the Constitution of the United States." The author proposes two "If's:" one, If It had not been for the great and successful service of Franklin at the court of France, the Revolution would have failed; the other, if Franklin's plan for the conclusion of the peaco negotiations wfjth Great Britain had been followed, Canada would have been transferred to us in 17S3, and the present pres-ent complications with that dominion and with Great Britain on her account would Tiave been avoided. The whole Is wrought into a readable story, which takes the reader to both sides of the Atlantic and cives scenes from the red men's forests to the court of the great kins, and from Immense love to fierce hate and the blood-feud of families. It is a most Interesting narrative, well conceived and wroucht out; but Its chief aim is the glorifying of a great man who is fit to be always and forever glorified. |