David Sellers. Mary Pennock Sellers (review)

BOOK REVIEWS61 Sellers, Sarah Pennock. David Sellers. Mary Pennock Sellers. Philadelphia . 1928. Pp. 155. One of the great charms of the beautiful rolling country adjacent to Philadelphia is the substantial old stone houses which dot its hills and valleys . The houses seem typical of their owners—the responsible, reliable citizens of the community—and the illustrations of this volume show several of these splendid houses, some of which have unfortunately disappeared as the great city has overflowed into Upper Darby Township in its most rapidly growing suburb. This book forms a fitting memorial of worthy Quaker families that have been intimately connected for several generations with this section of Philadelphia and of Delaware County. There is, in these pages, much genealogical material concerning the family of David Sellers (1816-1887) and his wife, Mary Pennock Sellers (18141905 ). There are beautiful pictures of Sellers' Hall, Brookfield, Fernbrooke , Hillside, Millbourne and other well-known residences of the earlier day. Most important of all are the reprints of letters and other documents containing valuable material on the social and economic history of the times. Unfortunately there is no index, and the Table of Contents is none too full. Jonathan M. Steere Haverford, Pennsylvania Thomas, Edward. Quaker Adventures. New York: Fleming H. Revell Company. 1928. Pp. 221. $2.00. One of the most important chapters in the history of the Society of Friends has been written in the relief and goodwill work carried on by the committees of English and American Friends. The interesting and unusual experiences of some of the workers, mostly Americans, are now told in a series of stories published under the title of Quaker Adventures. These stories were originally prepared for broadcasting at the special request of the manager of Radio Station WGL in New York City and in most instances were broadcast by the authors themselves. The speakers for these talks were selected by Edward Thomas, of New York, son of the late Allen C. Thomas, of Haverford College. Edward Thomas also revised the manuscripts and edited them for publication in the present volume. In an introductory chapter he tells of the beginning and the meaning of this Friendly service. Seven chapters are devoted to the relief and reconstruction work in France during and after the World War. Other chapters describe the German child-feeding at Essen, famine relief work in Russia, the conference between the Poles and Germans at Danzig, the Friends' missions among the Indians, relief work among the miners' families in the Pennsylvania coal fields, assistance given to the Doukhobors at the time of their migration to Canada, and relief and goodwill work in Syria, Serbia, Upper Silesia, Japan, China, Ireland, Haiti, and Nicaragua. The last chapter in the book is written by the Editor and in it he summarizes a number of stories of Quaker adventures which he deems necessary to complete the series. ...