New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-03-24
THE APRIL MAGAZINES.
THE ATLANTIC.

p,ofessor John Fiske opens The Atlantic with an
agreeable article on Europe before the arrivai VI
man. Adopting Professionally Sir Wllham ihon'
on,s conclusion that We getable and animal bearing
earth is about 100, 100000 years Old. PROFESSOR
Fiske traces in the light of all tho recent h'e''
cations and burrow ings the changes IN lana auo
600 in climate and in animal and vegetable
life in Europe up 10 the uuie Wno'i
man began to dispute dominion with bears mons
and elephants. He touches lightly on the ages when
ralms grew and alligators disported IN the warm
waters of Western and Central Europe; when vol
canoes famed across the Atlantic ridge iroh wares
10 Greenland; when the ancestors of JUMBO roained
II The tropcal air of the region where their amaDie
DESCENDANT is now kept warm in blankets ana stra"'
o,d whore stpnendous lcesheet buried great part
of those regions under one or Two Thousand leeI Va
frigid enQinery. Professor Fiske has apparently
reached no certain conclusion as 10 the hrst appear
ance of man upon the scene. but be THINKS IL ho' "'
oil unavoidable that the remains of MOcene man
will by-and-by be discovered that by the time the
African strata have been examined with the
rnnuteness used in exploring those OF
France and England we shall be likely to meet with
clear indications of half-human gentry far back In
the Miocene epoch. Professor Fishes article IS
worth reading of the peasantes OF the recent
examples Of science made easy.
The Brahmo Somaj is the reformed church of
India. purely theistic, advocating all reforms,
moral social and religious, careless OF the ancient
doctrines of caste and dscarding idolatry and
surerstiton. Its representative and leader is
Keshub Chunder Sen Hindoo scholar
and gentleman who was educated IN
England and who is pastor OF me
the Brahmo Somaj Church in Calcutta and editor OF
the weekly newspaper published by the society
The creed of this theisc church is an elastic one.
+, proclaims the atherhood of God and the mother
bool Of man and canonizeS all heroes and prophets
With his missionaries, Keshub Chunder Sen goes
on pilgrimages, as he calls them, IN the worship
room of his own house, or in his study where,
surrounded by bookshelves loaded with the
wisdom Of ages, and in the midst of literary assoc
ciations they communed with Socrates" he
following saints were visited the dates specified
against their names: Moses, 22d February: Socra-
ties. eth March; sakya, 14th March the Rishis,
2lst March, Christ, sth August; Mohammed'
10th September; Chaitauya 26th September;
scientific men. Sd October" Christ is TO
usn saws Keshub Chunder Sen, "the greatest.
his life is the pures but he is only p1mus
inter mares. We believe in and advo-
cate the greatest simplicity of life, we live on aims,
we eat no meat, and there are times when we go
into the wilderness to be alone for days" MIR.
Charles Woods sketch of this new Indian Pope and
bis church is full of interest to matter if not par
ticularly attractive In STYLE
Two or three little church and water pictures
with some subtle suggestions of character, and an
under current of passion make up Miss Woolsons
story "In Venice "-the best fiction which
this number of The atlantic contains.
1t must be said, however, that it is hardly worthy
of the author of " Anne" and shows in some par
teulars the worst of the malign influences of Henry
James Why, by the way, should all the younger
American story writers so persistently remind us
that there is a school of American fiction and that
Mr. Hcwells and Mr.. James are its prophetsf The
aroma of Howells's work is not transferable; and
what is neat in Mr. James's stories becomes fat and
fnical in those of his imitators. Miss
Phelps, who at least has a manner
of her own begins In this atlantic
her story of Doctor Zay." The doctor is grace
full young lady practicing in rural district and
coming delicately to the help of the fashionable
hero from Beacon Street. who receives parlous
wounds in his pOny's encounter with country
bridge. There is evidence that many sparks OF
romance are to fly from this conjuncture of man
and maid and Mr. Howells in All Introductory note
takes care say that the coincidence of some of its
outlines with those of his "Dr. Breen'
is purely accidental These first chapters
of Miss Phelpss story show firmer touch, more re-
fnement of manner and fewer of what may be
charitably called little sillinesSes than she has
hitherto prepared her readers to expect. American
progress in agriculture, aided by Government
and education, is the subject Of a somewhat heavy
article by Eugene w. Hilgard. Edward Farrar IN
"The Folk Lore of Lower Canada" gives pictur-
esque account of the supersttOus beliefs and stories
of that region The rest of the magazine is chiefly
critical Philip Bourke Marston finds in that breezy
and wholesome poem, Dorothy" the contents of
coal-sack emptied upon the floor of the temple of
beauty erected by tho modern aesthetic poets; and
he believes that its acceptance by certain poets and
critics is sure indication that the present school of
poetry is near the end of its reign because, fOrsOo
the childish element in Us longs to hear and to see
some new thing. Mr.. MarstOH, who Is In all things
a disciple of Rossotti and Swinburne having never
struck an original chord of his own, is naturally
inhospitable in his reception of what to his
ated taste and sickly jdeahty is nothing than
o coal-sack