The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1884-12-13
LITERATURE.


BRIDE lIarpey Il Brothers, View lork
Jansen, McCinrg & Co., Chicago FOR sue
BY Hapcnan * Graham. Ottawa FF''''
$3.50.
Universal histories are plenty enough
aud consisting mainly of compilation 81
prominent event', dry date, and unpron"'ln
ceabie nanr' lave been the nightmare "'''l
hor,,T Of the schuul.ruOm. The story o'
China. us il In, come down to Us in IN AT
then,ic an intelligent form, is easily tod
SO /, that of India. As,yria. Persia, Egyp''
Greece anil Rome; hut '0recount th' eao
inu events uf :ach of these great NATIONS
separately is moi universal history Ia
higher AMI mNe philosophical view the
history OF each separate nation throws llgh'
on the ;lis,rry If humanity At large ou'
there is genera! historical NE "hich
moves progressively from one nation OF
group If nations Ia another, and II Is ID
this conflict between the different natlona!
groups. aud the impulse OF growth "hicH
are impaired to each her. that I'M ers u
history comes in. II i, in he grasp OF
these Fundamental principles of history
and his success in disentanging the per
manput elem en's of human progress from
the mass Of details, that MIR. Ranke has
produced work of which no similar AZ
tempt exists in the English language IL
traces the ancient world from the "'eStl
bules of history" a, he calls them-the
monuments, upon which the last hall cen
turv has thrown SO much new ligh,, down
TO the Christian era, and deduce, from the
mass of material thus NJ his disposal, moi
40 much Il history of the great nations
themselves OF the ancient world ~ OF hui
mainly, and in II way at once as engaging
10 the general reader rs it Is profitable 20
the more thoughtful and attentive student.
The work has been translated under the
careful supervision Of the best talent OF
Eton College aud Cambridge University,
and is re.ppduced in this country by the
Harpe,s in splendid octave volume OF
500 pages.
The VoYAoE or THE yiyIAN-To the North
Pole and Beyond. BY Thomas W hnoX.
Sc illustrated. Harper u Brothers, New
York; Jansen, McCiurg s. Co, Chicago.
For sale BY Hapeman " Graham, Oitawa
Price, $40.
In the enormous mass of juvenile lit
erAture :" the present decade has produced,
no volume va, enjoyed with greater zest
by - the boys which really means any
body from - 10 Gotham The Boy Tray
eiers In the East" By Mr.. Thomas W.
KneM The volume took . not only on
account ii elegant illustrations letter press
and binding, but much more on account of
its intrinsic merits Given thoroughly
posted professor" and IA couple of we'll
posted. wiueawake, active, inquisiliye
boys. 10 ~ ~ year> Old, who in company
make the tour Of Africa and the East, and
we haye the only thread of fiction upon
which die author was able, in the form of
. most agreeable nrative Of travels, to
hang the results of the explorations and
investigations of centuries, CLEANED from a
hundred volumes.
III. the same way, in a still more entcing
volume. Mr. Knox now takes his &" Boy
Travellers upon voyage 10 the arctic
regions The ship aud crew II, well as the
two young college graduates who ARE the
heroes of the narrative, are fictitious. but
all the facts detailed incidental historical
or scientific are faithful transcripts of the
leading experiences and discoveries of all
t.ie great arctic travellers and explorers.
from the Old N0rinans ia the middle ages
imaginary account OF a voyage from Her.
aid Island L, the north pole aud thence 10
Grant Land, In which the author merely
attempts 10 give vital torn 10 the most
plausible theories held by advanced stu.
dents OF arctic mysteries Aside from
these apoc!yphal chapters however, every
fact and incident stated has Il solid basis in
reality, aboliouly drawn from the con
tents of hundreds OF costly volumes, and
carefully verified 80 that all may he safely
accepted is >crupuously accurate The
book i, >pend.dly gotten up by the lIar
per- with maps tracing the route of the
Yiojah, and what with it, pro;use illustra-
ton. rich binding, &c, will come in play
just In time rs a suitable holiday present.
Miss TOMMY \ Medieval Romance. BY
the author of John Halifax, Gcntcmau."
Illustrated Harper " Brothers. New York
Jansen. McClurg " Co. Chicago. For sale
10y Hape'nan * Graham, Ottawa. ~ cents.
The mott N that novels, 10 be readable or
even endunble must Ice full of thrilling
inciden,, cruel agonies and violent re
bound, trAn the depths of sorrow 10 the
heights Of JOY is strongly negatived by Miss
Muloch, or Mrs Craik, in this charming
story. the last from her pen, Ne believe
entitled Miss Tommy" II i story
within stop-iirst ci two young lives,
whose lone is interrupted 10y few triiliug
adyeysiues aud oi two older lives. who
had diftrd apart when young but come