New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-04-17
SOME NEW BOOKS.


which DR. Rachel L. Bodley has added an intro
duction. Ramabai thinks that American mis-
sionary movement set on foot by women and con-
Quoted by them might influence reformatory legis-
lation in India The difficulty is the. Iron con-
servatism of tho Hndus themselves. The British
Government will not interfere, because 1t is pledged
not to mcddle with the popular religion, and the
whole treatment Of women Is based upon religious
teachings Tho Hindu men think their women have
nothing to complain Of, and the hierarchy OF course
will not admit that reform would or could be aught
save sacrlege That the situation OF tho Hindu
women Is deplorable cannot be disputed Iho
Widows fate especially is most miserable and the
abolition OF Suffice appears rather to have aggravated
than improved 1t. The death OF the husband IN
wolves lifelong degradation and social extinction 10
tho widow. She cannot marry again. She cannot
mix with her kind again. She is paah, disgraced,
set apart, Stunned and despised All this Is the
effect Of public opinion backed by heredity. II an
American missionary movement can do anything to
break down the stubborn prejudices winch make tho
lives Of Hindu women miserable, there can DO no
doubt that the end is worth the cost But the re
sstance to be encountered is tremendous and all the
moro formidable because reason has scarcely any
thing to do with It,
Under the picturesque title, Tho Children OF
silence' philadelphia Porter Coates), Dr. Joseph
A. Seiss has brought together mass of highly inter
estng and suggestive facts and statistics concerning
the deaf and dumb His chapters on consanginuty In
marriages as influence In the production OF congen
ital defects convincing, and show that the aggre
gate Of scientific evidence decidedly supports ana con-
firms this view, so often and holly disputed There
seems indeed no escape from the conclusion that the
marriage Of relationships cousins. for example
tends in marked manner to tho deterioration OF
the offering, and that whilo this deterioration Is
manifested perhaps most frequently In the birth OF
deaf and dumb children, 1t may be equally exholted
I'm other defects or maformatons. DR.. Seiss has
iptar sing Ike
scope of Instruction for these unfortunates He Is
emphatically Of opinion that by no means can the
deaf and dumb be brought to the educational level
of normally constituted children but holds that after
everything possible has been done for them they
will still be backward This, indeed, is precisely
what should be expected, but some enthusiasts OF
late have maintained the possibility Of completely
compensating the loss of hearing and speech. 1t Is
gratifying to know that the treatment OF the "chl-
dren of silence" in the United States is more adj
vanccd comprehensive and enlightened than In any
other country
Routlcdge e. Co. have published English edition
Of the beautiful couquet "Sylvie' by Gerard de
Nerval, with the etchngs Of Rudaux The new
edition is printed by De Winnie on a paper which,
though Of fine quality, is rather too highly calen-
dered to receive perfect Impressions Of the etch-
ings These characterized by peculiar
dcllcacy and softness which requires rather dull
and supple than glossy and stf vehicle. In the
detail Of the needle is brought out with beautiful
cIearness and delightful effect. The Routledgs
edition does somewhat less justice to the lusra-
lions, though they cannot be said to be marred In
IT, The English translation is halfbound in morocco,
with gilt tops and uncut edges. The type Is dainty
and clear and the general appearance luxurious and
attractive.
Marie A. Brown has written book entitled The
Icelandic DISCOVERIES of America: or Honor to Whom
Honor is due' Boston Marie A Brown) The pur-
pose of this volume IS to show that tho ascrptlon to
Columbus OF the discovery Of America Is an error and
that the real dscoverers scandinavians The evil
dence for this not exactly novel contention is at pres
ent generally known. 1t IS in fact fairly established
that some centuries before Columbus this continent
was visited by Icelanders, who gave 1t the name
Of Vnland 1t IS possible that similar desultory visits
may have been paid to America subsequently many
times before Columbus. But what the advocates OF
the Icelandc claim fail sufficiently consider is the
fact that these visits discoveries were not turned to
any account. Nothing followed them. and consequent
" they futile and null Marie A. Brown Is an
enthusiastic, even a fiery writer. She secs In tho
recognition of Columbus the discoverer nothing less
than deep and dark plot Of Rome, based on the con-
sideratIon that the scandnavians heretics and
therefore to be snubbed and ignored when It was not
possible TO prosecute them The vituperation showcred
upon the Roman Catholic Church on the strength OF
this theory weakcns tho argument Of tho book, while
on the other hand tho authors determination to exalt
her scandinavian proeges leads her to play sad tricks
with history. England did, unfortunately, sustain
such deep and lasting injuries from the pratcal do
scents of these Northern barbarians that the attempt
to elevate them into pioneers OF civilization cannot
meet with much 1t IS indeed somewhat strange
that the Icelanders who named Vinland should not
have carried fire and sword through tho new land,
but the reason probably that they found nobody
hill and nothing TO destroy. AS to the hopefnlness of
violent attempts to overthrow Columbus, tho natural
consequences of all such experiments may safely DO
left TO impart wisdom to the revolutonists.
Professor Rambaud has followed up HIS History OF
r,ronch C,vtIizationn which the two first volumes
hropcbt down to the Revolution, with third, which
deals with the history Of the present century. Tho
$50 closely packed pages OF this work paris Armand
Colin ct Cie) barely allow Ineligible mention Of the
subjects treated, so comprehensive is the authors
scheme. Yet his method is so systematized and his
INSIGHT m strong and clear that at the necessary inter-
walls be nuts ip sentence two, the main points OF
the period or the movement concerned Anything
like detailed examination is precuded by the form and
scope of the work, but 1t Is much more than school
textbook and may be employed conveniently for
reference purposes connection with every Imaginable
question of the nineteenth century Tho concluding
chapter is a summary, and while commenting the
extent of progress in Europe during tho last
hundred wears the author observes that one OF tho
dark points OF the future the fact that the progress
equality has more namcd than satisfied the socialist
demands In France and most countries Of Europe the
hostility between the HAYES and the Havenots' is
the Increase But he ventures upon no predictions
as to the ultimate outcome OF this Ominous state OF
popular feeling.
The Wagner Fry Institute OF Science, Of Philadelphia
last year sent Professor Angelo Hrilpur with party
expedition Of exploration into Flonda, and the
Professor has put tho results Of that journey into
handsome quarto published by tho Wagner Institute
Philadelphia. The objects of Tho Undertaking had
special reference to the geology and zoology Of the
FlordIan Peninsula and In tho former particularly
the results have been valuable Professor. HeIlpur
has ascertained that the belief 10 the extensive
agency of the coral in the formation Of Florida
is erroneous that the greater portion OF the peninsula
originated In the normal way, by sedlmentaton and
upheaval and that the coralIne structure belongs