The herald., 1894-03-04
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priests OIL 6rAnm ana 0uuona ems nt
their solemn prayers. He very oleverly
, shows us that the world is
bound in muslin and laid upon our
tables. The Imagination is staggered in
its attempts to grasp the wealth
of knowledge that has been stored
in the printed pages. The Ara
touched the clouds, but whose vast
narrow space of 8 fisherman's flask, has
to us the treasures of universal knowl-
edge. He considers at length the relA-
tion of our reading to our morals. and
advises the reading of only pure books
and chiefly great books. Very cleverly
he shows how to read and how to pos
eess the results Of your reading. This
chapter, il any special one can be called
such, 10 the CroWning chapter of the
volume. A short talk on Orthodoxy
completes the book. 1t finishes q book
which should be in every home, every
school library and every public library
in this cultured land.
All the above books for sale by the stoll &
Thayer company, 1S9 south Spring street.
s*s
William Doxey, publisher OF the Sun-
set series at San Francisco, has issued
one number which is Of particular in
terest to California readers and the
tourists who are always with US. This
little volume is by Laura Bride Powers,
and entitled The Story of the Old Mis-
sions Of Cslifornis; their establish
ment, progress and decay. 1t is fully
illustrated and might have gone forth
to its destiny known ss A Plea for the
Missions. That interest might be
aroused in behalf OF these decaying heir
looms ere it becomes too late, the
author has endeavorsd to tell their tale
o! sscendency and ruin, hoping thereby
to enlist sympathy in the cause Of their
restoration and preservation.
With this object in view she gathered
such information as years of research
had woven Observation-Disclosures OBJ
tanned from that most reliable of sources,
manuscripts-includi diaries, mission
registers and personal letters.
The people of this country are con-
stantly reminded by their European
cousins OF the woeful absence of ruins or
antiquities in America.
Why not as CalIfornians now eetab-
Llbh Jul W lnOb0 oNlu60C6B vi
stability by preserving the mis-
grRtionP Now is the time to act, ere the
hour of action is past, and thrust aside
the destroying hand OF time from the
landmarks in the history of this state.
Look at the united effort which has
given California the midwinter fair An
effort much less would make these old
mr. q n for ht1f
a monument for ages. They should live,
they must live, not only in memories
and histories, but in proud reality. Such
is an outline OF the authors plea, and
her enthusiasm should be absorbed by
every reader until the effort is made. An
excellent description is given of the
founding of the missions, their early
history. the trials and hardships of the
good fathers who frat laid their corner
stone and dedicated it to the service of
God. 7Phe many disappointments and
the weary years OF toll and privation ere
success crowned their efforts. The story
of the San Diego de Alcsla is particu-
larly touching. San Juan Capistrano, in
her golden days, with Padre Jose Ma
Zalvidea at the helm, proves an inter-
esting story. San Gabriel Arcangel in
its field of gold, with it's workshops, fair
est OF all the Franciscan possessions
the generous monastery whose por-
tails we're open wide to all
the wanderers of its time, is probably
most interesting to us. 1t figured in
that great historical drama when in the
very shadow of the chapel the Ameri-
cans under General Kesrney defeated
the CaliforniAns and Mexicane. Santa
Barbara is described more in the pres
ent than in the past, just as of old, with
its cowlsd monks walking and praying
in the mission gardens treading the
came paths beneath the trees as did the
friars q century ago. San Fernando
Rey was one OF the proudest missions
with its vineyards. Here it was
that the remnants OF the Cali
fornian forces signed the paper of capt.
ulation to Fremont, thus closing the
Mexican war. San Luis Rey de Fran
cis, San Antonio de Pala, Santa Inez,
San Rafael, San Francisco Solsno and
many others are mentioned and de-
scribsd. From careful reading of this
little book we soon understand and feel
the air of ancient grandeur and sublim-
ity that renders them 80 charming, even
to the most Indifferent beholder, and
when their romantic and even tragic
history is laid bare, how much more in
teresting do they become. MIR. Doxey
has a very noteworthy issue in this
volume, and should receive great praise
as well as financial recognition for this
addition to the literature of California.
-.
From the Arena Press of Boston we
have A Wedding Tangle, by Frances
Campbell Sparhawk. This is a book OF
four stories of varying length and OF
varying degrees of excellence, but they
are all eminently American, the first
three belonging to the interior and
the fourth to the Atlantic coast
Miss Lily A. Long, the author of
A Squire OF Low Dsgree, has written
ia Apprentices to Destiny, a realistic
story OF Mississippi life today, which
bears upon some social problems and
yet has more kinship with the works OF
Octave Thanet, than with those OF Ham
lin Garland. One Day is slight
sketch in which the pathetic element is
the predominant one. The author has
found his model iu Mr.. Gar
land. Beneath the Dome is published
posthumously. Its author, Mr.. Arnold
CLARK, held for time clerkship in
the Office of the Michigan state
board of health, and the dome
OF his story is that of the Michigan cap.
itol. Mr.. Clarke was young man, an