The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-11

Nhe VI EubtiC
hay. the natural expression OF enjoy
ment after tho toll Of summer days"
DIR. Louis Frochette, q French CANADIAN poet,
who, as far back rs 1868, was hailed by Longfol-
low as " the pathfinder OF q new LAND OF song.
writes, In French, an Introduction 10 "Ihe
Habitant" tPutnams), q volume Of French Cana
dian dialect poems BY Mr.. William Henry
Drummond Of Montreal. rs thore not no asks,
AN originality far from common In tho idea OF
taking q poor ~i!litcrato and presenting him as
distinct national type, putting In his lips q Ian
Ruago that Is not his own and with which he 10 but
half acquainted, making him at the same time
q good fellow, gentle. amiable, honest. intelligent
and upright, keen-witted, and with q heart full of
q poetry that stimulates his patriotism, throws
q ray OF warm light into his modest homo. and
lulls his hours Of dreaming with vague and half
melancholy recollectionsi And this In such
n way that in this portrait OF q new type the
subtlest of critics can find no trace OF carica-
ture!' This is high praise, but 1t Ia none tho
less deserved, for, in these simple verses. writ
ten in the dialect in which his characters would
tell their tales to English.speaking audi
tors, Mr.. Drummond has indeed created
n new type, as distinct as Mr.. James Whitcomb
Riley's Hoosier farmer, and with mono OF the
theatrical and unreal quality OF Mr.. Gilbert
Parker's French Canadian voyageur. Hcre we
have tho old farmer, proud Of his sturdy sons
and strapping daughters. tho county notary,
the doctor, the young lover. the lumbcrman,
and the aged hdbitant. who sits beside the 6ro
on winters nights and chats Of lie Vefur Temps.
when ho used TO dance and spark do girl"
Dey's many way for spark dc girl. an you know dat
of course,
Some way dey might 30 better way. an some dey
might be worse,
But I LAX sit ONO cole night Wit my girl on ole
burleau
wit lot of hay keep our foot warm-an' plaintoe
buffalo.
OATS roev good chances get acquaint- an If burloau
upset
An trow you out upon dc snow-datIs better chances
An II you help do girl 90 homo. II horse he rome
away,
Do girl sho'S not much use at nll-don't gecv yon
nice baiser!
She's not sam ting an MAX you feel so scare lax
leetle sheep.
Some tam you get dc fever-somo tam you're lax
SNOWFALL.
An all do tam you ack LAX fool. can't spik no ting at
all.
Ono of the best numbers 10 the legend of
Thilorum Juneau and the "Chassc Gallerie,"
which is explained in tho note that ~prefaces tho
poem.
In the days Of the "old Regime" in Canada, the
FREQ life of the woods and prairies proved too tempt.
ing for the young men, who frequently deserted civil.
ization for the savage delights OF the wilderness.
These voyageurs and coureurs de bois seldom re-
turned in the flesh. but on every New Years Eve.
back thro' snowstorm and hurricane-in midair-
came their spirits in ghostly canoes. to Join for q brief
spell the old folks at home and kiss the girls. on
the annual feast OF the Jour de Fam or New
Years Day. The legend. which still survives in
French.speaking Canada. 10 known 40 LA Chase
Gallerie."
Mr.. Drummond has lived among tho French
Canadians all his life. and. though some Of his
single poems. like tho Wreck of the Julie
Plante" or THE Papineau Cum" have been
widely circulated. they are now for the
first time collected. and their broad human in
terest and kindly humor will give them an
assured place in dialect literature.
We have also received:
idle Hours in a Library" William Henry
Hudson. tDoxey.)
1.-The Golden North. A vast Country of In
exhaustible Gold Fields and q Land OF nlimit-
able Cereal and Stock Raising Capabilities"
with maps. c. R.. Tuttle. tRand, McNally & Coz
1.-THE Private Library. What We Do Know
What We Don't Know-What We Ought to
Know About Our Books" Arthur L. Hum
phreys. u. w. BoutonD
Va biuO "nIV nv Ao IL
Translated by Jacob B. Brown. Illustrated.
(Putnams)
buddhism and Its Christian Critics." DR..
Paul Carus. (Open Court Publishing Company
"Nirvana: A Story Of Buddhist Philosophy
DR.. Paul Carus. Illustrated and printed by T.
Hasegawa. Toxic. Japan. Open Court Pub
fishing Company
Manual of Ethics" John 8. Mackenzie. M.
A.. Third edition. revised. enlarged, and partly
rewritten. blinds & Noble.)
MY Illegal Wife," Count Len Zolkof.
(Neely.)
"The Devil worshippers." Robert Montfort
Lucky. tNeely.)
"Hawaii-Our Now Possessions" John r.
Musick. Funk & Wagnalls.)
"Wellington-His Comrades and Contempt
raries." Major Arthur Grifiths. Iongmans)
"In the Days OF Massasoit." A tale OF Roger
Williams. Hezekiah Butterworth. "a. B. p. 81
The Old House." Poems and sketches.
Grace Dufie Boylan. E. n. Herrick & co.,
"A Book of Old English Love Songs" with
introduction by Hamilton W.. Mabie. and
decorative drawings by George Wharton Ed
wards. tMacmillansl
IAN Imperial Lover" N. INLAY Taylor. "a.
C. McClurg & Col.
THE City of the Caliphs. Cairo" e. A. Rey-
nolds.Ball. Estes g. Lauriat.)
Warrior Gap. A Story of the Sioux Outbreak
of g. Capt. Charles King, U. 8. A. Nicely
Heroic Stature" Addresses by Nathan
Sheppard. "a. B. p. 81
Going to War in Greece" Frederick Palmer.
(R- II. Russell.)
"Ward Hill at Weston" A story Of American
life. Everett T. Tomlinson. "a. J. RowlandJ
Shadows" Verses by M. A.. Do Wolfe Howe.
copeland g. Day.
lone Way to the Woods" Verses by Evaleen
Stcen. copeland & Day.
"Childhood's Songs of Long Ago." Isaac
Watts, d. d. With pictures by Blanche Nc
Manus. IL. r. Herrick g. Coz
The Children OF the Night" A book of
poems. Edwin Arlington Robinson. Orchard
G. Badger g. Coz
"A Sketch OF jewish History" Gustav Kar-
peles. Translated from the German. Jewish
Publication Society Of America-)
"A Harmony of Samuel. Kings. and Chron-
icles." William Day Crockett. Eaton & Mains.)
Squire John" st. George Rathbone.
(Neely.)