The National tribune., 1897-03-04

THE FAULT OF ONE BY Efis Adelaide Row
lands. Published by J. Il. Iippinoo,i, Philadei-
phia. For sale by Breniano. Washington, ID. Z.
Price 81.
An interesting little romance of mistaken
love. set all right in the end, to the complete
happiness Of all concerned.
Magazines and Notes.
LIE Francais a monthly journal for students
of French. Published by Berlitz s. Co., New
York. Price 10 cents.
President David Starr Jordan will contrib
ute to AppLetOns' Popular Science Monthly for
March an article on Tho Stability of Truth,
in which he opposes the contention OF Sails
bury. Balfour. and Haeckel that "belief" may
rest on foundations unknown to knowledge"
and so resting may furnish additions and revis-
ions to science.
Oceult Science Library for February contains
Useful Occult Practices. by Ernest Loomis.
Published by Ernest Loomis 81 Co, For.y-ninih
street and Calumet avenue, Chicago. Price 10
cents; $1.50 year.
Charles Dana Gibson, in illustrating sh ort
story that narrates the romance of Princess,
for the March Ladies' Home Journal. has created
what he regards as his typical English girl.
She is said to be as distinctive and striking as
his famous American girl. and while essentially
different she is quite as interesting. The draw
ing will illustrate Robert c. V. Meyers's story,
The Morning After the Ssrvia Got In.
A thrilling chapter of secret war history will
be related i'm McCvures Maglzine for March by
Gen. John NJ. Thayer, formerly United States
Senator from Nebraska. 1t is an account of a
night he passed alone with Secretary Stanton
in the War Office when the latter was expect
ing that President Johnson would attempt to
dispossess him Of his office by force of arms.
The new Congressional Library in Washing.
fop hos h.o, corn Iate cd within the time limit
and at a cost of only 63 cents a cubic foot, in
cluding decorations. The cost of the gigantic
municipal building in Philadelphia, which was
begun in 1872 and is only now being CON-
pleted. has already been i.60 cubic foot. In
the March Century the Library will be de-
scribed by the Librarian. A. r. Spoford, while
WIN. A. Coffin, the art critic. will write of the
decorations There will be &c illustrations in
the two articles.
new serial begins in the March number OF
Serrbner's-The Story of Play. by w. ID.
Howelis. This is humorous presentation OF
theatrical life of the better kind, and records
the experiences of an American playwright in
producing his first play. 1t is not buriesque,
but pure comedy in Mr. Howelis's most de-
lightlul vein Of gentle satire. 1t Is full OF
types new in American fiction.
The complete novel in Lippincotfs Magazine
for March is Dead Selves. by Julia Magruder,
author of The Princess Sonia, The Violet etc.
Besides this there is fascinating list of shorter
articles. Published at Philadelphia. Price 25
cents.
THE JESUIT RELATIONS AND ALLIED DOC
UMENTS. Edited by Reuben Gold Thwaites.
Published by tho Burrows Brothers Co., Cleye-
land. o. Price. per volume. $3.50.
The attempts of the French to navigate the
great inland waters Of this New World, to
colonize and Christanize it. to establish here a
"New France" make most interesting chapter
in the history of our country. They were never
very successful as colOnists but as vOyagers,
discoverers and navigators they were fearless
and uutiring. The Jesuit fathers followed
quick in the paths of tho pioneers, eager to
establish the Catholic faith for the glory of
God, the King of France and the Society OF
Jesus. To quote the editor:
a few explorers like Champlan, Radisson
and Perrot have left valuable narratives behind
them, which are of prime importance in the
study of the beginnings of French settlement
| in America; but it is to the Jesuts that We
| owe the great body of our information concern
| ing the frontiers of New France in the 18th
century. 1t was their duty annually to trans
NIT to their Superior in Quebec or Montreal a
| written journal of their doings; it was also
| their duty to pay occasional visits to their Su-
perior, and 10 60 into retreat at the central
house of the Canadian mission. Annually, be-
tween 1872 and 1873. the Superior made up n
| narrative or Relation of the most important
| events which had occurred in the several mis-
sionary districts under his charge, sometimes
using the exact words Of the missionaries and
sometimes with considerable editorial skill
summarizing the individual journals in gem
1 eral account, based in part upon the oral reports
! of visiting fathers. This annual Relation was
| forwarded to the Provincial of the Order in
| France and, after careful scrutiny and re-edIt.
| ing, published by him in q series of volumes,
known collectively as the Jesuit Relations.
| 1.-THE authors of the journals which formed
| the basis of the Relations were for the most
part men of trained intellect. acute observers.
and practiced in the art OF keeping records of
/ their experiences. They had left the most
| highly civilized country of their times to
! pl lunge at once into the heart of the American
wilderness and attempt to win to the Christian
| faith the fercest savages known to history.
| To gain these savages it was first necessary to
know them intimately-thei speech. their
/ habits, their manner OF thought, their strong
points aud their weak. These first students of
/ the North American Indian were not only
/ amply fitted for their undertaking, but none
| have since had better opportunity for its prose-
| cution. They were explorers as we'll as priests.
| Bancroft was inexact when he said, in Oft
| quoted phrase Not cape was turned. not a
! river entered, but Jesuit led the way The
| actual pioneers Of New France were almost al
| ways coureurs de bois. in the prosecution of the
| fur trade; but e0ureurs de bois, for obvious
| reasons, seldom kept records, even when
| capable of doing so, and, as rule, we learn OF
| their previous appearance on the scene only
| through chance allusions in the Relations.
| The Jesuits performed a great service to man.
| kind in publishing their annals. which are, for
! historian, geographer and ethnologist, among
our irst and best authorities"
Nearly always the style was simple and d.
| rect. We gain from their pages vivid picture
of life in the primeyal forest as the fathers
knew it.
This great historical work-there are to be-
in all, 20 volumes-is most satisfactorily
arranged. There are the reprints of the old
documents, with an exact translation into Eng
ish Of each, side by side, page for page of the
original. There maps. fac-similes, por-
traits, and copous explanatory and historical
notes, adding greatly to the interest of the
books, and making them of great interest to
| tho ordinary reader of history rs well as to
historians.
1t will, for the first time. place within the
reach of students documents of the highest his
torical Importance. hitherto practically un-
available; and, for the first time, complete
| translation of the same. The Analytical In-
! dex. which is 70 accompany the sssies. will b