The sun., 1899-01-28

to exhaust It," Nor should the professors re-
markablc verse transations be passed over:
those from what languages we can follow him
In are treated with moro than Western free
DOM. Dante. we are inclined to think. would
be glad TO give up to Prot. Nyrop all credit for
the version OF the Francesca da Rimini story In
the introduction. while tho noetic feeling In
these lines from u Latin poet whom he calls
Catul Is, we suspect. Prof. Nyrop's own;
Give me one thousand Kisses and hundred.
And again tIou ands and some hundreds.
Then once more thousand and n hundred.
When the number tn is is many Thousands
Cancel IL so that there may be no traces
OF the old accounts. Then start anow
Tie counting till another count Is due.
This is from a well.known German folk song:
My sweetheart is pretty,
But rich not shei is.
What care for riches,
Which never kiss!
From the analogy Of nose rubbing among
many savage tril es. OF dogs licking their mas
ters' hands. and Of the COW licking her calf.
Prof. Nyrop ventures on this rather material
istic hypothesis as to the origin OF kissing: rs
il not then just possible. or would say prob
able that the human kiss was something the
same In its original form. that is q partial ap-
preparation. through the senses. OF the object
loved or to speak with more exactness. some
OF the physical pecuIarties OF that object. as
the 0ustus and the od0r. which undoubtedly
were more pronounced in the primitive man
than in the modern one?" incidentally. he
mentions fact that may he OF service to our
soldiers at Manila, " In the Philippin, Islands
the sense OF smell Is so developed that the ma
tiyes can tell by the smell! OF pocket handker-
chief who may be it's owner" An interesting
point in Chicago social etiquette Is settled by
kAY fnt.,H thN - NlNak k1~l L.
young man in kissing wears dark glove on
the hand with which he supports the young
persons back hair.
Mr.. Jeremiah Curtin has in Creation Myths
Of Primitive America In Relation to the Re
liEious History and Mental Development Of
Mankind little. Brown & Co.. gathered to-
Rrther the interesting folklore tales Of the
American Indians. first printed in the columns
Of THE sun, into a handsome octave OF over
500 pages. These form only part OF the col
lection he made In 1895 and subsequent years
in California. Mexico. and Guatemala. being
the Wintu and Yana myths taken down in
California. The surprising number and variety
Of stories that Mr.. Curtin succeeded In obtain
ing from few tribes in relatively small por-
tion OF the country shows how wide a field Is
still open for the investigator In the beliefs
and traditions OF the Anne rican aborignes. The
myths are told in the simple language in which
fairy tales should be told. while Mr.. Curtn's
well-esta bshed reputation as linRuist is Il
guarantee OF the accuracy with which they
were taken down. They are printed without
comment, though few explanatory notes are
appended. In his introduction however. Mr..
Curtin explains the nature and meaning Of
American myths and throws much light on the
methods OF thought Of the Indian The
creation myths OF America" he says. form a
complete system; they give detailed and cir
cumstantiAl account OF the origin Of this world
and OF all things and creatures contained in it :"
THE Indian system has It's plain and clear
revelation for believers 1t has tangible and un-
doubted connection with the world which pre-
ceded the present one" tits the creation m yths
alone that will be found in Mr. Curtin's volume
There Is another group. containing large
number OF myths. many OF them exceedingly
beautiful" that has to do with the existent
world as 1t Is now. Few OF these myths have
been given to tho world yet. for the sole and
simple reason that comparatively few have
been collected from the Indians" The too
long deferred task OF gathering all available
traditional knowledge from primitive Indian
tribes that are becoming extinct rapidly will be
stimulated and furthered by Mr. Curtin's schol-
arly and intere sting work.
Unusual interest attaches to the third volume
OF W. Laird Clowes's valuable work. The
Royal Navy: A History. from the Earliest Times
to the Present" little. Brown 4 Co... from the
fact that the period covered-17l4 to 17S3-in-
cludes the American Revolution. and that 1t Is
Cant A. #. Mahan who describes tho naval
operations OF the war Capt. Mahan's article
takes up two-Hiths OF the volume. Tho other
contributors are Mr. Cloves, Mr.. L. Carr Laugh
ton, and Dir Clement R. Markham.
1t is very short Introduction that Mrs
MI. to hn~ 10th hn In
ians." the tenth volume OF the Biographical
Edition OF W. N. Thacksray's Complete Works"
tHarpersl. but It is taken up almost entirely
by the second lecture tour in America. His
letters home are charming. We quote his &C.
count OF an adventure In New York:
Had . very plslAAnt dinner with g. Ward and
party at Delm onicos: came homo late and had an
awful EiodTt-I tremble when think OF II. Took
my key at the bar. on ered my apartment. began
straiRhtwAy 70 pull OF boots. etc. etc. when .
sweet female voice from the room within ex'
claimed "Gorgie!" I had gone into the second floor
room instead Of the third gathered my raiment
I together ana dashed ont OF the premises.
He paid a visit to Washington Irving In De-
cemher. 1850:
Ono day went out 10 Yonksrs. hfteen miles from
here on the Hudson River and spent the pleasAnest
day have had In the States: drove from the pretty
village busy. bustling new place lying on the river
hanks thrice ~ broad the Rhine. and ss pictuT-
saaus, 10 Iryington. nine miles. where good old
Washington Irving lives with two nieees. who tend
him most AneotonAteiy in funny LITTLE in-And-out
cottage surI ounied by little domain Of lawns not
40 smooth ~ ours. and woods rather email and
scrutby; In little bits of small parlours. where We
we're served with cakes and wine; with little
study not much bigger than my back room. with old
dogs trottinR around the premises with Hooks OF
ducks calling on the pondsi Vsiy pleasant patri'
srchal life. Hs iS hnIAhing the second volume ofA
life OF Washington he has other two to write; sA
bold undertaking for man OF seNenty'four
don't know whether the book 10 good or noti the
man is. and one OF the piea'Antest things nave
no,ed in American u Anners Ii the general respect
and Al ction in viii, b this good old man is held
The negro children delighted him.
W. maj "A black preacher walking with friend
and swagGsring with most delightful majesty We