Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-07-12

and represents by smile the scope of the
book. The reader strikes Bret Harte's old
trail several times, runs across familiar
moccasin tracks. recognizes some old camp
nres, and finally, as they say in the west,
meets up with" some old friends. The
book is rcdolent of the mountain fra
grances and breathes the free, wild spirit
of the pioneer days.
CHIMMIE FADDEN AND MR. PAUL. BY I'd
ward w. Townsend. New York: The Century
Company.
Here are a couple of old acquaintance
! come back to renew past relationships.
"Chimmie," with his quaint vernacular and
his Bowery squint at things beyond his
mental grasp. The Duchess His Whis-
kers' and THE Willy Wildly" also come
along in the encourage. The little love
story which runs through the volume is
ualhtN. ana ends as IL should. Mr.. Paul.
parts company with his small cold bottles
for reasons delicately limited at in the story.
ASIATIC RUSSIA BY George Frederick Wright.
New York: Mcclure Philips & Co. Washington:
Woodward d Lothrop.
DR.. Wright is geologist and the author
Of several scientific works The tourney
through Siberia and the Trans-Caucasus.
on which this work is based was I'M
dertaken primarily to develop the writ
ers knowledge of Asiatic geology. The
DOCK Is, then. an afterthought, an out
growth of students tour through one of
the least Travelled and known parts Of the
northern hemisphere. 1t is filled with
strange and probably unconscious refec-
lions of the authors scientific purpose To
read 1t as a book of travel is to absorb
more geological knowledge than the aver
age reader obtains in lifetime of ordinary
reading. But the work is of interest other
wise Few past publications on this won
derful country are of much present value
so great have been the social and gov
ernmental changes in Siberia and the
Irans-Caucasus in the past ten years The
activity OF great race is now concentrated
there. Its development must inevitably eff
feet all the world. And DR. Wright has seen
all this with clear vision, stated it with a
scientists accuracy and made his meaning
transparent in spite of a technical vocabu-
larry. The two volumes of the work are
filled with good half-tone illustrations Hid
den In the cover of the second volume are
several fine maps. and all their other fea-
lures are correspondingly complete.
WHAT IS RELIGION? And Other New Articles
and Letters. BY Lyof y. Tolsto New York:
Thomas y. Crowell & Co.
True religion is the establishment by
man OF such relation to the infinite life
around him, as, while connecting his life
with this infnitude and directing his con-
duct, is also in agreement with his reason
and with human knowledge"
This is the creed of that distinctive figure
among laterday philosophers who has
chosen to oppose himself alone to hall the
practices of modern society and whose free
thinking has provoked his expulsion from
his church. 1t is not involved or obscure,
but it is sufficiently elaborated to make
the disciples faith plain. Religion, he saws
in substance, is not alone a matter Of faith
an outward sign of inward grace" il
is also a matter of reason, of scientific
knowledge developed by centuries of earn
est investigation, and in its true sense re-
1igion encourages scientific discussion liber-
ates the reason and expands the independ-
ent mind instead of throttling free thought
and Furnishing the thinker.
This essay has much the chara cter of a
reply to Tolstoi's accusers OF the Greek
Church. He cannot accept as religion any
teachings which compel him to subdue his
mind. He cannot believe to be divine any
faith which disregards the normal activ-
tiles of divine gift-mentality.
But the essay says all this briefly. This
reply is by no means the chief element in
Tolstoi's purpose. He devotes himself at
far greater length to eXpounding his conf
dent belief that reason, that classified
knowledge. that science in its highest
earthly development never be suffic-
ent religion. His own phrases have even
in the translation the ring of the earnest
teacher. The essence Of religion was al