The Minneapolis journal., 1902-11-24

of Vienna in 1914, the city and district of
Cracow were to be independent under the
guaranty of Austria. Prussia and Russia
Historically speaking, Austria feloniously
annexed this district in 1916. The author
embodies In his romance the heroic efforts
Of the Princess Barbara to acquire con-
troll of her inheritance upon which the
cZar has set his eve in behalf Of his favor
ite, the Duke Of Bora.
THE BIOGRAPHY OF A PRAIRIE GIRL. By
Eleanor Gates. The Century Co., New York.
1t is something quite beyond a series of
pictures Of frontier life which Eleanor
Gates presents in 1.-The Biography Of a
Prairie Girl" just being issued by the
Century company. It is, rather, a direct
reproduction, or, better still, a replica, Of
the life of the Dakotas generation ago.
The author, whether consciously or not,
has accomplished a twofold object. She
has written a book of equal interest to
two widely separated classes-those who
are familiar by experience with the envi-
ronment of her scenes, and those who
have never known the hardships, the dam
gers, the troubles and the triumphs of
frontier life.
1t is called a biography, but it is more
than that; the word is but a figure. 1t
deals With facts, but only as they are es-
sential to symmetry. It deals with senti-
ment without being maWkish., 1t touches
the heart, vet there is no melodramatic
appeal. 1t presents the most common
place events with a certain minuteness.
and yet there is always present the touch
Of the artist.
It is not a quotable book, in the sense
that random excerpts may be made to
show its general trend; and while it is in
no sense a romance, it is yet of chapter
to-chapter interest, and he who takes it
UP will be loath to lay it down.
The coming of the stork, which first
brings the little prairie girl to the light, is
told with rare delicacy and charm, and the
atmosphere, so toespeak. surrounding the
event is of exceptional sweetness and
purity. The commonplace things of the
farm, from the coming Of the stork to the
death of the father, are not catalogued;
there is no mere report-it is all the delin
cation of the artist. The christening, the
tumultuous school days. the events in the
lives of the domestic and wild animals,
the race for life across the burning prai-
rie the death of the mother, the longings
for the higher life of education and the
strivingS for it, the note OF love here and
there sounded-it is all unusual in it's
treatment. 1t Is, indeed, of unique inter-
est because it is told in truth and yet not
in prosaic truth; 1t is actual without be-
ing bald, it is that art which begins where
Photographic fidelity ends.
There are sad pages in the book as we'll
as gay ones, but the pathos has no flavor
Of the melancholy In it. 1t is from first
to last page helpful.
The character Of the treatment of the
many incidents of Dakota farm life which
are such striking features of the book
may be illustrated by the following
though, as noted, the book is net one that
can be read in extracts:
g. "Slirieks of laughter from behind the
barn, following strange rapid thunnps
upon the bare ground. led the three big
brothers in that direction one May NOR
ming, and, on turning the corner. they
found the little girl leaning convulsively
against the old straw stack for sup
port while in front of her.
blinded by a big red handker-
chief. and with a long bolster full of
hay across her dappled withers. was the
blue mare. making stiff. wild plunges into
tho air. with arched bacs and head held
low. For th4 little girl was breaking her
to ride.