The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-01-11
New Books
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Animals of the Past. By Frederic A.
Lucas, curator OF the division OF compare
tive anatomy, United States National Mu
scum. illustrated New York: Mcclure,
Phillips & Co. Minneapolis: N. Mccarthy.
Price. 81.
This book answers many inquiries of STU
dents as to the very ancient forms of birds,
beasts and fishes in q very interesting way,
the illustrations admirably helping out tho
text. Our knowledge Of extinct animals IS
derived from the fossilized remains and i'm
prints upon the rocks, once soft mud them
selves. And, the author shows. but
small portion Of the ancient animal life is
thus preserved for our investigation, for mil
lions Of its remains have been reduced to
dust by the chemistry Of the atmosphere. The
study OF the rocks, however, reveals enough
OF the vertebrate forms Of the ancient world
to show what it was; but the author wisely
declines to record a guess as to the date
when this extinct life was animate. Down
under twenty miles OF rocks may be found
early vertebrate forms, and higher up in the
Old Red Sandstone of England, Of which
Hugh Miller wrote, found small! fishes.
pressed thin by the everything rock, and still
larger specimens appear in the Devonian
strata of our continent and in the carbonifer-
GUS period came shark-like fishes. The tracks
OF great birds and beasts are found impressed
upon the rocks in many localities and from
have been able to give an idea Of the owners
OF the feet which trod the ancient mud now
turned to stone. OF the curious monsters who
dominated the seas which rolled over Kan
sas and our western country at one time: OF
the early birds Of the Jurassc and later Pc
rtods, the author gives an interesting account.
One OF the most Interesting chapters in the
volume is that entitled. why Do Animals
Become Extinct?" Some of the authors ex-
plantations very plausible His general
statement that changes in life on the globe
synchronize with the changes in the level
OF portions Of the earth crust, which affect
climate, temperature and vegetation. is SUI
hcient explanation; for the dinosaurs of the
Teptilian age who roamed the tropical region
OF warm seas and luxuriant vegetation this
continent could not have lived here under the
conditions OF the next geologic period.
Thoughts for Everyday Living.
From the Written and Spoken Words of
Maltbie Davenport Babcock. New York:
Charles Scrbner's Sons. Minneapolis: n.
Mccarthy. Price, 81.
These Thoughts are gathered from notes
OF the sermons of the late DR.. Babcock, pastor
OF the historical Brick Presbyterian church in
New York. There are comparatively few men
who say or write such helpful thoughts that
it is worth while assembling some OF them in
volume Dr. Babcock was an original
thinker and OF deep spirituality in his public
and private life Judging from this volume,
he had the advantage Of seeing things in
their relation to one another. He a
student Of human nature. Here are a few
of his "'Thoughts'':
To praise virtue without determining to
possess it is first step toward moral sui
eide. To wish and not to will is spiritual
collapse, a house upon the sand.
To-day owes its best to tomorrow, for not
to do right to-day may ruin tomorrow.
Lies works from fruit to root: logic argues
frrr,, fp,,if fI>y 70 frOr
we are known by our fruits.
A Modern Antaeus. BY the author of "An
Englishwoman's Love Letters" New York
Doubleday, Page & Co. Minneapolis: N.
Mccarthy. Price. $3.50.
A superficial reader might say that this
book is ia rather uninteresting history of g
boy. 1t is more than that, although the great
er portion Of the book relates to the child
hood and early youth of Tristram Gavney
The story, however, is something Of a psyche.
logical study. The boy was instinctively 8
nomad and his infantile wanderings in out
of-the-way places, fastened upon him the ap-
pe1lation OF 1.-THE tramp" given to him by
Marcia, his sister. His idtosyncrasies were
many, and at one time he set up a private
sanctuary in the woods, where he INDUCED ii
a ritual in honor of the SUM- The story o.
his youthful doings reveals his growth IL
mental and physical powers at home and a
school. The climax of his life. however
came In adolescent years, when a youth wht
had seduced poor village beauty deliberatel!
and wickedly, wber the child came, ingenious
iy fastened the responsibility upon Tristram
who had led ono Of the cleanest Of adolescen
lives. .
Orloff and His Wife. Tales of the Bare
foot Brigade. BY Maxim Gorky. TRANSLATED
from the Russian by Isabel F. Hapgood
New York: Charles Scribner's Sons. Min
neapolis: Nathaniel Mccarthy. Price 81.
This volume Of Maxim Gorky's stories re
veals his intimate knowledge of the lowe
stratum Of Russian life In his "Foma Cor
deyeef,' indeed, he paints in startling ant
lurld colors the spirit, temper and disposition
of middle class and lower class life in tn
towns along the Volga river. Possibly mos
OF his observations have been made in Mini
Novgorod, where he lives. There is n
Sweetness and light" in Gorky's stories H
takes particular pleasure in portraying tn
sordid and selfish character Of the merchan
class and the miseries and debaucheries of tn
working class of Russia In fact most ever
story In the book reveals the fearful, demon
allzing influence of the drink habit and EN-
bodies very emphatic warning against it,
The Ship of Silence and Other Poems
BY Edward Ellington Valentine. Indianap
oils: Bowen Merrill company. :.
This Is one of the daintiest volumes of vers
OF the season, and the contents are worthy G
their tasteful setting. Mr.. Valentine has Ion
been a contributor to the leading magazines
and one cannot read his metrical creation
without feeling that even now we do not lac
something of the note of Keats and Shelley
1.-THE Ship of Silence" contains stanzas tha
do not fall short of the very highest class
verse, and the entire book, as q whole, Is ia
superior to the great mass Of toned song tina