The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-06-14


 Golfers Weekly has an amusing rep resentation of a Chicago school instruc- tors idea of Shakespeare. He is brave enough to tell us that the immortal bard is much "overrated." And. most striking criticism, he is behind the times"-his plays being full of ''errors of speech" bad grammar bad spelling" and bad morals" His remark that we now recognize these errors is dealt with by Golfers after this fashion. Tt reminds us of famous old story, which, if the Chicago instructor ever heard. he doubt less failed to understand. French is such a silly language observed the Eng lishman. It calls bread pain. But observed his companion. 1t doubtless seems strange to a Frenchman that we call pain bread The Englishman pom dered. I suppose that is so.' he replied, but, then, after all, it Is bread, you know
 'It is cheerful when we are tempted to think of this as a prosaic age, to come across a creature holding a position in an American grammar school who thinks students are misled and injured by see ing words and spelling of the sixteenth century, because they are out of date.'
 The Anglo-Saxcn carries his language with him as he goes through the world, and 1t has been often affirmed within recent years that the English would be the prevailing language in Europe; the French has been. to some extent It would seem strange to us that the Elm perors of China and Japan. recently chose the English language as the com mon medium of communication when sending telegram. We are told that the language Is as easy for these people to learn as the French, and to them is preferable on account of its international character. This Is said to be the case as well in Asia. Not so however, in those countries of the Italian and Spanish lan- guage. They speak French easily be- cause 1t is so much like their own tongue. French is also. we might say, a court language in Europe; 1t being considered necessity in a good education; and so the insinuation of our language will be retarded still, by this reigning tongue though the nation of which it is the rep- resentation has lost its prestige. We doubt the wisdom of the growing ten dency to further introduce foreign lan- guage study into our schools. It seems that the requirement of foreign territory might be still further opportunity for pushing out our English language, in- stead of driving into our own country A. confusion of tongues. That wonderfully interesting country. India, of which we | now hear so much more than we did be- fore. has been revealed to us by John P Jones' he having lived and worked in Southern India for twenty-five years He has given every part of that old country | critical study-her territory, her men | and women. her religions. her missionary problems. The book, "Indiafs Problems Krishna or Christ" is Illuminating Since much of the literature and something of the religions is finding it's way into our gateway, 1t is we'll to have such inform ation as pr. Joness book furnishes in regard to all these matters
 We have heard that Mrs John Van Worst and Marie Van Worst have made experimental study of the life of factory women, that they might be able to write intelligently of 1t, and the story they tell in The Woman Who Toils," Is gloomy indeed. The study was in detail, for these ladies became factory girls, for they have experienced all that these vic- tins of treadmill labor, of unhealthy at- mosphere. of long drawn out work hours have to endurse. The saddest part of the story is that of the revelation of the | temptation to which the factory girl is exposed.
 Gen. John B. Gordon began his war l "reminiscences in the May Scribner Gen | eral Gordon is very happy in personal narratives, and no man is more fitted to | tell the details of the Souths struggles | which will be truthfully interlined with | these recollections. The first installment is My First Command, and the Outbreak of the War"
 The Mississippi Historical Society is do- ing meritorious work to the State of | Mississippi. The Christian Observer makes this comment upon the historical value of such plan of work as this society is doing.
 Tt is one of the most valuable histories Of any section of our country now being written, and as we have said before, it | would be well if all of our Southern States would follow this leading. We believe | that our accurate history would be better written this way than any other. The articles that fill the volumes are written by men of ability who are espe- cially fitted to write up the given period In the field of archaeology MT H. s. Hal but contributes two very interesting ar ticles in this volume. One of them is The Story of the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit " A treaty negotiated in 1920 between the whites and Indians, whereby ChoctaW sovereignty yielded 10 white supremacy The Dancing Rabbit country was a ia nous hunting ground in the old Indian days.
 This volume contains also a number oi articles on the political and constitution al history of the State, notably on the period of reconstruction. and on the Con stitutional Convention of 1890 The history of reconstruction days is written by Hon Frank Johnston. and fills over a hun dred pages To many this will read like a
 story, but it is history, every word of 1t
 Another article that will attract much interest describes some of the old his toric homes. "Malmaison," the home oi Greenwood Lee Fibre. the last and most powerful chief of the Choctaws. Is rep resented as one of the most beautiful colonial mansions in the whole country The picture of 1t is here. It is one of the few old homes still owned by the original
 family and kept up in the old time style The furnishings are in perfect accord | with the building.
 this most interesting and valuable work There are several splendid articles on
 battles and other matters of the Civil War, besides on religious, social and bio- graphical
 The following is the famous sentence which Emerson delivered in his address to the Divinity School at Harvard in 1888: | Let me admonish you. first of all, to SC alone; to refuse good models even those most sacred to the imagination of men and to dare love God without mediator or 1 veil"
 The pitifulness of mental decay in a great mind Is shown by an incident in | Emersons last days He being asked for his autograph showed such desire to grant the request that his daughter placed before him his own autograph. and like