Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-12-04


W. Eliot. in a PREDATORY note, states that
at the time of the authors death, in 1905
he spoke f1uently every language OF Eu-
rope and several OF the languages of Asia
1t was his knowledge of the Buriat tongue
gained from a Buriat who knew Russian
which enabled him to gather from the
people material for the folk tales which
are predom.nating feature of this his
last work. An outline history of the Mon
golS, with a map of Siberia, makes an en-
tightening prelude to his visit to the Blu
riats--a visit which he plainly delighted In
despite it's hardships and exposure. Con.
sidering Irkutsk as the starting point OF
his Investigations so far as the Burial
part of it was concerned. the writer
pauses to explain that the river on which
the city is situated never freezes TIL
Christmas and freezes then in one night
to the bottom. The great blue current Of
Christmas eve has halted and on Christ
mas morning stands motionleSS. Travel
ing by carriage reminds him that in the
myths of the Mongols the horse in addi-
ton to his service "often gives wise di-
rections and saving counsels and that
without camels the religion of Mona I'M
med would not have been founded. or if
founded could not have been extended
His search for old men who knew Mon
gol folklore and his ever increasing
knowledge of the customs of the Buriats
their birth, wedding and funeral cere-
monies; their gods and priests and sacred
groves, and the incidental descriptions OF
each days happenings in the queer. way
off country in which he was travelling
make a wonderfully interesting and va +
liable contribution to literature which, II
is to be regretted, Mr. Curtin did not
live to see in book form. There are
forty-six photographs OF scenes ana IN
cidents on the way, including a frontlS-
piece: jeremiah Curtin going up the steps
of Mars Hill to the place where st. Pau
addressed the Athenians
ARMY LETTERS FROM AN OFFICERS
WIFE. 1S7l-1SSS. BY Frances NJ. A.
Roe. Illustrated by Il. w Taber
from Contemporary Photographs.
New York: D. Appleton & Co.
These letters describe with attractive
directness almost every phase OF military
frontier life as it existed during the pc
riod named In her preface Mrs. Roe
saws: They are truthful accounts of eX-
periences that came into my own life with
the army in the far west. whether they
be about Indians, desperadoes or hunt
ing. They are of a life that has passed
as has passed the buffalo. Yes, and the
log and adobe quarters of the army III
the first letter. dated from Kit carson
the young wife, new to hardsnips. Ia
ments that but one of her trunks can be
taken on the stage to her husbands new
post Imagine my modification In nay
ing to go to Faye's regiment with ON!
two dresses-and Faye will be simply nne
all the time in his brand new UNIFORM
The last budget, from Salt Lake city.
finds the writer regretting that she must
give up the splendid freedom OF the open
for the gayeties that an official season III
Washington entails. Nearly every lllus-
tration represents some exciting event
generally q dangerous one. that ADDS zes'
to the writer's description. a fronts
piece portrait of Mrs. Roe in captivating
uniform habit shows her dog friend. Hal
LITTLE SISTER SNOW. BY Frances
Little author of The Lady of the
Decoration" With Illustrations by
Genjiro Kataoka. New York: The
Century Company.
Yuki Chan. a japanese maiden, very
Young very winsome and very quaint!
talkative in the English she has learned
at a mission school, is the heroine OF
this dainty bit Of story. All her SNORT
life '.she had lived in house OF love
but no veil of affection. no sacrlhce couiu
shield her from the knowledge that she
was moor" Therefore, when Saito San a
wealthy officer in the emperors household
offers marriage. she dutifully puts
thank offering before the household goo
in gratitude for the husband who IS tc
aid her honorable parents. But Saltc
San is only a faraway, shadoWy being,
whom she is to obey the rest of her lie
Always she remembers that funny III
bow what gave spank to my hands long
time ago''-and when the boy. comes bach
into her life sent to Japan by the Amer
lean government, the outcome is ro-
nance, touching in its pathos. sweet in
its crystal-cIear purity and interesting IN
its every stage The japanese artist who
Illustrates the story is represented by
twelve pictures in full color.
THE DEMAGOG. BY William Richard
Hereford. New York; Henry Hot d
Co.
Instinctively the reader of this intensely
interesting novel of New York polltlca
and newspaper life thinks of certain IN
dividual who in many respects nils the
general outlines of David Holman, multi
of papers and aspirant for presidential