New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-10-08

t,ors, svo, PIP Xxx, 429 Philadelphia:
J. B. Lippincott Company.
DR.. Cell, who has already made two
remarkable journeys into China, and
told Of them in books. describes in the
present volume his visits to the eigh-
teen capitals Of the empire, and his OBJ
servations Of the working Of the leaven
Of Western civilization In them all. This,
however, is only part Of the scope or
his work, for with the aid Of viceroys'
governors. scholars librarians, booksell-
ers. he has gathered a large collection
OF local Chinese classics. folklore and
proverbs. which, he holds are in danger
Of falling into disrepute and being for
gotten and lost as the old steadily gives
way to the new era IN China. When
ne says in his introduction.
Constantinople's scholars fed west and
took with them their Greek learning AFTER
few years the tlme-lOnored Lauh isNl-
books were thrown out rs waste Ial,i.
That hour is now striking III NINA. u.
classics on which the intellect OF the uaIoI
has been trained for two thousand years:
together with the ephemcral novels ana
magical dream-bOOks read by the mass. So
are alike doomed. Western ie1rnuI Toy inc
one, and Western rubbish Tor the o-lel,
are alike displaCing the oder uoohs. III, /"
few years these VIII Doe hardly o'i-iHal','
for official destruction has begun.
TRANSACTIONS are freely given, both
from this old Chinese literature and from
the new. There is. for instance. on the
one hand a synopsis Of an old. old tale
Of a shopkeeper's wife and Buddhist
monk that might be ascribed To Boo
caccio. and. on the other hand, an outline
Of a recent Chinese novel with a pur-
pose" the purpose being the exposure
OF the evils of opium. This story, called
"Tho Heart Breaking Weed is ono Of
a series OF books for the awakening OF
the age" and fits dCq cN machina is I"
Chinese girl who has studied medicine
i'm London. The agc-old traditions OF
feminine virtues. immortalized in end
less legends. are rapidly disappearing,
avs DR.. Cell, quoting I'm substantlauon
If his statement note in recent ne"
edition Of o classic: I'VE have taken the
CHAPTERS on viruous widows and maj
daughters and have Incorporated them
I'm the chapter on brave women And he
adds that "omens have disappeared from
this edition, and perhaps there will soon
be a revision rs TO suicide'-as a meri-
toricus act Of dlial and wifely piety.
At the head Of alternative pages the
author quotes a series Of Chinese pro-
verbs. such as IAN avancious heart is
like & snake trying TO swallow an ele-
phant." "A tiger telling beads" and "A
pirate saying prayers for the dead
TOO many cooks spoil the dog" and The
eyebrows Of youth cannot compare with
4 the beard Of age" And the hero Of one
classic Chinese tale is called Primo
geniture." which reminds US Of our own
sunny South.
When he is not preserving these local
classics, a folklorist IN an almost un-
worked field. DR.. Cell is observing the
spread OF education the mingling OF
new with old I'm the life Of the people.
He talks Of Chinese medicine and med
fcaments and Of the appalling cases Of
disease and maltrcatment that come un-
der the care Of the medical missionaries.
Az 10 the results Of the new education:
Graduating theses at one commencement
were on The Primary Cause Of China :
| Decline" "China's Greatest Need SELF
Respect. National and Individual The