Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-02-10

Herbert "A. Giles. Nj. A. ILL., L., Pr
fessor of Chinese in the University
Of Cambridge, and sometime Ii. Il.
NJ. consul at Ningpo. The Home I'M i
versity Library of Modern KNOW
edge New York: Henry Holt & co.
~~R 18TH China to the front in
revolution, everybody's face
M Is turned China way. Maps
w are spread. books taken
down and the press scanned
for information and news. In this pur-
suit. however unless one first spreads
clear background for the placing OF TINS
information. these facts, they standing
detached, appear vague or inexpltcaoie
and soon dissipate into the surrounding
average ignorance of the subject. More
over, without this background of history,
one misses the supreme human lesson
set by the gigantic panorama of a race
in its slow progress upward. This COM
pact little volume spreads such setting
for modern revolutionary China, a clean
cut, definitely articulated background,
blocked in with broad inclusive lines of
historic meaning. Upon this one is able
with some degree of understanding to
place China in it's present manifestation.
Beginning with the earliest times of rec
Oiu. d dSe, tltS pdSStS lOI
ward in the large essential movements of
religion, custom, government and learn
ing up TO the thirteenth century-the
period of the Mongols under the mighty
Kublai khan-and on through the Ming
dynasty "of glorious memory" up to the
present. by way of the now topping
Manchu reign the great Ching dynasty.
The sketch, ending with a view of the
Chinese in relation to the foreigner,
trails off into an outlook of China's fu-
ture. This is an amazing little volume.
In so small q compass one expects little
more than q chronology. But here, out
OF a familiar mastery of the theme, Is
many-sided selection that presents not
only historic China, but wildly per-
sonal China. as we'll, full of surprising
revelations concerning this foreign peo-
pie What others have seen and pre-
scented in parts-often vivid and illumi-
mating, but parts notwithstanding
author portrays as a broadly organized
totality, energized and vital
THE POEMS OF HENRY VAN DYKE;
Now first collected and revised with
many hitherto unpublished. New
York: Charles Scribner'S Sons.
Washington: Brentano'S
Henry Van Dykes poems. complete to
the present, grouped in families of verse,
and housed in quiet charm of sapphire
aud gold. AT some rare interval of time
VI HtOpd tIl4S pOeL spins d y, anu O1cS
he wrote an eastern drama of beauty ana
meaning, but for the greater part-the
part for which he is so we'll beioved-he
simply sings. Here are songs-surpassing
of the great out-of-doors. songs to the
hearthstone and the shrine, songs to
country and the brotherhood of poets.
This is a day-by-da book. After awhile
one opens IL at random-as he used TO,
and still does, the Bible-wlth a curious
Inconsistencies that a big and sentient
hand enfolds his own, guiding his finger
straight to word set for I'm alone. AnC
10 doubt that this is true, which Is saying
40 more than that the poets vision Is no
other than our own. His, however, the
gift of winged words. Ours, only that Of
moving n dream to be our vofceless
ono One feels the companionship of these
verses. They are man testify the songs of
oIfc who has passed through things and
come out on the other side into the smil-
iug place of our own desire. That is why
we look to him.
These are the things prize
And hold of dearest worth:
Light of the sapphire skies,
Peace OF the silent hills,
SHELTER Of forests, comfort Of the grass
Masc of birds. murmur Of little rills.
shadows OF cloud that swiftly pass.
The smell Of good brown earth.
And best of all along the way, friendship and
mirth.
These treasures Of the humble heart
In true possession
Among them freely, but must part
From the green fields and from the waters clear,
Inro some darkened room and hide
From all that makes the world so bright and
But throw the windows wide
To welcome in the light;
And while clasp a wei beloved hand
OF the deep sky and the far-smiling land,
Then -eptly fail on sleep
And breathe my body back 10 Natures care,
NV shirt out to Thee, God of the air.
THE WILDERNESS OF THE UPPER
YUKON; A hunters explorations for
wild sheep in sub-Arctic mountains
Py Charles Sheldon, Illustrated.
New York: Charles Scribner's Sons
Washington: Woodward & Lothrop
Nimrod goes a-hunting in the Yukon
wilderness. This ample volume or diarial
form is an account of the adventure, an
exciting and interesting account. A hun
dred pictures, more or less, supplement
the record maps chart the region ex-
plored. and an appendix of scientific cast
completes this contribution TO learning
Here are the titles of some of the pic
lures taken: II quickly selected the one
with the largest horns, and offhand shot
him through the heart She fell. kicked
once or twice and was dead" THE big.
dark one was leading. He fell to my
shot" After five jumps he fell dea-.. -
He was the whitest of all, and | killed
him in his tracks," and so on, and so on.
The writer says: My first sight of the
northern mountain sheep At last we
were in the sheep ranges. / saw a fine
ram running ahead of three smaller ones
directly up the peak. Seating myself, l
aimed quickly and fired. He dropped.
rolled a few yards, and was caught in
the broken rock. Running forward
caught him by the horns and held him
while he was kicking in death struggles,
TO prevent him from fallnp down" Crhen
in an ecstasy My eNultation at this
first success in accomplishing the purpose
OF my trip was complete. For some time
j sat looking at the wonderful landscape
about and below me. On every side
stretched the mountain ranges until the
Vision was lost in sea of tumbled peaks
all dotted and patched with the glistening
snow; below were basins and wild green
valleys clothed with green and blush
tlmber-a vast, silent wilderness reaching
ON the east to the Mackenzie river. on the
west to the Yukon" ~ long dis
lance below me were two large, dark ami
mails. My glasses showed them to be
caribou I began to circle to approach
them with a favorable wind. They kept
quietly feeding. Singing out the darker,
larger-horned animal. l fired. he
was staggering and in a moment dropped,
rolled down the slope and landed in the
bed OF the creek. And again: Il saw q
grizzly bear walking on some snow to-
ward the curving cliff. AS il assembled
this snowbank l noticed a small cub
playing about il. ! followed rapidly. try
ing TO gain. but always stopping when
she stopped. ready to drop low il she
hundred yards, sat down. rested my ell
bows on my knees and fred She iumpo5