JjlTEKAIlY NOTES.
Professor Fisko bus undeniably earned
a right to the title of derm of American
historical writers. His large and im
portant contribution to American his
tory is to receive a valuable addition in
a history of "The Mississippi Valley in
the Oivil War. " The volume will be
brought out in the spring by Houghtou ,
Miffliu & Go. With the exception of a
treatment of the civil war , such as was
necessary for his school history of the
United States , the forthcoming volume
marks his first entrance into this import
ant field of historical research and
writing.
"Robert Tourney , " the novel of the
French revolution by William Sage , to
bo published in April by Houghton ,
Mifflin & Co. , is being dramatized for
Daniel Frohman , who will stage the play
with one of his several eminently fitted
stars in the title role. The story is
replete with highly dramatic situations ,
and abounds with a romantic interest
that would quite fit the play to the
abilities of E. H. Sotheru or James K.
Hackett. The book is being dramatized
by the author and his mother , Mrs. Abby
Sago Richardson , the well-known writer
on American history and English liter
ature , and the adapter to the stage of
several well-known books. One of these
was Mark Twain's "Prince and Pauper , "
while her most recent work is a drama
tization of Egerton Castle's romantic
story "The Pride of Jeunico , " in which
J. K. Hackett has just scored another
big success in New York. It is hoped
"Robert Toiirney" will be produced
this spring certainly in the fall.
William Sage , the author of "Robert
Tourney , " is a sou of Mrs. Abby Sage
Richardson , the well-known writer on
American history and English literature.
He was educated in France and Ger
many , and has always been fond of
American and French history. "Robert
Tourney" is a romance founded upon the
stirring scones of the French revolution ,
to most readers the most fascinating
period of French history. By reason of
his education and familiarity with the
scenes he describes , Mr. Sage is pecu
liarly qualified to handle his subject.
The plot is well conceived and artfully
developed. Robert Tourney , the hereof
of the story , is a man of "the people , "
who falls in love with a young lady of
aristocratic birth , the daughter of his
master. He throws his fortunes with
the French revolution and 'becomes an
important figure in the army of the re
public. His career is full of many
thrilling experiences , in which deeds of
daring mingle with romance. His in
fluence with the government enables
him to render important service to the
choice of his affections and he finally
wins her love. Ho is saved from being
a victim to the cunning of the unscrupu
lous Robespierre only by her heroic in
tervention. The story is most charming-
ly told and carries the interest of the
reader throughout. It has just been
published .by Hpughton , Mifflin & Co. ,
and has befeji kindly , and favorably re
ceived by tnfefcdtics. %
/s \
A reviewer ofj o Haveand , to Hold , "
Mary Johnston's latest noyel , thinks "the
characters are a little too lainiliar with
Shakespeare's plays , which v had then
been in . ' '
published only separate quartos.
The characters which in " .To Hrfv e and
to Hold1' speak of the playBVas though
they were well acquainted wjtft'theni
were some of them men of the/court
circle ; others men about town ; and all
of them were men of the class to whom
the theatre was almost the only intellec
tual amusement of the time. It is prob
able that none or few of them had ever
read a play of Shakespeare's , and it is
equally probable that each one of them
had many times heard the plays referred
to , and seen the principal characters of
the dramas in question taken by many
different impersonators.
H AllGU'
, . " '
GOVERNOR AmEN. ;
the newl-y ap
pointed governor of Porto Rico , is hav
ing some difficulty in establishing his
constitutional relation to the Porto
Ricans. Upon assuming the duties of
his office he took oath to support the
constitution of the United States. If ,
as the administration has assumed , the
constitution does not apply to Porto
Rico , why require this oath ? How can
he support the constitution when he has
been instructed that he is not bound by
the constitution ? In his inaugural ad
dress the new governor referred to the
people as "fellow-citizens of Porto
Rico , " thereby harmonizing himself to
the administration policy.
THE HOPE OF THE SOUTH.
No feature of the southern situation
is more hopeful than the growing in
terest in the cause of education for both
races. The customs and traditions of
that sectionregarding instruction under
state authority before the civil warwere
very different from those of the North ,
while the institution of a system of pub
lic education after the war was rendered
the more difficult by the necessity of
separate schools for white and black
children in communities where there
were not more pupils of both races than
would make one school at the North.
There was questioning about public
schools for their own children among an
element of the whites , and grave doubt
as to the practicability of an efficient
system for the blacks. But such a con
ference as has been held at Hampton ,
Va. , this week to consider the deficien
cies of present methods and to seek a
solution of pressing problems shows that
intelligent sentiment is becoming pro
nounced not only in support of the
policy of public education , but also in
insistence upon its needed improvement.
New York Evening Post.
A Railroad
to the
Grand Canon \
of Arizona
Has superseded the stage route.
This marvelous scene is now quickly
reached at a small cost without fatigue.
Trains for the Grand Canon connect
with the California trains of the
{ Santa Fe Route
at Williams.
For particulars address
General Passenger Office ,
The Atchison , Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Co. , I
( CHICAGO. S