Miscellaneous Writings

I'·' , I 310 THE UNIVERSlTY OF TORONTO QUARTERLY by. 1899 the sacrament had become· a weekly feature in the life of the pai'ish. There also appeared one volume of ..sermons and one of religious ~ssays.. Tize Law and the Prophets by the Reverend E. I.VL Howse is a group _of seven sermons on the Old Testament. preached to a United church in \i\'innipeg. They are well-informed lectures on .Hebrew history and prophecy, but they lack the challenge and inspiration of goqd, preachin.g; For Such a Time- as This by the Right Reverend R. J. Renison, Bishp of Moosenee, contains eighty-nine religious essays or short senhons, all of them first published in the Toronto Globe and Mail. They are very readable, and· reflect the keen mind, the rich ·experience, and the deep Christian convictions of their well-known author. J 4. MISCELLANEOUS WRITINGS J. C. GARRETT This section will begin with folk-lore and local history in which fields only two books of the first rank h~ve appeared. One of these, Arnold Hoffman's book on Canadian mining, will be discussed presently; the .other is Marius Barbeau's Ala.ska Beckons. In this book, M._ Barbeau, who .is f~lk-loris.t and anthropologist for the Dominion Government, has presented s~me of. the results of his extensive research into the history .of -the Tlingits, Haidas~ and Tsimsyans. Brilliantly interpreting legendary materials, songs, traditions, and art forms, the author builds up the history of the waves .of Mon·golian infiltration into Alaska and the 'subsequent migrations of tribes along the west coast. Although' the book. is primarily intended for ethn-ologist~, it has great interest for the.general reader because of its charmingly told legends and its analysis of persisting Asiatic influences. The most interesting ~ection of the book is that' which traces hauntingly beautiful Indian songs back· to Buddhist dirges and ancient Chinese mortuary customs. It is a work .of imagination and learning,, and is attractively illustrated by Arthur Price with cuts in a style imitative of totem-pole motifs. The White Roots of Peace by Paul A. \i\!. vVallace deals also with Indian lore; it.. is a reassembling of the legend of Deganawidah, the great Iroquois leader of the fifteenth century whose inspiration was ultimately responsible for the confederation of the Five (later Six) N.ations. In this organization, which kept peace in the area stretchingfrom New England to the Illinois region and from the Ottawa River to Chesapeake Bay, the author earnestly finds a foreshadowing of ideals which might be embodied in the United Nations. , · The contemporary scene is the subject of a very competent'little survey The Land and People of Canada by Frances Aileen Ross, written for the "Portraits o( the Nations" series. In· an admirably clear. condensation she analyses the differing cultural traditions of our population arid. 'discusses the problem of fusing these elements into a cohesive unity. This problem is presented against the ~ackground of our geography and histo.ry,· of which she makes a swifr and informative summary. - / I. LETTERS IN ·CANADA! 1947 3ll A more speciaJized and restricted study is James A. Roy's The Scot ,and Canada. Its :first section is a sober analysis of the Scottish mentality and outlook; Professor Roy scoffs conte~ptuously at' the Lauder con.:.. ception of the "red,..nosed kilted Scot with :fiery whiskers and a whiskey: bottle sticking out of his pocket." He is equally impatient with romantic meanings over the old Celt. . The 1 Scot must be seen, h.e says, in the light pf religious history, economic hardship, and national subordination, it his energetic, stubborn independence of spirit and his cultural limitations are to: be appreciated. Transplanted to Canada the Scot of the ·:first generation yearned for the old land, ·but as an exile became .a vigorous 'contributor to our national life (often as not in politics battling a fellow Scot over a Canadian issue, e.g., William Lyon Mackenzie and John· Strachan). A fascinating · gallery of soldiers, churchmen, politicians, explorers, adventurers,· and business men is brought before our eyes-an impressive exhibition of the Scottish influence. But as. Professor Roy' had lamented in his...