BOOK SHELF 87 



her acquaintance with the various tribes of Indians have given her, with 

 her love of nature and her keen sympathetic insight, a great store of riches 

 which she has used lavishly in The Trail Book. 



Maeterlinck's Dogs by Georgette Leblanc-Maeterlinck, 175 pg., illustrated, 

 Dodd, Mead Co. 



Whoever loves dogs should have this volume in his library. Madame 

 Maeterlinck knew how to describe a dog's personality in a most interesting 

 manner, and her interpretation of dogs' thoughts, affections, and emotions 

 are as charming as they are original. The volume includes stories of Louis 

 the Debonnaire, Raymond the Clown, Achille the Misunderstood, Gaston 

 the Highwayman and Delphine, Golaud the Superdog, and Jules the Sponger • 

 Each of these is a study in dog psychology and history. Here is a description 

 of the relation of Golaud to his master: "Here, on the morrow of his arrival, 

 the new dog, christened Golaud, was to undergo the great and supreme ordeal, 

 which consists in behaving well while the master is at work. 



Dp not imagine that this is an easy thing for a dog to do! He must not 

 snore too loudly, nor scratch himself too vigorously, nor move about too 

 much. Golaud passed the ordeal magnificently, but in a manner peculiar 

 to himself. Absorbed in solemn contemplation, he seemed utterly oblivious 

 to sleep, fleas, or the chances of amusement. Seated beside his master, he 

 gazed at him as he wrote, seeking in vain for the explanation of an action 

 which he had never before observed and of which he failed to see the attraction, 

 which he had never before observed and of which he failed to see the attrac- 

 tion." 



Here is an interpretation of Golaud's opinion of himself: 



"Maeterlinck is my god; and his shadow is my coimtry. I have no 

 family, no religion, no principles. My conscience is enough for me. I have 

 seen everything and understood everything. I have not wasted my time, 

 as human beings do, in seeking the meaning of life. I discovered it at my 

 birth: it is obedience. I despise money, which human beings run after, and 

 glory, which turns their brains. I have judged society and its values, its 

 ladder which you must descend so that you may seem to climb and all its 

 ridiculous train of vanities. I possess aU the virtues. I am generous and 

 brave; small animals I protect; all those which dare to be bigger than myself 

 I attack. I love all human beings; I have learned that the habit does not 

 make the monk; and I make a profession of silence. I am modest; my 

 master cannot work without me, but I lay no claim to recognition as his 

 collaborator." 



The volume is graphically illustrated by the author who is as clever in 

 depicting dogs with her pencil and brush as with her pen. 



PMU OP W. P. NUUPHRIV, OINIVA, N. V. 



