The Children of Madagascar. By Herbert F. Standing. (Religious Tract
Society.)—This is an interesting book for more than one reason. Mr. Standing is actually the Head-Master of the Boys' High-School belonging to the Friends' Mission at Antananarivo, and consequently knows at first-hand, and from no small experience, the subject on which be writes. And then he takes many of his illustrations from "sketches done by natives. The frontispiece, for instance, a capital drawing of a woman carrying a child, is the work of a Malagasy artist. Mr. Standing deals chiefly with boy and child life in the island ; but he has other things to tell us. On p. 64, for instance, he gives a curious-" dial " of the day, with the hours described by various events and occupations. Between 5 and 6 p.m., comes the equivalent to the Greek Aceasrov, " When the oxen come home." Another parallel to classical traditions is the Fampiaha, or contest of singing and dancing between the champions of rival villages. It is not Corydon and Thyrsis who contend, but Phyllis and Galatea. " The girl who is soonest exhausted, or makes the least favourable impression, returns home disconsolate." It is satisfactory to bear that not only the dominant Hove race but the inferior tribes are the object of hopeful missionary educational labours-
Previous page
