The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 67, July 1963 - April, 1964 Page: 132

Southwestern Historical Quarterly

have been more losses than gains. Her final words are: "There
are many ways to help the Indians to a better and more fruitful
life. Education is the real need, the talisman that will open the
door to opportunity, the manito, the medicine for the future."
The book is well written and meets a need of long standing
for a history of the Kiowas that combines with the record of their
past an explanation of their way of life.
RUPERT N. RICHARDSON
Hardin-Simmons University
Travel and Adventures in Texas in the 182o's: Being the Rem-
iniscences of Mary Crownover Rabb. Waco (W. M. Morri-
son), 1962. Pp. 32. $5.00.
Few writers achieve the signal distinction of having their efforts
survive as meaningful contributions to history. Neophyte his-
torians, horrified at seeing meticulously researched and painstak-
ingly written compositions consigned to oblivion, have been
startled to discover that the surest method of attaining literary
immortality is to perform the simple task of writing a diary or
book of reminiscences.
The reason for this seemingly remarkable state of affairs be-
comes apparent upon realization that such works often represent
the sole primary source material for important periods of history.
Diarists and authors of reminiscences rarely concern them-
selves with worshipful adherence to contemporary literary styles
which jade rather than provoke reader interest. The result of these
"amateur" endeavors is invariably a truthful narrative, unham-
pered by affectation or artificiality.
Such is the account by Mary Crownover Rabb. A distinct serv-
ice has been rendered by W. M. Morrison in making Mary
Rabb's reminiscences available. Written after an interlude of half
a century, the memoirs nevertheless provide a colorful, albeit
abbreviated, saga of a pioneer wife and mother, enduring in-
credible hardships with cheerful patience and remarkable forti-
tude. The Rabb family contributed much to the development
of 'Texas, several members being numbered among "The Old
Three Hundred" of Austin's Colony.
The reminiscences themselves occupy only fifteen pages in the
Morrison edition. Apparently no attempt was made to follow the

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