The native Virginian. [volume] (Orange Court House, Va.) 1867-187?, 1868-12-18
NEW BOOKS, MAGAzINEs. ETC.


mond, send us the following books re-
Gently published by HARPER & Bios,
New York.
Sermons, by the Rev. HENRY WARD
BEEcHER, 2 vols. octave. PASCAL says
somewhere that religions are defined by
geographical boundaries; mountain
chain marking with accuracy the limits
of theological opinions. 1t is certain
that what is called religion in Brook
lyn does not go by that name in this
military district. The truth which
BEEoHER inculcates and the mode of
worship which obtains in Plymouth
church would not be tolerated here,
where religious awe, which ought per-
haps to De called ignorance, has pre-
vented us from becoming intimately
familiar with the Celestial Politician,
sometimes called God. We, indeed,
hold the Rev. BEEcHER to be the servi-
tor of the devil; and, while we cannot
deny him the fertility of genius, we are
compelled to ascribc that genius to the
inspiration of Lucifer, the bright and
morning star. So long as we remain
unreconstructed in the wilds of ortho-
doX fetichism, we shall be unable to APP
preclate the productions of Rev. BEECH
Err. AS contribution to Northern
mythology and as a portion of the New
England Edda, they are valuable Curl
osities. The well-executed likeness of
Rev. BfEcHER, which makes the trontis-
piece of Vol. l, is also something to look
upon.
Physiology and Hygiene, by J. G. Dali
TON, NJ. D. With illustrations.
In the space of 800 clearly printed
pages, Prof. DALTON has compressed a
great amount of useful knowledge, ar
ranged it most LUMINOSITY, and, adapt
ing his language to the comprehension
ofthe schoolboy and the general reader,
has made his meaning everywhere in
telligible, without verbiage and with
out technicalities. The plates are very
good and sufficiently numerous. The
hygeinic lessons, inserted in the right
places, are enforced naturally and i'm
pressively. After examination, we can
safely commend the book to teachers,
to parents and to the general reader.
Sacred Hymns for Schools. The. object
of the compiler. as he tells us, has been
to prepare convenient, com pact and
select manual of hymns tor use in the
school room aud the family circle, He
has aimed to have nothing superfiuous,
only the choicest standard hymns. moth
ing sectarian, hymns of true devotion,
and variety of metres; and he seems
to have succeeded in his aim.
The RightfM Heir.-A Drama in Five
Acts. By the author of "Richelieu,"
'the Lady of Lyons,' &C., sc. We
love to see good plays well played, but
have never been able to read them
This one is dedicated "with affection
and respect to all Friends and Kins-
folk in the American Commonwealth.
1t ought to be good, therefore.
The Woman'S Kingdom, A Love Story.
By the author of ~ Ohm HALIFAX, Gen.
| tleman." We have the authority of
The Round Table (Which is thought by
many to be the literary authority par
excellence of the United States) for say
ing that this is the very best of all Mrs.
Craik's books. Ifit be that, or near it,
no higher praise can be awarded, nor
any stronger incentive to its purchase
be given. All who can buy 1t will has
ten to do 50.
The Gordian Knot SHIRLEY Brooks,
Our novel reader pronounced ''Sooner
or Later a iirst-class novel, barring
certain sentiments; and the only OBJ
lection to "The Gordian Knot is the
fact that its plot resembles too closely
the plot of 'Sooner or Later"
In the December number of The &c
lectic Magazine we find no less than four
extremely entertaining articles on sci
entiflc subjects viz. Prof. Huxley's lee
ture "On a Piece of Chalk !" "News
from Sirius" which details at length
the process by which the recession Of
that star was determined Phenomena
of Earthquakes" and the "Failure of
Natural Selection in the case of Man,"
which closes with some startling reilec-
tions, not without their bearing on the
Southern people at this time. The
paper on Lord Brougham contains
finely drawn contrast between Can
ming and Brougham, taken from book
now out of print. In addition there are
articles son Old Girls, Lady Novelis.s,
&C., &c., and steel engraving of
Won Boust done in the best style of the
art, Yearly subscription So. E. r. Pei
ton, 10S Fulton ST., New York.
Is it possible to have too much Christ
mas? No, decidedly. Then you viii
be delighted with the January (Holi-
day. number Of Lippincott's Magasine.-
You will find in it 'Christmas Panto-
mines" by Cooper de Leon "The
Blue Cabinet, Christmas Story" The
Old Year's;n and '.Golden Dreams, a
Christmas Story" A new American
novel written expressly tor this Maya
zine, and entitled "Beyond tie Break
ers," is begun in this number. Then
there are "Poems for Golden We'd
ding" s'Justice for Bluebeard,' very
clever; and "The Secret Agent" full of
incident, Above all, you will be pleas
ed lat least we Were) with the Editors