The New York herald., 1868-04-05
BOOK NOTICES.

THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES DEFINED
AND CAREFULLY ANN9TATED. by George @ w s Pas,
States. Washington, ID. O.: w. Il. d D. II. M0rrl-
son. 1858. IL mo, PIP. 407.
At the present time, when the rights of the people
and the powera of the government under the cOnsti
tuition are the subject OF earnest discussion every
where-at every nreside and in every public place
1t is scarcely possible to Overstate the value and
usefulness Of this little manual 1t should be In the
hands Of all who desire rightly to know what the
constitution and understand from its source the
true character Of our political system. Within the
compact pages Of this little volume may be found
the substance Of what has been said by all the great
authorities on the constitution in definition or Illus
tration OF all its doctrines and Of every phrases and
the wnOie 80 well digested and accurately arranged
that he who knows only single important word of
the phrase as to which he is in doubt may find the
volume is taken up with the index, while in nanother
sense the whole volume is an index, giving such as
wish TO pursue the subjects touched more a large
thOrty. The book is q valuable contribution to our
constitutional law literature-a literature towards
which the national mind seems to tend, and In which
It s more inclined to be active than in those lighter
labors Of the intellect In which others boast their
superiority over US.
textbook for educational institutions. BY Thos.
II. Huxley LII. D., f. X. s., and VIM. J. YOumans,
M. d. Illustrated. New York: d. Appleton Il Co.
1t is good sign for education as it should be-
when 80 good book on physiology and hygiene as
this is made for use in schools. Every fact Of ply
siOogy that 1t Is desirable should be generally known
is given In the first part Of this volume in form and
style ut once adapted to attract, interest and i'm
press. The chapters hygiene are admirably fitted
to duse proper ideas on their very important SUBJ
jects. Persons who got out or school before DOCKS
like this came into use will find this volume most
profitable study with regard to general culture.
SOONER OR LATER. BY SHIRLEY BROOKS. New York:
Harper Brothers.
This book must be regarded as an average novel
OF the modern type. AS heartless view of very
heartess world it may escape unfavorable criticism,
but as story wherein there is much of either morals
or merit 1t Is not very cOmmendable The plot such
as it is its thread very skifully through the
pages, showing hand accustomed to handling the
reins of fiction. There is little purpose in the book
except the passing amusement of perusing few
good scenes descriptive Of certain phases of human
nature not always agreeable because they represent
the worse. part of it, but withal forcibly drawn.
Although essentially story OF London club life
there is too much club slang introduced, and
altogether a supernuity Of club scenes and con-
versations. very attractive perhaps to the ind-
viduals representation there is an indi-
viduality about many of the characters not to be
mistaken-but to the general reader this blemish In
the book is insufierabe. The Dorcas Society,"" too
is fairly done to death, and without single feature
OF novelty introduced, {" "DOrcas" and Its scandal
mOngering are so hackneyed tnat an author who
touches that subj ct should possess a marvellous
power Of invention to freshen II up, and this the
writer has not exercised to an extent which could
reclaim half dozen chapters from absolute stupidity
and vapidness Upon the WHOLE there Is little to be
learned from this book even concerning that class OF
society within whose circumscribed limits the plan
OF the story confined. The morality OF Its incidents
unfortunately represents more fact than fiction; but
for this OF course, the author Is not responsible The
faithful deneatOr must paint nature as he finds It,
and that there great many spots on the sun OF
London society 1t requires no novelist to tell us.