The New York herald., 1870-01-03
LITERATURE.
Revlews Of New Books.


MODERN AMERICAN SPIRITUALIsA Aweny
Years. Record OF The Communion between Eartn
and the World OF Spirits. by Emma Hardinge.
The title OF this BOOK expresses fully tho character
Of the work. 1t Il carefully compiled history Of
OF Splrituallsm In America from the beginning
twenty years ago, to tho present time. Miss Har-
dinge one OF the advanced lights of this new rsli.
glon, II such It may be called. and processes TO DO
ieve ali the astounding statements OF supernatural
wonders recorded In the book. even 10 the foasina
about Of Dodes and ponderous substances IN the air.
She gives due credit TO the authors OF modern Spirit
uasm, the Fox sisters and seems to anticipate the
time when these juvenile priestesses Will become "a
sacred aud famous a. Diana, Venus or any other OF
the delned females OF ancient history. Az times
modern spiritnaIism had indications Of develop
ment before and independent OF the Fox sisters. but
she cannot escape the fact that It had ITS rise IN tne
Rochester kn0cklngs, and she comes back again TO
It's source. That was the starting point, though
Miss Hardlnge aud some others among the spiritual
the original .rappers,n snd claim to have reached
higher development. u cannot be denied that
spssa;ais has spread Mlaey rom suSa small snat
there are 600 900 Sprituasts IN the United States
seems Incredible TO say the least SDlrituallsm
presents curious phase OF our American civlllza-
ton. 1t SHOWS Al the same time the intense activity
and speculative quality OF the American mind and
great deal Of acuteness ana practical common sense
IN tho everyday sars OF life II Is evident That our
people have remarkable tendency to superstition
isms ana vagariea which have sprung from the
fruitful soil Of America this perhaps il the most In
sinnating, dangerous ana denOralizing.
FAIR HARVARD. A Story Of American College Lifo
New York: q. r. Putnam Son.
Notwithstanding o certain extravagance Of style
Fair Harvard" is q story OF more than ordinary
merit. Ii gives vivid sketch OF college life At
Harvard, which reminds us strongly OF English
works descriptive OF life at oxford and Cambridge,
with the difference that everything In this work is
characteris,caly American. With considerable zest
the unknown author narrates the intercourse be-
tween sODh 0nlores and freshmen, seniors ana
juniors He onCers into the humor OF the scenes
aud incidents shat attended the career OF the stu
dent who the hero OF the story. There is hardly
anything more comicai tnan the deplction OF Went
worth SauBDury's mother anxlOuSy hoping ner son
Is not studying mathematics TOO h rd and wonder
ing II mis- room IL damp, at the same moment that
the youth IL engaged IN smoking pipes and convers-
ing about everything else but mathematics or otner
branches or study. or course IN the thread OF \
plot running through the story there IS vast
amount OF love making, which ends IN wentworth
the WORK, however, ID in its description OF college
life, and In this respect It Is deserving OF the high
est praise Tor the entertainment 1t affords.
TBE BYRNgs OF GLENGoNLAH. True Tale. BY
Alice Nolan. New York: p. O'Shea.
We have here one Of those Irish novels with which
most OF our readers are familiar II tells the story
Of Irish wrongs and sufYerinQs under graspin0 and
tyrannical landords-and tells IL very well. All the
characters, we are assured by the fair authoress,
not creations OF her own, but real persons no
exist or aid exist IN the esh. This assurance lends
70 the work an additional interest. Very naturally
the Catholic clergy are greatly praised all the OPP
honorable and virtnous. and all the minions OF
Great Britain are no better tnan they should be.