The Portland daily press., 1870-11-21
Recent Publications.

MANUAL OF bible SELECTIONS AND hESPONS-
I'VE EXERCISES By Mrs. S. B. Perry. Bos-
ton: Lee & Shepard. .1871.
A work of this sort would seem to at once
dispose of all those to us cogent arguments
against the indiscriminate use of the Bible in
schools. In these days, when irreverence is a
habit SO easily learned, it has seemed to us
worth while to protect even the book itself, as
well as its contents, from the wear and tear of
reckless children, and to surround it with a
little of that awe which accompanies remote
ness from vulgar association. This precaution
carried too far would of course throw one up
on the other horn of the dilemma, for no one
feels willing to entirely remove the Scriptures
from the hands of the young. Therefore ju-
d'cous selection and arrangement of portions
OF the Old and New Testaments seem to us
admirably adapted to bring about familiarity
with the language and teachings of the Bible
without degrading it into a place among dog s.
cared school-books. 1t may, also, through the
beauty and grandeur of the selections, awaken
among the more thoughtful children desire
for deeper acquaintance with the source from
which these passages are taken; and no one
can fail to perceive the value to a growing
mind, of being attracted to its own instincts
to the Bible, instead of being driven there, or
even led to it blindfold. A vivid recollection
of the puzzled condition of our own mind in
childhood ON the arbitrary divisions of chap
tiers and paragraphs, and the antique phrase
ology, since SO full of charm to the mature
mind, leads US to attach Importance to every
thing which would help to prevent that too
~ al
Scriptures, to those who learn many of its
pages by rote before the mind is alb g to grasp
the meaning of the words.
These selections are made with a skill which
bespeaks an acquaintance with the needs oil
children, and put in a form which makes of il
an excellent religious manual for daily use.
We heartily concur with the already numer-
Gus and valuable testimonials in its favor. The
extracts from the Old Testament set forth the
magnificent poetry of the Psalms, and those
from the New supply an abstract of the Cos.
pei narrative and teachings. The responsive
exercises allow an opportunity for sympathy
of reverence between teacher and pupils which
those teachers who have tact with and influ.
ence over their pupils cannot fail to make o.
service We predict for this manual q growing
interest and circulation, as knowledge of the
want it supplies and the dangers it helps te
avoid are more and more widely known. a
MIN.
With the present number is commenced the
Forty-second Volume of Harper's Magazine
An analytical Index to the first Forty Vol
umes has been published.
This Number opens with carefully prepar.
ed and profusely illustrated article upon "The
Brooklyn Navy-yard," in connection with the
removal of which from its present site, some
important measures, likely to come before the
next Congress, are considered.
"Pio Mono and His Councillors" is a superb.
ly illustrated paper giving very complete his.
tory of the late Gcumencal Council. Not less
richly illustrated nor inferior in interest are
the papers on Breton Peasant Life, and Bonn.
bay and the Parsees. Part XIII. of 'Freder-
lex the Great gives the commencement OIL
the Seven Years. War. Among its ilustra'
tons are portrait Of Sophia Dorothea, Fred
erick's Mother, and numerous maps and battle
plans. Jacob Abbott contributes an illustra.
ted scientific paper, explaining the process by
which the velocity of lights accurately esti
mated.
MD. Conway's Series of Articles on 'The
Sacred Flora" is concluded by an interesting
paper which treats of the legends of flowers.
"The Rock of the Legion of Honor" beau
tiful story by Bethold Auerbach, Author o.
"on the Heights" is concluded in this Mum.
Der. COLLECTED by Valetudinarian," by
Mrs. r. Fl. Stoddard, "What did Miss Oar
rington See?" by Emma B. Cobb, and
"Orange Blossoms and Night-shade," by Jus
tin Mccarthy, complete the list of short sto-