The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1870-01-05

such feeling as another man might strive In vain
70 represent In pages. His genius lies In
selling the fundamental idea OF what he
depicts, and bringing II before us clothed in
such pei feet words that all Its accessories
follow and appear as fby a natural process. For
instance, what astonishing image Of sanity
maiden, praying her life away that she may see the
Holy Grail, Is depicted In these few lines:
o Father |" asked the maiden, "might Il come
To me BY prayer and fasting 2" d" Nav" said he,
| know not, for thy heart Is pure a. snow"
And 80 she pray'd and fasted. tlil the sun
shone and the wind blew thro hcr, and thought
Che might have risen and hoat,d wIcn saw her"
Here also Is description of Artanr's last battle
certainly no more desolg,c picture could DO drawn;
And there that day when tue great ligat of heaven
Burned OF his lowest In tho rolling year,
On the waste sand by the waste sea they closed.
Nor ever yet had Arthur fought q fgft
Lake this las, dim weird battle of the West.
n death white mist slept over sand and sea:
down with bis blood till ali his heart was cold
With iormess fear, and cy'n on Arthur fen
Confusion, since he saw not whom h. fought
Tor niend and ioc shadows in the mist
ana friend slew friend, not knowing whom he
And some had visions out Of golden youth,
Aud some behold the faccs OF oil ghosts
Look In upon the battle; and In tie mist
was many noble deed many base,
And chance, and craft and strength in single aghts
And ever and anon with host to host
shocks, ana the spiin,erine spear, the hard mail
or batte-axes on SHATTERED helms, and shrieks
After the Christ OF those who fillinE down
Looked up Tor heaven and only saw the mist
And shouts Of heatbon and tho traitor knights
Oaths, Insult, nth, and mons.rous bias 9hcmics,
s NEAL Iri with snsusl aeoring the lu"gs
hoans OF the dying and voices oil the dead.
Last, as by some one death-bed. after wall
Of suffering silence follows, or thro' death
Or deaih-like sSoon, thus over all that shore,
save Tor some whisper Of the secthing seas,
a when fOlOfCus
Grew drearier toward twill ght falling came
a bliter WIND. clear lrom tic NORTH, md blew
The mist aside, and with that wind tue tide
1ioee, and the pale kim Glanced across the aeld
% battle; but no man was moving there,
Nor any cry OF Christian heard thereon,
NOT yet OF heather; only the waste wave
Drake In among de I'd faces, 10 and fro
sway ing the help ess hands. aud up and down
1umbling the hollow helmets OF ie iaileu,
And sbiyered brands that once had fought with
Rome,
And rolling far alon the gloomy shores
The voice OF days Of old and days 10 bc"
A great contrast to the refined beauty OF the Idyls
may befognd in a little piece among the fugitive po-
ems at the back OF the book. 1.-THE Northern Far.
mer " Is a marvellous sketch OF character Tie Car
mer advises bis about marrying fur uvv or
:" fur MUMMY and the mingled shrewiness and
coarscness OF his speech are wonderful. wa -.4i
give as final quotation his views on poverty:
Proput,y, proputt'a iVry'h'ns Gre an, sammy
II 1t isn the SALINE oop Soadcr, fur them as as it
the best.
"Tis'n them as as mummy breaks into 'ouses and
steals.
Them as to their backs and takes their reg.
uiar meals,
Noa, but It's them niver knaws wheer meal 5 to
be 'ad
Take my word for 1t, Sammy, the poor in a loomp
Is bad"
One Of the most charming illustrated books
which has yet appeared Is a COPY OF Shakespeare
Midsummer Ni0hrs Dream. Roberts Brothers
The designs, by p. KASEwKA are In silhouette and
the effect OF this unusual mode OF illustration is at
the same time curious and pretty 1t SC ,ms pecu-
liary adapted to shakespcare's fairy plays and the
pictures In which the little spri,es figure are full Of
rare delicacy and el6sh grace.
TIE Chensioal Forces, Elecfricity
is text book designed as an introduction to chemi.
cal physics, by THOMAS Ru0oLEs PYscHos
| (Case & Coz IL contains q thorough survey Of
| the whole subject, and an exposition Of the most
advanced scientific tenets relating to the chemical
forces. The volume is abuhdantly illustrated
tbrougnoutand minute directions given for exper-
iments In connection with each branch OF the study
Among the best Of childrcn's books are those
! OF Mr.. PAUL DU CHknLU. Full Of adventures and
queer stories, they always fresh and entertain.
ing. Indeed, Mr.. Du Chaiilu writes with child Ike
simplicity which makes his narrative douby attrac
tive Lost In tie Jungle QIarpers) Is drawn from
the authors African journals, and contains number.
less hunting stories and accounts Of the strange
pie, customs scenes, and creatures OF that untray-
| elled land.
Nan and Woman, Equal but Unkle Nichols
| Noyes), is n little volume Of IS pages by
| the Rev. JAMES REID, pastor OF the swedenborgian
Church Society In Boston. II Is a straightforward,
plain statement, In simple, unpretcnding language,
OF the teachings OF swedenborg on the subject OF
| nd tha roia Of IN.
mental idea ncucated is that sex is u distinction of
the soul as well as Of the body, and that men and
women are spiritually well as physically the com
| plement OF each other, an only when united in
married pairs, constitute perfect human beings In
| explaining the distinctive differences between the
sexes tic ground Is taken that are fitted for the
discharge OF those duties In which the understand.
ing. reflection, and wisdom take the lead and wo.
men for those which specially involve al, ctiop and
love. This would SEEM though the writer does not
say so, to oppose the idea that women can success
fully engage In politics.
A volume Of considerable value, by JoHN Hun.
rHRKr NorEs, narrates the History Of American
S0etaltsns. Qippineott) Mr.. Noyes Is the founder
OF the celebrated Oneida Community, and critcises
from his own point Of view the various attempt. AT
socialist organization made in this country by thc
disciples of Owen, Fourier and other theorists but
| ne bNSS ''N'9 WIN SA' pi'SaS"p'S accuracy, nnO
treats persons with candor aud fairness. lie de-
scribes the rise and fall Of fifty different com
munities, and details the meetings OF conventions
the discussions OF the press, and the aDifcstaon-
OF public sentiment toward the various movement
for social reform, with judcious appreciation Of
their relative importance. With regagd to the
Brook Farm Community, Mr.. Noyes has b en- led
into the same error with Mr.. Hepworth Dixon, IN
representing that association as having had ten
dency TO Swedcnbo,gi ansm. IL is true that some
Of its writers occasionally expressed a feeling o.
admiration for syedenborg. but none Of them &C
cepted his doctrnes or well understood his phi.
losophy. Mr.. Moves concludes his work with /
careful exposition Of his own system OF social sm
with It's doctrine VI religious perfection and n,
marriage,