Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-02-15

w ouApoooNN III wv HueAhheJb Hu"hiys 'ohASeJ
and usefulness of their contents.) Sympathetic
people who can sing, have given private con-
certs; sympathetic people who can act have
given private theatreals in aid of the sufferers,
and Dr. Brown Sequard has lectured for them.
SiXty-siX thousand dollars have been raised here
for brcadstufs to be sent at once; and the fair
will perhaps make half as much more. Many
rich and fashionable people are heartily at work
for it, and one hears of lovely things to be
offered there. One young lady is collecting for
book the autographs and photographs of dis
tinguished men and women. She has written
far and wide to people of note and has received
most friendly answers, in some cases an original
poem as an autograph The book will have
great value for those who care at all for such
things.
Hurd and Houghton will publish in few
days book that will excite good deal of iu-
terest, and will probably have large sale. A
hand book of legendary and neurological art,
by Clara Erskine Clement.
Mrs. Clement is Massachusetts woman with
a taste for art and for travel, and with means
and leisure to crafty her tastes. In her own
convenient book of reference, and the making
of this one has been to her real work of love.
The reading and hunting through libraries
which it requires were pleasure to her, and her
interest grew as the work went on. This is
shown in the book; it is full of spirit; the in
formation, although it has to be condensed, in
order to make the most Of the space, is given
with animation and is interesting. The legends
and stories are of course fascinating. Many of
them are known through Mrs. Jameson's books
and the books of other writers on art, but they
lose nothing in the new telling. The book is
divided into three parts, each part arranged
alphabetically and literally illustrated with
great variety of well selected wood cuts. The
frontispiece is from a picture by Washington
Alston, owned in New York aud almost I'M
known here 1t is from Mrs. Radcliffe's novel,
The Italian, and represents the legend of ''The
Bloody Hand" 1t is said to be the only en-
craving from a picture by an American artist
given in any book upon art.
This year has already brought several books
to be read with real pleasure. Mr.. LowelPs vol
ume Of essays called "My Study Windows" is
as welcome to those who remember the essays
as they first appeared, and are ready for sec
ond reading, as to those who will taste for the
first time the delight of being carried on his
exquisite English among thoughts and fancies,
almost boundless in their reach and infinite in
their variety.
DIR. H. B. Storers book on Insanity in Women,
though written for physicians, is not too learned
and technical to be understood by any one who
has given any previous thought to the matter;
and great many things in it will be of inter-
est, and may be of use to any intelligent
woman.
For biography there is the new edition of the
Life of John Adams, begun by ]. Q. Adams
and finished by Charles Francis Adams.
1t is published by Lippincott in Philadelphia, in
two small volumes, with clear type, on very
thin, fine paper; and is of convenient but not
handsome size. But for an hours reading, let
us take DR.. Holmes Phi Beta Kappa address,
| just published in book form by 0sgood & Co.
1t is entertaining from the first word 10 the last
and to tell of its wit, its surprises, and its sug-
| gestons would be to copy it verbatim. One
| paragraph, venture to copy as an explanation
| of the curious fact, that brilliant people 60
habitually TO church, and listen, apparently,
with pleasure TO dull sermons. "The automatic
flow of thought is often singularly favored by
the fact of listening to a weak, continuous dis
course, with just enough ideas in in it to keep
the mind busy on something else. The induced
| current of thought is often rapid and brilliant
| in the inverse ratio of the inducing current"
Yesterday Rev. W. J. Potter, of New Bedford
| gave the sixth of the Sunday afternoon lectures
at Horticultural hall His subject was, "The
Doctrine of Immortality in the Light of Science, y
and Notwithstanding the deep snow the audience
was quite large. Mr.. Potter is the best of the
radical preachers. He has not the encisive and
brilliant reasoning of rockingham, the flashes
of inspiration that blaze up in Weiss and leave
simmer of glory over all he says, or the play
of sentiment and grace and beauty of descrip-
ton that are Higginson's peculiar gifts, but he
has a clearness and proportion of thought, a
harmony and beauty of style, respect for his
subject and for his audience, a reverent spirit
and an absence of personal vanity that make
him remarkable and impressive preacher He
unites the sweetness and light which Matthew
Arnold so heartily believes in. His sermon
yesterday was noble, but cannot be reported
here