Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-02-24

Croker. Boston Roberts Brothers, pul fishers.
This is a notable book. In it the au'aor states
with remarkable deliberateneSs and ahlliiN'a
scientific theory Of the future life, quite rs eial-
oratc and comnlete as Mr.. narwin's theory of
development, and quite as eonclaSiYeN proved
for both theories are eatirely destitute of actual
proof. Mr.. Figuicr Says;-"Society is prey to
A terrible evil. moral cancer which threatens
10 destroy il: il is mSterialiSm" lie writes in
behalf Of spintualism; not the luuatic spiritual
ism which Processes to investigate the other
world through mediums Tor he ropudiates
This; but that high faith in the supernatural Tor
what is above uaturel which secs God and the
human soul as realities. Man consists of body,
life OF vital ioncc, and soul, AZ death. the body
undergoes chemical decomposition; the vital
force ends or changes, like other forces,-light,
heat, electricity; nut the soul is indestrueiiblc
and remains. What becomes ofh2 This is the
question to which he undertakes 10 give a scien-
tiic answer.
After death, the soul, which is really The man,
goes to dwell in "the planetary ether which
fills all space outside the atmosphere Of each
world, and there becomes "superhuman."
Analogy shows that this ether must be inhab-
tied. '1u all languages the space above our at
mosphere has received the same name; it is
heaven" But conscience says the bad man can
not have good destiny. lie may have several
probations before he can rise into the heaven
above the atmosphere. The superhuman man
undergoeS other changes, until he reaches that
"deiinitve home of souls, the sun" But we
can not give a summary Of all the book CON
tains. The author shows that his scientific
studies have been careful and extensive. He
gives scientific account Of the solar system ac-
cordinr 10 the latest discoveries, and shows a
constructive power of Imagination which Oar
win himself might excusably regard with envy.
The book is for sale at Grout and Pumams.
Two FAMILY MOTHERS. By Marie Sophie
Schwartz. Translated from the Swedish by
Selma Borg and Marie A. Brown. Boston: Lee
\ Shepard. In this story, one of the two moth
ers is portrayed as amiable, good, aud wise; the
other as hard proud, and imperious. There are
sketches of Swedish social life; but reformed
proaigate is made to marry the peerless daugh-
ter Of the good mother, with the cordial consent
of all concerned; which inculcalcs the doctrine
that young men need have no fear of losing So
cial consideration, by indulging in pronigacy,
which doctrine is exceedingly unwholesome and
bad. For sale by Grout 6 Putnam.
HELEN ETHINGER, or Not Exactly Right
BY Elsie Leigh Whittlesey. Philadelphia:
ClaXton, Remsen, & Haffefnger. The author
Of this story has written several other. novels
which have found readers. She appears to have
mora toleDt tlap bnov-lad,a Of rho ,rorld So,,o
of the scenes and characters IN this story are
drawn with considerable force, but results are
developed with as much disregard of probabili-
ty as we sec in fairy stories. A family in the
country is subjec ed by IFS head to a very coarse,
mean, and brutal style of life, neither father nor
mother having ever been educated above it.
After quarter Of a century of this training,
the mother and children are suddenly estab-
lished in the most intelligent and refined society
of Philadelphia, as every way quite equal to the
best. But this writer does not teach mmorali-
ty. For sale by Grout & Putnam.
| YESTERDAYS WITH AUT HoRs st.
Fields. Boston: James Il. Osgood & Co. These
yesterdays are. the same pleasant things
which made the Atlantic Monthly's ''Whisper-
ing Gallery" attractive. In this volume some
thing has been added; there is in it large
number of letters from Miss Milford, and some
| other things which were never before printed.
The authors discussed are Pope, Thackeray
Hawthorne, Dickens, Wordsworth, and Miss
| Milford; and the papers are made readable and
attractive By those personal sketches, reminis-
eences, and anecdotes, which are perpetually
| fresh and never lose their power to engage at
| tention. For sale by Grout & Putnam.
The LAST OF THE MomcANs, a narrative of
| 17j7, by j. FeniI ore Cooper This volume is
the first of new illustrated edition of Coo per's
novels, to be published by d. Appleton aud
Company, N. Y. 1t is in paper covers, with
good print, proiusely and well illustrated by
Dlrely. 1t is long since new edition of the
works of this first and greatest of American nov.
elists was issued, and new generation OF read
ers will be no less charmed with them than their
| fathers were The noble red man, who figures
so prominently in Cooper's pages, does not re-
semble closely the Indian of whom we now read
in the newspapers, nor is he probably fair rep
resentatiVe OF any race which ever existed on
this continent, but he is not more widely at va
rance with the historical truth than the roman
tic heroes of Scott from the actual barons and
knights of the middle ages, and in the lascina-
ton of his narrative, Cooper is hardly surpassed
by the great Wizard of the North. Many read.
ers VIII delight 10 make or renew their acauain
lance with him by means of these cheap, yet
elegant and attractive volumes Sanford &
Co. have this book Tor sale
SHORT STUDIES ON GREAT SUBJECTS, by
James Anthony Froude. New York; Charles
Scribner Co. This is the second series of pa
perS on various subjects, compiled from the
writings of this well known historian and essay
isl. Among the subjects treated are, Calvinism.
Bishop of the Twelfth Century, Father New
man on the Grammar of Assent, England and
her Colonies, Reciprocal Duties of State and
Subject, The Merchant and his Wife, Education.
The Eastern Question, Science Applied to His
tory. Whatever else Mr.. FrOude may be, he is
never commonplace or dull. He writes because
he has something to say, and something which it
seems TO him important that Others shonld hear.
Even those vino distrust his accuracy and can
dor, and have little confidence in his Judgment.
will cOncede that his research is extensive: that
he has thought much; that he deals in an
earnest way with matters of real present interest:
that bis style is effective, and that he has eour-
age and independence, never shrinking from the
lull expression of his views because thew NAV
be novel Or unpopular. A writer having these
| qualifications may be read with profit, though
we may not adopt all his conclusions Grout &
Putnam have this book for sale.
MOUNTAINEERING IN THE SIERRA Nrv,
DA. - BY Clarence King. Boston: James
r. Osgood & Company. Some of the pa
pers which composed this elegant volume
have appeared in the Atlantic Monthly; Others,
most of them, we believe, are now published for
the first time. They were written while the
author was member of a scientific expedition
engaged in the geological survey of California;
but they are not record Of scientific discovery
nor storehouse of geological facts. Those
who desire to read about azoic and mesozoc
rocks, about quartz and grauwache mineral
veins and the condition and prospects of mining
industry, must consult the formal report OF the
expedition, where no doubt they win find sur
| felt Of such matters, This volume contains