The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-04-05
New Books.

TRUE AS STEEL. A Novel. By Marion Har-
land. author of Nemesis, &c. New York:
G, W. Carleton l. Co. 1872. Charleston:
Holiness Book House.
In style and treatment, in Its faults as well
as good points, this novel Is very much like
its predecessors. We wish, however, that the
author would make the speech Of her heroine's
less energetic. 1t is well enough to ''put
"things strongly" but young girl who has
blood, intellect, education and opportunity"
might wisely refrain from declaring that IT q
man whom she despises had his deserts "he
''would be whipped by the hangman, then
shave his false tongue Slit" Miss Harland
has always had large circle of readers, and
those who admire "Alone" and the Hidden
'sPath," will be pleased with "True as Steel"
Cloth, PIP. $50. Price 81 so.
TIE SEVENTH VIAL OR THE TIME OF TROUBLE
BEGUN. AS shown in the Great War, the De-
thronement of the Pope, and other Collate-
raj Events. By Rev. John Cumming, D. D.,
F.R 8. E., &c. New York: G. W. Carleton
& Co., Publishers. 1872.
We have given less than half of the sensa-
tional lille page, which the publishers (tor
surely the author could. not have been con.
suted) have assigned to DR.. Cummings re-
merkable book on the prophecies. In an age
so greedy of novelty as ours, production 30
strange and startling does not need the pref
ace of an advertisement.
DR.. Cumming maintains that the prophecies
symbolzed by the Seventh Vial (of Rev. l6)
are now in the course Of fulhlment. He re-
CARDS the overthrow ofthe French Empire,
the unifcation of Italy, the supremacy of Ger
many, the iutrigues Of Russia and the tremen-
dous volcanic and other convulsions which
have disturbed the material world during re-
cent years, as ''the footballs OF the coming
"Lord.n To these signs he adds "the opposi.
.'lions of science falsely so.called," and the
chaotic condition Of political affairs among
the nations. The late wars In Europe inau-
gurated the battle (or wagJ of Armageddon
"The Great Earthquake" is the subversion Of
the European system. "The Northern Hail"
is the sweeping storm of Russian invasion,
which is soon to descend Southwark toward
Palestine. The Jews are about 10 return to
their own land. The European Continent will
be apportioned into three Kingdoms. AND
30 the deyout dreamer dreams on and on.
We do not care to question the sincerity OF
The author when he insists that he has no pet
theory to maintain. We ourselves have none.
We can even admire the dexterlty with which
he subsldlses contemporaneous events to his
purpose, yet we are not the less convinced
that the work Is due to foregone conclu-
sion. Nothing else could have evolved from
five or six vorses, charged with prophetic
figure and symbol, modern history of Eu.
rope.
And We may add that we regard such
work as likely to produce an unhealthy In.
fluence upon the religious public. The pre-
dictlon of an impending world judgment is
likely to produce ieverish agitation unfavor.
able to the equanImly of The Christian char
acter and to the quiet pursuit of the duties of
secular life. The man best prepared for the
future is not the doughty controversialist
who launches doubtful texts against kings
and churches, but the faithful servant who Is
found standing at his post when "the heavens
ttfalln