National Republican., 1873-11-10
NRxy PUBLICATIONS.

lat. and that bright plumaaed birds come from
near and far, lurcd by the rare fragrance borne
Ger the waters. But when once within fnll
distance Of this subtle, o'er-isden at
mosphere, while Just In the act OF resting their
plnlons on some inviting bough, they sink ek-
hausted, dead, unable to survive an intoN'ca
ton so deadly. Somehow this old fable sug'
gestcd itself to our mind while poring over tue
paees Of "IIls Marriage VOW" Seldom Is a book
found holding such an amags'nauon o' qua,'-
Ties, We advance, enchanted, before thoughts
intense and searching, clothed IN language glow.
inu and graceful, and, amazed, md ourselves,
iite the poor birds, caught In dangerous, deadly
regIon. on the insulated space OF the Malay
where volcanic rule sways all ma
ture, whole villages may he seen resting most
serenely upon palpltatlng, Insecure ground, and
we wonder at the temerity 6f the builders.
They but symbolic our authoress, who has
selected fearfully erup;ive basis upon which
to rear souls history. "His Marriage Vow" Is
an undenIably well-wrtten, lrreslstlbly attract
i've romance; but, withal, voluptuousy cOn-
ceiyed and alive with vehemence and passion.
There's nothing passs about II, every wot1,
thought and turn Ia brimfull OF originality and
rareness. But our embarrassment ART disar'
proyai is excited by the precpitancy anu ven
tursomeness with which inviolste ana sacred
relations are dissected. We arc In the presence
OF a Mclusena, with beautiful face aud shapely
shoulders, but the rest OF the form Is finished
ont with the scales and wrig2le OF q serpent.
the story Is slmple-s story OF woman who
believed in love. The readers attention Is not
distracted by frequent introductions to new char
actcrs. The authoress absorbs herself with the
heart histories OF two, Lucia Denney and Ches-
ter Elms, and disclaims any special effort to
weave In other varieties. Lucia IA widow,
blameless so far; Chester Rlms benedict with
an invalid wife, equally blsmeless. But when
Chester falls In love with LUCIA, and Lucia with
Chester, q very scyIla and Charybdis Is here to
steer through. The line Of propriety Is ss nne
and delicate n the Alsirat Of Mahomets fancy.
II, walk II unfalteringly, how nrtl and cautious
must DO the tread. Leaving out one or two
scenes OF excessive sentiment and equlvocal
srlor, we must admit rare dexterity has been
shown in following this path. Chester displays
uncommon self-restraint and confluence, re-
ceiyes and acts out that old principle Of
Eschlnes, that "happiness IL attained, not BY
gratifying, but by moderstlng the passions
Aud Lucia. though often placing herself In the
attitude Of Q tsmptress, often demeaninx her.
self with most questionable decorousness--as
instance, the garden scenes and the Macbeth
dIversion-yet, at last, taking the keynote, she
attains superhuman perfection. Bat all the
time the readers mind IL kept In tormenting sus
pence by relations 30 iucongruous aud anti
Christian; fearing each succeeding chapter may
/ tranRress the bounds Of consouince. However,
delightfully."- happy ending Of the story ia So
cured by the death Of the invalid wife, and TIT
union Of the TWO congenlal hearts OF Chester
ani Lucia. Now, while protesting matter oi
fact, temperate belief in the existence OF q sen
tlment, yclepei love. We dare not venture or
such heights Of rapture a. Mrs. Corbtn mouuts
/ We don't believe love possesses any poven O
/ endurance; but, on the contrary, Ia . remarkably
elastic, shifting passion. Ga the heroism o
love We are incorrigibly sceptical, holdin
hsart-breaks, death from unregulted affection
and other Ike tradltiouary fanciss, In praotida
soorn. Moreover. We hold most orthodox, strait
laced views as to the inviolabillty OF the. nup
| tiai vow; believing that no pure, tu
| woman could fall In love with another
husband; because, whatever glorious or winning
| qualities he may possess, the barrier should b.
insurmountabie, even to desire. Therefore
while we fsl! to enter into sympathy and fellow
ship with Mrs. Corbin's ideal conceptions, ind
Ing them little too hazy, SO far among th'
clouds, yet we canuot forbear to respond to th'
elegance and beauty Of many Of her charming
sentences. The following description OF thu
coming OF spring is surprisingly lovely: "Ih,
lay had been one Of those mild and watery onci
which characterize the opening Of New Eng
land spring. The melting snow-drifts, that herr
and there whiteued the landscape, had all day
sent up pale wreaths OF vapor, which the balny
air absorbing had fed cut again to the sere ant
| sodden turf and the Just stirring nouer-stems
and the sunbeams, ntfully quivering and dane.
ing over oil, had completed the spell which hat
sct the green blades springing In the hollows
and burst open the first buds OF the vlolets ant
filled all the tender, rosy dusk with their fra
gnnce." The doctrine Of spirituAlism beinl
under discussion In one chapter, Mr.. Ems
made 10 arrive at q very forc.ble, impressv
conclusion. He says: "I am quite prepared :
admit that our theologies are, at this day. In
state almost as unscientiac as the systems o
astrology and alchemy In the middle ages; bu
they contained living germs which havc snc'
been glorio1siy evolved. And SO believe tha
out OF our imperfect reasonngs concerning thos
| spiritual phenomena, which 1t Is the fashion o
many scientific men In our own time to den
| altogether, but which, In spite OF them, do sti
exist, will hereafter be evolved by patient lsbol
| A science OF the soul, which viii be the supTeIn
| and crownlng achievement. OF human intel
| xence, aud will open the gates Of heaven T.
every child OF humanity, so that II shall at las
depend upon his own free, unfettered wi
whether or not he shall attempt to enter. An
that ls Q stato which l think any one trul
&C lualnted with the present condition @
human existence will admit does not MOI
obtain" From the lips OF Pastor Fmauu;
we have this glowing tribute TO loYes "Unde
different names and disgulses. we may track
through the whole universe OF mind and matter
It Is cohesion In atoms, attraction betwee
spheres; for the pure and mystic marriage q
plants and flowers we have no name. When th
souls Of men and women are fused by its dlvin
agency we crown 1t Love. Thus everywhere
from atoms to planets, from pale-eyed blossom
Of the spring. whose life Is breath, and passet
away 10 Q yapor, to the indestructlhle, undyln
soul OF man, all life, all being, has Its origin Il
Love" These few quotations show what gem
Of thought may DO gathered from this volume
but, like the lily In the rank maraa, ouy througl
much slime and viscousness.
aG6LDEN sCSBEAMS.n A Collection Of Nel
Music for the SABBATH School. By D.
IIoDGKs and J. II. TESSkr. Publishers, LEE
SHErARp, Boston; LEE, SHEPARD DlLIINd
TYNE.
At NO period since TIC establishment OF Sun
Jay schools does the Institution seem to attrsc
such general interest as iu tho present day
Their literature Is taken hold OF BY the abies
writers; the proper conduct aud regulations h
be observed engage the undivided labors OF mel
OF talent, and composers Of no mean merit de
light In Offering fresh. new music for tht
childrens pleasure. Tue softsst, sweetes
names In our language are always selected u
bind together these youthful melodies; as "Pur
Diamonds bright Jewels" "Fresh Lsurels,
Sc. Now we have "Golden Sunbeams,"a nam'
suggesting the most precious orc In the mines
aud the brightest thing In nature. Many de
clare these song books succeed each other toe
rapidly, but without this charge dlminutlon o
interest In Sunday schools would manifestlJ fol
low.
"Joy must often change Its wing.
| And spring itself were gloomy weather
II We had nothing else but spring"
"0olden Sunbeams" does not claim to be
collection Of entirely new hymns. Such song
as have met with general favor in precedln
singing books, or which should never be dli
carded, are here also introduced. But the majo
part Is composed Of new compositions, many O
which promise great popularity. As this Is tn
!, latest publication In Sunday school music ou
no donht the demand will be very great.
BISHOP TOZKR.
| IaurauI ssl.aea faV