Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-01-05
New Publications.

TUE PORTRAIT; RoNANCE OF TIL GUY.
AsRoGA R SALLET g. 3D. IT, a.thlI 81
lThrouEh the Publishers; for sale By ali tns
Ws=hiu gton book sellers I
When Mr.. Riddle, In the midst of his busy
practice as a leading lawyer, achieved one of
the most successful novels of the year 1873, it
was perhaps considered by some of the critics
as "a chance shot," not likely to be repeated;
but We are not sure tt at the quic ing
volume under notice is not likely to rank even
higher in American fiction than its predecessor.
1t Is less episodicsl for instance, and as fewer
passages that could be spared without detr-
ment TO the thread of the story. At the same
time il is marked by the same clesr-cut delin-
cations of character, undercurIent of quiet
humor, and accurate local coloring that chsrsc-
terized "B Bart. Ridgeley." The only thing COM
monplace about "The Portrait" is its name,
and we would suggest that In future editions
Qt has already reached fourth edition, We
hear,l it be changed for something more
characteristic of the racy, brilliant flavor
of the book. The scene of "The Por-
trait " is laid, like " Bart. Ridgeley," In
Northern Ohio, and the writer has managed to
give curious air of reality to his story, not
only by the accuracy Of the local descrIpti lions,
where his foot was on his native heath, but by
the graphic outline portraitures or the
strongly marked, robust public men that were
developed in that part of Ohio thirty years ago.
The history of MormOnsm in Ohio Is told moi
dentally, and we get in this way the best PEN
portrait of 10. Smith that has vet appeared.
though the current of the story Is some VII at
interrupted thereby. According to current re-
port, "The Portrait" was written in the odd
hours of single fortnight. Not unlikely, Mr..
Riddle does his best in throwing OFF a story at
white heat, and single one at that, but we sus-
Pect that, successful as his two ventures in
fiction have been, he will do yet better when he
gives himself more time for revision. The best
chapters in "The Portrait" are those to which
he has apparently given the most pains; the
opening one for instance, which is quite as good
as the famous opening chapter in adam
Bede"
RELIGION AND SCIENCE. A Series Of Su nd sy
Lectures en- the Bel ,tion Of Natural and Revealed
Religion. By Joseuh LIE Conte. New York ID
Appleton Co. Through Jos So illln gtonI
Designed to reconcile the truths revealed in
Scripture with those revealed in Nature, by one
well known rs a reverent student of both.
TIE STUDY OF SOCIOLOGY. By Herbert
Spencer; New York: d. Appleton 90. Through
JOS. Shillington,I
This is an admirable preliminary work to the
principles of Sociology" presently to be writ
ten by Mr.. Spencer, who has now attained such
prominence as a writer on subjects of intellec-
tual, social and political philosophy. The style
OF this Introductory work is much simpler and
more ineligible to the general reader than in
q purely philosophical treatise. This volume
forms one OF the admirable "Internatlonal Sci
entihc Series" under the charge Of Prof. You
mans.
STARTLING FACTS IN MODERN SPIRIT
UALIsM. BY N. b. Wolfe, M %. Cincinnati,
1874. Through W. II. & o. II. Morrison.J
An odd tumble of so-called sfacts" relating
to visitations from the other world, beginning
with the Salem witches and ending with the
sceances of Mrs Mary j. Hollis, of Louisville,
Kentucky. large portion of the book of $50
pages is devoted to the wonderful things in the
supernatural line achieved in dark closets and
under tables through the mediumship of Mrs
Hollis while in Cincinnati. A great many OF
the spiritual letters written upon a slate heldbv
the medium under table purport to be from
the Empress Josephine. In these letters jose
phine tells about people being "shaky" on the
subject of spiritualisms; says the manifestations
in Smith street, Cincinnati, were "the great
sensations of the day in the spheres that Louis
Napoleon was the son of her husband, but was
mot an entire success asks that the spirits
shall be - 'ested with common politeness, and
uses other colloquialsms that smack a good
deal more of Mrs. Hollis, of Louisville, Ken
lucky, than of the defunct Empress, unless
Empresses deriorate sadly in style in Elyslum.
DIR. Wolfe seems a firm believer in spirtualism
but II seems uncomfortable that he should con
ceive that the publication of such trash as this
is likely to make converts to his faith.