The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1875-08-22
HEw PUBLICATIONS.


The YOUNG Ladies' Illustrated Reader; New
York: The Catholic Publication Sociesy'
New Orleans: c. D. Elder.
1t In o real treat, in these times, to ind o
work prepared for young ladies which 10 not
compiled of love-songs and sentimental essays |
The one before us affords US this pleasure
and folly realizes tie idea set forth in it's title.
As the browning work Of the admirable Berries
of Readers Published by the enterprising house
of the Catholic Publication Society Of New
York, it is not surprising that it should be ex-
cellent both in its reading matter and its pic
.oria, designs The selections, made with
view to the improvement of the female INTEL
feet, and as q stimulus to woman's true ambi-
ton, are of the highest order OF merit; and
while recognising those from standard writers
we find many original essays well worthy OF
the companionship in which they are placed.
The first lesson in the book, 50 The WORK OF
Woman in the Church" is from the pen OF the
| learned Father I. T. Hecker, and is q mastery
! introduction to the leading idea of the work,
viz: that the world needs to be reminded that
" its best work is not done by men alone"
| Advocates of woman's Rights and preachers
against woman's Wrongs would do well to read
this paragraph:
"AIl roads are open to womsn's energies and
| capacities in the Church, and she knows and is
| conscious of this freedom; and, what is moe,
she is equally aware that whatever she mas
ability to do will receive from the Church en-
| couragement sanction and that honor which
| is due to labor, devotion and genius"
Among the gems in the book our fancy Sc
lects as the brightest and best a poem by
Eleanor c. Donnelly, entitled Unseen, Yet
Seem" which, for true poetic inspiration, deli
cate fancy and exquisite thought, is unsur-
passed by any poem in the book. The lesson
it conveys and the pleasure it confers upon the
reader are alone sufficient to repay the cost OF
the Reader to those who purchase it.
How few among Catholics, and particularly
among Catholic young ladies, know that there
is a lady of our own times and our own genera
ton who is shedding lustre upon Catholic
literature and adding to the glory which sur
rounds the name of woman; whose merits
alas! may never be fully appreciated until thu
laurel wreath is entwined with cypress leaves
The North lionizes Longfellow, the West pay
homage to Joachim Miller, the South is proud
of Father Ryan, but the East may name Eleauo
C. Donneily as in all respects equal t.
j these poets, and whose writings will live b.
Z. the side of theirs as long as the English Ian
D gusge is spoken.
8 "St. Cecilias Lay in Rome" is another fin
2 piece, original, we think, for the Reader, and
n while most graceful in it's style, is most If
| structive in its lesson. We close this notice
the work, which is more than a mere Reade
for it may be called a manual of beautifi
competitions and pure thoughts by quotatio
, from its pages:
"Cecelis, in her short and heavenly lif
y seems fitting model for all women, and Q
pecially for young maidens and wives. St
was OF those who know how to put re'igio
is before men in its most enthralling form purit
:, with her was no ice cold stream and repellaI
" rocky fastness; it was beauty, it was rewar
"a heavenly perfume and angelic companionshi
were to be it's lovely guerdon; and not othe
or wise should it ever be preached, nor otherwi
1g surrounded, when its precepts are present'
TO man.
&c Had we more Cecilias among our Christii
of women of to-day there would be more Valera
l., and Tibur'i among our men and virtue wou
!! be more readily deemed an houor than yok
tx rome would be more of q temple than a me
o.. resting place home-life more of prayer th
~ a simple idyl: For blamelessness is not Chris
ey ian faith. We want the visible blessings
no the Church On our daily lives even Cecel
% b. ,ught into the circle of home the visib
s- angelic gifts of flowers; and we know that
ds | those who seek them where Valerian aud
brother sought the heavenly apparition-th
IL is, through faith and prayer-these blessing
r. these gifts, these blossoms these safeguar
are never denied"
The only fault we can find with this exc
lent work is the uniformity of the portraits
ne the frontispiece, all of them represent
'eI women of religious orders. We think that
"a the general reader few such characters
oit Joan of Arc, the warrior-made ; Grace Da
Ise ing, the heroic daughter of the lighthou
K; keeper; Eugene de Gueiin, the heroic, huml
Die Christian, and Madam Swetchine, the frie
is and coDidante of Lacordaire, would prove
IA pleasing variety, without at all interferi
with the aim of the book.
The Agnus Del: It's Origin and History. Ira
lated from the French. BY Father of
Order of jesus. New York P. OShea N
Orleans: G. D. Elder.
,4s The Scdpular Of Mount Carmel. By Rev. P. I
A'e sot, >. j. New York: P. OShea New
OILS leans: c. D. Elder.
ax- These are two excellent volumes, of mir
ex- ture size. being about four inches long by t
the and half wide, yet containing a great dea