The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-09-26
OUR BOOK TABLE.

OPEN SESAME By Florence Marryatt- Bos
ton: Estes Il Lauriat. New Orleans: R. G.
| Eyrich.
Florence Marryatt is not only we'll known
as popular novelist, but-as Mrs. Ross
Church. She is equally we'll known in GER
tain aristocratic English circles as a promi-
nent spiritualist, who does not hesitate to let
her name go before the world as such. She
| was one Of the few persons permitted to par
| ticipate in the seances of Prof. Crookes in his
celebrated scientific investigation of the me-
diumship of Miss Florence Cook, especially
| the naturalization phenomenon manipu-
lation. The present story deals largely with
the spiritual element, the hero, Lord Valence,
being an enthusiastic believer in communion
with the spirit-world, devoting himself so ex-
clusively to this mysterious intercourse as to
sacrifice all else to it.
The story we'll exemplifes the evil results
which might ensue from a continuous, un-
restrained, passive yielding to the peculiar
influence Of mediumship, especially the fire.
quent, long continued trance; and also the
folly of accepting as intallible truth and I'M
failing wisdom those utterances which, at
most, only purport to emanate from the dis
embodied spirits of mere human beings like
ourselves, and equally liable to error and mis-
take. The story is intensely interesting, the
characters strongly individualized, the plot
finely unfolded. 1t is marred only by the too
frequent breaks in the narrative, covering in
tervals of which we would like to know the
minute details, so absorbing is the interest
inspired by each and every character.
A WoMAN's RANSOM By F. W. Robinson.
Boston: Estes & Lauriat. New Orleans: r.
G. Eyrica.
The readers of "For her Sake" 'Little
Kate Kirtz, "Mattie, Stray" and other
stories by this very popular writer, will read
GA Woman's Ransom with more than usual
interest, because of its more than usual
interest. The plot is ingeniously constructed
and we'll managed; the characters skilltully
portrayed; the scenes lfe-like, and the inter-
est unfagging. We commend the story to
all novel readers.
MAUD OR NINA. By j. G. Whyte Melville.
Boston: Estes & Cauriat. New Orleans: r.
G. Eyrich.
A very interesting story, full of incident
and action. AS in the Two Dromius, the
interest hinges upon the extraordinary resem-
blance between two-not twin-brothers in
this case, but-sisters, the existence Of such
a sister being unsuspected by either of the
heroines, and the relationship unknown to
the world, Nina, the eldest, having been born
out of wedock and put out to nurse under
the maternal name, while Maud is the petted,
naughty child of wealth and position. Sud
denly deprived of both she marries to secure
both, marrying without love, and learning to
love too late. The story is we'll worth read
ing, though very different from the previous
efforts of this well-known writer.
Harbour RECREATION IN NATURAL History.
Division First: Half-Hours with Insects
Part 8: Insects of the Forest. By A. P.
Packard, Jr Boston: Estes & Lauriat
New Orleans r. G Eyrich.
HALF Hour RECREATIoNs IN POPULAR SCIENCE.
No. 16. "The Ice Age in Britain" By
Prof. Giekie. "Causes of the Degeneracy
of the Teeth" By Prot. Henry S. Chase.
"The Great Pyramid Of Egypt" "Pho-
Biography Same publishers.
These elegant little pamphlets contain COM
pilations from the works of the most popular
scientific writer's. The selections are care
fully selected, both series being edited by
competent persons, who have made special
ty of the study of natural science. They
are valuable contributions to the cause of
public science, and the publishers deserve
the strongest encouragement in their lauda-
BILE efforts in this comparatively new field.