The Portland daily press., 1876-09-16
TERMS $500 PER ANNUM, IN ADVANCE

have won in this direction, he has brousht
to his work so complete acquaintance with the
general lite erature of his subject, such force and
originality of thought, and so logical precision
of statement, that his work is well worthy the
study of every student of religion and philoso-
ply. That be must be in some portions of his
treatise vague and perplexing is necessity of
his situation. The doctrine of the Trinity, for
example, could hardly be "reshaped" by any
master of philosophy with other than vague
and amorphous results. One who is still
paving to be free" must sometimes splash un-
inteiligibly. But in the region of philosophy
proper our author is very strong, He criticises
in vigorous and trenchant way the theories
of Locke, Hume, Mill, Mansel and Spencer,
and uDon the basis of will in man that lie con-
sciously and actually free builds up belief in q
personal God, which can, he maintains, in no
other way be established. He upholds the
intuitive theory of morals, as against Mills
utilitarianism and Spencers development
theory. Extensive space is given to questions
relating to the Bible and inspiration, and those
subjects are handled with considerable free
dom. In short, all matters pertaining to re-
vation-the being and attributes of God, ua-
ture, man, Immortality, revelation, miracles,
prayer, sin and divine law, divinity of Christ,
doctrine of the Holy Spirit, future life, and
lines and conditions of progress. The grand
result is work that from beginning to end
may be proftably read, marked, learned and
inwardly digested. O. W. b.
THE THREE BRIDES. By Miss Yonge, author OF
the Heir OF Redclyfie, ETC., etc. Published by d.
Appleton & Co., New York. For sale by Bailey
& Noyes.
Miss YoDge's novels are well known to pos-
sess Gelicacy and refinement of feeling, to-
gether with genuine sweetness, brightness and
pathos, at times somewhat excessive, but real
and elevated Her earlier writings were lit
tie pietistic sometimes-full of geutle but de-
cided doctrinal aud religious infuences-5ut
always sweet and womanly throughout "The
Three Brides" is in brighter, merrier mood
more in the manner of the authors "Clever
Woman of the Family" and the characters
are drawn with much variety and point. Even
the unfailing "ear-mark by which Miss
Yonge's novels may be recognized-the house,
hold angel with an accidentally incapacitated
spinal columu-is in the present volume spicy
ers at the close of the story. Rosamond is as
charming, airy, bright and witty an Irish lady
as ever novelist drew, and the contrast between
her frank merriment and the conveutionalites
of Cecil and timid primness of Anne displays
very finely touched humor and real descriptive
force. To Miss Yonge is due also the inven
ton of a new species of the young clergyman
of fiction, designed perhaps to take the place
of the croquet playing and weak-tea-imbibing
youth that modern novels are apt to portray
This novelty is an Albino, whose thick white
hair and eyelashes and "coral -colored eyes,
Miss Yonge tells us, were very pleasing. As
another Albino with blue eyes instead of pink,
also appears in the book, and one of the Three
Brides is described as 'a lassie with lint-white
locks" it would be well perhaps to hint to Miss
Yonge to read the valuable cautions contained in
Old Curiosity Shop as to the undesirableness of
rendering a phenomenon too common, and as
to keeping 'old giants to wait upon the dwsrfs''
in strict seclusion in the van, that a capricious
public shall not be sated with the Msus naturg.
The epidemic with which she is apt to clear the
stage by decimating the actors, also occurs at
the end of the volume-but in spite of these
obvious flaws and infelcites, there is so very
much that is genuine, delightful and refined in
the book that these need detract but in small
degree from the praise that it would otherwise
so fully merit
CRIPPs, THE CARRIER. By r. d. Blackmore
author of Alice Lorraine, The Maid of Sker etc.,
etc. Published by Harper Bros. For sale by
Loring Short & Harmon.
In this romance Mr.. Backmore shows signs
of improvement There is degree of strength
and originality in his work, together with
firm, decided touch, from which, when freed
from his tendency to uDsophisticated sensation
alism and slight occasional coarseness of
tone, fine results may be reasonably expected.
Both of these faults are decidedly less notice.
able in "Cripps, the Carrier than in his former
writings; and a certain affectation in the use
of his vocabulary, which is large and often ex-
ceeding well handled, will probably be modi-
fed sooner or later. At all events Mr Black
more writes strong, manly fiction, and has
directness and vigor that is very refreshing in
these days of dilution of ink.
AS LONG AS SHE LIVED: By F. w. Robertson,
author of "Little Kate Kirby" "For Her Sake"
etc., etc., Published by Harper Brothers, N. Y
For sale by Loring, Short s. Harmon.
A we'll written and entirely 1nexceptionable
novel; pOSSeSSug rdIu6r more IMAM tn6 average
share of originality and merit. The plot is
neither sensational nor complicated turning up
on the endeavor of the heroine, an American
girl, to restore to an old man in England the
property which she believed to have been
fraudulently obtained by her family. The
name of the story, however, does not refer to
Mabel Westbrook's financial sflsirs-in the
form of an annuity, for example-but to the
right that the hero assumes to direct her invest
ments in the future.
PETER AND POLLY. By Marian Douglas, Pub
lished by j, R. osgood and Co. For sale by Bailey
& Noyes.
A story fit for this Centennial year, of a little
boy and girl who lived in the time of the Revo-
luton and containing much that the boys and
girls of these times will like to read. The
quaint manners of 1876, its fashions and its oc-
cupations, the privatons and pleasures of
these oldtime children, form an interesting
story. Polly, the heroine, is very like girl of
1S76-in fact the less important characters are
better drawn than the principal ones A touch
of romance at the story's end commends it
still more to young girlhood.