The Portland daily press., 1876-01-29
Magazine Notices.

ments. Following. this is a paper on Beetho-
ven's Panoforte Sonatas, translated from
Hitler. ]. f. o. Smith gives some needed
Words of Advice to American Bands. Ell.
Turner furnishes Johann Dahl, musical
story. A forcible paper, and one worthy of
attentive perusal, on the Neglect of the Drama
as an Art, has only the signature "T' Caryl
Florio gives an entertaining review of the musi-
cal season in New York. James M. Tracy tells
How to Study the Piano. Helen M. Knowlton
continues w. M. Hunts Talks on Art. An
account is given of the noticeable pictures now
on exhibition in Boston. Sara A. Moore con.
tinues her papers on Spanish Art. The music
is Barcarole (piano solo, by N. w. Gade and
EInvito, for the voice and piano, from Emilio
Bianchi, the English adaptation being by
Louis G. Eson.
The North american ReUiew for January is
centennial number" its whole space being
devoted to clear and exhaustive reviews of the
course of American thought in religion, poll
tics. abstract science, economic science, law
and education, from 1776 to 1876. The idea is
an excellent one, admirably carried out. and
the number becomes one especially worthy of
perusal and preservation. The papers are dis
eliminating in tone, critical instead of spread
eaglish, and while the authors of them write
soberly they write hopefully as we'll The
author of the article on Religion is Professor J.
l.. Diman of Providence. He maintains that
the function Of American Christianity has been
of moral and practical, rather than of scien-
tific and theological character. The impulse
of ar;uino1 ro1i riot1c loa IL
wholly limited to single school, that of Sam
uel Hopkins, and his successors in New Eng
land. Each of the larger denominations has
been amply furnished with its representative
literature, but no supreme mind has appeared
whom all acknowledge as master, AS specula-
tive has given place to biblical and historical
theology, our best supplies have come from
foreign sources. Recent theology has gained
in breadth, but lost in intellectual force. 1t is
more learned. but less original. The phase of
religious culture represented by DR.. Charming
was purely ethical. The inspiration of that
eminent divine lay in his noble enthusiasm of
humanity. As scientific theologan be cut
no deep lines on our religious thought. His
influence passed beyond the limits Of sects.
He was the most eloquent apostle of that hu-
manitarian sentiment which so widely per-
vades our modern life. The writer concludes
that our most successful efforts have lain in
the popular discussion of religious truth. cat
the close of century," he says, "We seem to
have made no advance whatever in harmo-
nizing the relations of religious sects among
themselves or in defining their common rela-
ton to the civil power. The Evangelical
Alliance was an interesting expression of indi-
vidual sentiment; but in proelaiming SO ener-
getically that the differences of religious sects
were non-essential, it cut away the limb on
which its whole fabric rested" The two
phases Of our religious culture he calls the
early metaphysical and the later ethical, In
which there is more of the practical humanity
than in the former. Great and perplexing
problems confront Christianity here to-day,
and it remains to be seen whether 's;n attempt-
ing to solve them we shall simply repeat the
experiment of the old world, or rising to nobler
modes, shall illustrate some deeper adaptation
OF the Gospel to human society and human
thought
Prof. Summers interesting article ou Politics
from 1776 to 1876 has already been commented
upon in these columns. The author of the pa
per on Abstract Science is Prof. Simon New
comb of Washington. Under this term he in
cludes the whole circle of physical sciences.
He considers Benjamin Franklin the father of
American science. The imperfect development
of science in this country is not due, he says,
to any lack of native ability. But there IS a
great lack Of continuity of work among our
leading scientific men. Few of them have fol.
lowed up their subject during their whole lives,
working it out from step to step, according to
the European method. This failure, in some
instances, is due to the lack of persistence
while in others, the cares of life have made it
impossible to devote the necessary thought to
the researches of science. A true priesthood
of scientific men cannot be found in America.
Prof G. f. Dunbar of Cambridge writes en-
tertainingly on Economic Science. The most
striking features of his paper are the estimates
he places upon Franklin and Henry Carey. G.
T. Bispham of Philadelphia furnishes the re-
view of Law. President ID. q. Gilm an of the
Hopkins University gives an interesting paper
on the progress of Education. These valuable
historical sketches we shall have occasion to
refer to again, and at length.
The american Architect for Jan. % is at hand.
1t contains, besides the usual amount of read
ing matter, design for church by Messrs.
Ward & Van Brunt, which merits special at.
tention, sketches of details from the cathedrals
OF Geneva and Besancon, plan of house on
Boylston street by w. w. Lewis, and design
for country house by w. L. B. Jerry.
Littelps LiUing Age, number 1861, for the
wppk nn1iDo Ian Doth 10 ha Eftb l.,
number of the new volume. 1t contains, A
Prussian Captain in Holland, from the Edin-
. burgh Review; Left-handed Elsa, Blackwood
Corneille, and the Literary Society of his Age
by the author of Mirabeau, Temple Bar; The
Story of Monique, by Julia Kavanagh' A Neg.
lected Humorist, Temple Bar; A New Paper
making Material, Chambers Journal; How to
Breathe Properly, Public Health; The Monas-
teries and the Poor Laws, The Month; Cheese
Factorys in America, &C., together with the
usual poetry and miscellany.
Blackacood's for January, 1876, has been re-
published by The Leonard Scott Publishing Co.,
Al Barclay street, N. Y. The contents are as
follows: The Dilemma.-Part TX; In my Study
Chair.-No III; ; Left-handed Elsa.-Conclusion;
Lace and Brc-a-brac; Bee or Beatrix; The
First Step In Army Reform; Public Affairs.
In this part of The Dilemma, the scene chang
es to England, and nearly all the old characters
are lost sight of. The gentleman who sits in
his study chair and talks about old school.
books, dscourses at length on the advantages
of devoting good deal of time to the study OF
Greek and Roman classics. He particularly
admires Arstophanes. Leit-handed Elsa is
finished. 1t ends with smash, dash, and q
marriage, but fails to account for the mystery
of the mirror. Lace and Brio a-brac is a yery
interesting notice of couple of books--La
Dentelle, by NJ. Joseph Seguin, and Halls
Brio a-brac Hunter. Bee or Beatrix is pretty
little story, something in the style of Nan,
which proved to be such pleasant reading fol
August. The Frst Stepin Army Reform refers
to orders issued to the House Guards, concern.
ing the assembling and placing the British
army hastily, in case invasion should render
such proceeding necessary.
Richard Grant White is again seriously Ill.
DIR. Russell ("Bull RUM will leave India in
March for Philadelphia, to write up for the
London Times the opening ceremonies OF the