The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-04-09
sOME HFW BOOKS.


BY II. authortO magazine M reviews. The
lsndtNg cs-i ~, which gives the tile to the book.
was nfst pubh-hcd w Two parts in the Atlantic
Monthly for February and March Of this year
II Is altogether tine best of the collection, the
remainder being dissertations and criticisms n
no spoci u yalsc and hardly worth rcprniing.
Tho pr mars subject Of " he Unseen World
n u book, which appeared ABOUT year ago
called "rho Unseen Universe and commonly
s,iflbutcd to Prof. TAFT and Prot Brifouf stow.
srt. The basis " this production, accordingly
Mr.. Fske's very aolc and luminous an1ly'Is 81
It, Is the hy po thes s of a w,rld re cnbiins this
world, but composed OF the Invisible ether
which Uervades all space, and which Is OhN
known to US los the mudiuu by which lights CON
veYed from the sun to tue planets. In tu'7
ethereal universe the spent ACTIVITIES OF tnc
ent visible creation are supposed T. ma rct-
uge. nnd when our solar system ana all other
solar systems shall have persisted by the gradual
wasting away of the force which now sustains
theu, It IL to remain as theatre OF lie on
new and higher plane. The various steps OF the
reasunins by wuich this hypothesis Is support
sd are ell set forth by Mr.. Fiske, aud his Incl
dental explanations and Illustrations are ex-
ceodingly Interesting. His exposition Of the
voriex-atom theory of Ielmholtz and Thomson
r. peculiarly clear, and constitutes by no means
the least valuable portion Of the essay.
point Of greater interest IL. however. Mr..
Ti,ke's remarks upon the controversy between
thc Materialists and tho Spirtunlists. At pres
ent almost all -cont.ac men, especially the class
Of philosophers TO which Mr. T,skc Is sup
posed 60 belong. deny the existence Of spirit as
opposed to matter. ON the simple ground that
there T. no evidence to prove II. Everything
with wi ch We are acquainted Is, they contend,
some form or function Of matter. We see, touch,
oil I'M mat gr Al
thing our very thoughts are but the move
mems of matciial particles, and life Itself Is de-
pendent upon tie continuance Of the various ma.
teiial organs. A. Mr.. iiske says, there Is no
more reason. from the point Of view Of terres-
al ItN.etituce, for surprising that conscious
rcss survive the dissolution Of the brain, than
Ter supp posing that the pun-cn' favor OF tablc
sl'' rvivcs u.s. decomposition into metallic So
diIm md gaseous chloi Inc. This conclusion,
which was the pu11lc and the dcsuair u the an
c4r..t b. athsu philosonhtrs is stLi irrcfutable,
on pur ly 81 ientnc grounds. by the modern
Clti u4i. "As 30 ihc other great question"
"aclu'a. tri'hfully says, 1.-THE question what
becomes oi hon after d'sth-we do not see
Il Mehiy educated European, left TO his
NJ s.ls;rd .on. Is more liEciy D be In tie
tuan 81 l'lachfout Indian. IA single one
nffre many sciences In which we surpass the
the t.tc, { tie sou. after the animal life IS cx-
tIr'. In iruth. an the phiio,Dphers, ancient
aul lloacln. who have attempted. without the
h'l'"i ft't4"tl'n' 10 pi'Ne inc '"n"''all'' 81
y A' if'W fIa'' d""h 10 franHhh' appear 10 us
g. i.v. filcd deflnrtnly'
t'i'nNiaN mere "d'l's tue V"pul"r 'ni'fcN 'uN'
vEl, -cte'ce i"ls' revelation succeeds III prov
n.- il she SOM eAl Is IN some STATE or other'
fertile "h'in" NE Is eAt'het' but reNe."'
g. .H 'Li -ue't is Is iee''e a. science Inc
I,-i ie 't' Ihuee1' '-s'F's 'He iuture III =
ave-. % res 'rs 10 ana us 'n receiving the
r'n n'' 4ht Vast HaJ'ilN 81 Onrl--
Doe .'r h' '''' Go "' econ "l ih'nv' .'i'.S
'' 'i 30 'H'i .''-I ~ 81 VIC na''rai p"uS
$50 .il D.. "ii'h "h'' t'eN 'e"e'e' III som ~
"n. ST 'aiHr' m"uirr' 'nN n' some remote anu
'l'." "a" u iNfe tM'' DC l"'seu nom the u"st
r'''t nf"d aiD IL i''e" y" us vital functions
H. D. N'i-iics OF e"lit manufacturers DC
fe. .'E' To- fcc' I'VE ih' VISITS on '"ef part
.tit. 800 ''NeI l""h ~" err" loIu's' anu car
- N-i '' '' nii = th'W "hcroaoout
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-'i BEER mciinms' fer 'hFl'