The New York herald., 1877-03-04

mind that cons,derinr what was In those days. t
hsppsst for both thai our union was
by any Means am, truth. very thnnkiui Ior no.
having married at all have never since oeen
tempted nor have suffered any thing a. al N rcn,0n
10 that matter which - held 10 be all impol'~n' '"
woman-love and marriage
HER PHYSICAL DECLINE.
In 1880 Miss Martneaus health gave way utterly"
was found that tumor forming, such as usually
originates IN mental suffering and Tor five years she
lay III at rynemouth. declared be past all hope
but at last cured by mesmersm, as she hrmy be-
ieved She has told the story Of those days in her
sLifc IN the Sick Room" and il Is almost incredible
tale o work under d!Acultios The story OF her euro
always tender subject with many members Of
her family aud with mnny of her friends elold II
series OF six letters in tho Ataeneu, and the last
ono WIS followed by abusive comments, and
for weeks after the paper contained leading
articles attacking the mesmerizer who had
cured her. and girl named Jane, Miss
Martneau's servant who had also been subjected TO
mcsmcric trcuimenL Those who hoped for more
detailed OF this passage In her lite will be dis
appointed The autobiography gives some interesting
particulars concerning hcr state OF mind, but little
else that has not before appeared
RELIGIOUS VIEWS.
Tho subject Of Mss Martineau's religious views is, as
tho briei NeDs autobiography promised. treated at
length in this volume, and Mrs. Chapman having been
In London at tho of the publication Of ''The Laws
Of Mans Nature and Development" is able to supple
her friends remarks with account OF the way
which the book was received. When Mrs. Chapman
asked to edit tho autobiography shc stipulated
that she should nothing conceal extenuatc which,
either for JOY or sorrow, told strongly ON
Miss Mart neaus lie. Her reply, given thoughtfuy,
slowly and ut intervals, was:--''Whcn you speak
OF my brother James be gentle as you can." Mrs.
Chapman exactly gentle. although shc evidently
ho Nte I'm fhnn m
woman to be gentle when ricnd accused
falsely as Que believes of atheism aud rccklessness Of
moral obligation, and those woro tho charges which
Tho Rev. James Martneau brought against his sister
in paper published In the Prospective Revteac. The
cstrangcment which inevitably cnsued Mrs Chapman
tho chapter called "rhe Life Sorrow;' Miss
Mart,neau dismisses II in few Inca For herself she
says that In 1850 she found herself quito outside
OF her Old world Of thought and speculation
"under new heaven and new earth; dis-
embarrassed OF load Of selfish cares and
troubles With OF my dilculties fairly solved
others chased away like bad dreams, and others de-
privcd of oil power to trouble because the line was
clearly drawn between the feasible and the unknow-
able, l had got out OF the prison Of my own self.
wherein had formerly trying to interpret life and
the world much q captive might undertake to paint
tho aspect of from the CLEANS and shadows and
faint colors reflected on his dungeon walls.
"rhe hollowness of the popular views OF philosophy
and scenceas good intellectual exercise ms harmless.
as valuable untilitarian sense and eevat
ing in thor mere infuence-was, by this time, TO me
| the clcarcst thing saw; and the opposite
| reality--that philosophy founded upon science
is tho thing neediul--the source and
the vital principle OF all intellectually, al
morality and all peace TO individuals and good will
| among men-had become the crown OF my cxpercnct
and the Joy of my lfe' In this faith lived for the
next twenty years She pcnncd this exposition OF IT,
as has been said, when she believed herself to bt
| dying fcw days before death actually came to hei
sho wrote to Mrs. Chapman :-'You are too dslntcr
ested feel for the relief OF the certainty
rest after the weary passage of tho actual days"
suiccd her. whether 1t is capable OF being bcssn.
to others is not question for discussion here. Thi
| volume Is issued by James Il. Osgood.