The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-03-11
LITERATURE.

unusual pleasure In reading IT, II was loved
ana respected by those who knew him best, and had
ample opportunity to note any OF those wesKncsses
which are SO carefully hidden from the public that
man was Canon Kingsley. The dedication OF the work
Is an earnest OF the spirit which II Is written and
tender and just tribute the memory Of OF Gods
noblcmen A part OF this dedication IN as follows
"io the memory OF a righteous man, whose highest
virtues were known only 10 his wife, his chill
dren. his servants and the poor.n The let
terpress Is unexceptionable; the portrait OF
Mr. Kingsley gives good idea OF his
mild bnt strong face and the always difficult work OF
abridgemont has been done with faithuIncss
The literary public will be grateful TO Mcssrs Serb
ner Armstrong Co. for furnishing them In "a single
volume all the most interesting matter contained IN
the larger and more expensive London edition. Born
In june 1872 into family when had good reason 10
boast OF its past Charles Kingsley had hardly reached
his fourth birthday before he gave large promise for
tho future II his feeble life should DO spared 1t
incredible that child four old should DO able
compose an ineligible sentence, and were it
not for well authenticated facts we should
look on the intellectual productions OF this
period imaginary. II Ia easy TO lose the compost
ton of child -four years old and after time to recitc
IT from memory with all the improvements and EN-.
bellishments which steal through the open door OF a
mothers doting love. Every child Is prodigy in the
eyes OF It's mother But Kingsleys mother preserved
autographs Of these early compositions and
read them without a certain feeling of ave- Tho
rhetoric may DO little awry, the logic inartcuate
and the spelling somewhat novel, but the wonder re.
mains that logic and rhetoric OF any kind should have
had a place in the mind of baby who has only had
time to learn how to stand on his icet without falling
and who Is not supposed TO be able have any distinct
notion Of tho most ordinary concerns OF life
aIav
but the possessor OF the sharpcst powers OF
OF language. His sense OF honor OF tho highest,
his loyalty and truth was most profound and his
hatred Of oil sham and hypocrisy intolerant Hc
was 0uspoken In his opinions not only OF tho scien-
thc positions occupied by his learned friends the ma.
teralists with Darwin and Huxley at the head, but
also OF certain social usases and expressions, which
called down on his devoted head the fierce anatncmas
OF tho reviewers. We all remember the excitement
caused by the appearance Of 'Alton Locken and the
hot and partisan temper IN which the aud spirit
Of the book were discussed Carlyle read IL eagerly
and although he wrote to Kingsley TO say that he
thought IL crude and by the best the author
could do he nevertheless acknowledged certain 'swd
Intensity in it which held the reader fast by SPELL
Social questions had peculiar fascination TOR him
he could not write novel without laying its deep
foundation in somo public abuse or some experiment
In favor OF order and law That he advanced from
obscurty OF u country curatc to friendship with the
poDes minds Of the age anu to with
dukes anu princes was only the natural result OF gc
Mus and remarkable hristian courtesy which made
him beloved among those whom he openly and
stoniy differed Indeed, IL is impossible To do any
thing like Justice to such lie IN the small space
which is assigned TO this review Let IL suffice that
We have read tho book with increasing pleasure and
profit, and when we laid IL down ~ was with feeling
that the best evidence Of the divine origin OF Chris
tanity Is no. TO be found in the and swera-
bic logic Of the schools but those lives which attest
its beauty and value, among tho most sanity OF which
is that OF Canon Kingsley.
HEROIC WOMEN OF THE BIBLE AND THE Cuuncu.
Narrative Biographies Of Grand Female Characters
Of the Ola and New rcstaments, and OF SANITY
Women Of the Christian Church, both in earlier aud
later ages. BY tho Rev. Bernard OReiliy. Illus
tra'ed with twcnty-nvc colored plates after tho old
masters. New York. J b Ford Co.
We have received from Messrs J. b. Ford L. Co. the
proof sheets OF few chapters of Father O'Reily =
Forthcoming work also the four first numbers, with
their accompanying illustrations. Father O'ReiI,y
begins his list OF heroic women of tho Bible and
Church with Eve, the mother OF all the living ana
carries down to the venerable Marguerite B0urgeoys
ioundress OF the Sisters OF Notro Dame, Montreal
The chapters before US give evidence OF careful and
enthusiastic research and Keen appreciation Of tho
characters this sacred beadroL The reverend
aui hor deals very gently with tho errng mother OF
our race He says:--"Our first mother found It hard
to refuse her appetite the taste OF one forbidden
fruit amid the boundess store provided for her by tho
Almighty hand. During tho 200 500 years that she
is witness earth the good and evil deeds of her
progeny lesson she inculcatc on every child
OF hers-that moral strength consists IN tasting not
touching not where touch is delc or to taste Is
limit hor
ing evil than doing good, merit in sacrificing
ones own darling inclinations than in Offering
up choicest victims and the highest oral perfection
IN seeking DDS interest by bcne1tug human souls
II the true woman who reads this page will compare
Ewes single recorded fault with her long centuries of
magnanimous suffering and pcrsoveripg endcnvor 10
repair tho evil she had done the comparison may lead
her TO pity rather than blame admire where many
have despsed, and to find in the altcr-fc OF CON-
mon parent many heroic qualities we'll worthy oil the
imitation even of her Christian daughters"
Father O'Rcilly has good word for tho witch
OF Endor, and Mary Magdalcne is discussed with feel
ing. Tho chapter on Mary the mother Of Christ, IS
this longest in the book. In summing up this chapter
Father O'Rcilly says:-"lt IS said OF the valiant
woman, in Proverbs XXI 2s--'Hcr children rose up
and called her blessed; her husband and no praised
her. There existed u household IN which The
children did not deem IT their duty TO honor their
iather by paying reverence To the mother who bore
him. For the son Is honored IN his parent. That
snaularly privileged being who gavc birth to the IN.
carnatc God, and united her sublime consistency with
his divine spirit OF seisacrico Calvary. over
stand In the relation OF parent of mother, to Him
whom alone adore as tho Father OF our souls
II members OF Gods household on EARTH as We
claim TO be, rise up and call her blessed. We
taught to do SO by tho angel who brought,
hor the divine message. and by Elizabeth, when
filled with the Holy Ghost she confessed and
adored the Word IncarDato; nay, Mary herself, the
next moment, In her prophetic song OF thanksgiving
declares. IRON hcncciOrih all generations snail call
me blessed. f" Irotestants well IA Roman Catholics
will read Father O'Reiys book with pleasure and
profit The WORK Is issued IN parts and sold by sub.
scription only II very handsomely gotten up re-
CARDS both printing and binding. The author drops
hin. his preface that this book may he followed by
another gu the Heroes OF the 81 pc and Church -