Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-10-09
THE WEEKLY UNION
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NEW PUBLICATIONS.

NEW PUBLICATIONS.
MASTERPIECES OF ENGLISH LITERATURE. By VIM.
Swinton. New York; Harper Bros. San
Francisco: A L. Bancroft & Co.
This is an admirable collection of literary
masterpieces 1t is freely illustrated with
portraits of leading poets and writers. 1t is
a textbook for high and normal schools and
semin aries and is lesson on every page,
each selection being analysed as to style, his
torical relation, rhetoric, etc. This is not, as
is too often the case, a textbook of cram, nor
does it require reading about literature
only, but compels reading in literature as
well Prof. Swinton has designed this vol
ame of Masterpieces to occupy place at
the meeting point of literature and rhetoric
to restore the twain to their natural and fruit
full relationship. On the side of literature it
is intended as the accompaniment of any
class-book on that subject, furnishing body
of texts to be carefully read in connection
with the biographical and critical study of
particular authors, as pursued In the class
book. On the side of rhetoric it supplies a
working out6tcf definitions and principles, thus
further and more important, it applies the
'canons of the literary art to the analysis of
texts here presented. To this study he has
given the name g Literary Analysis, as con.
veniently elastic designation under which may
be brought great variety of exercises gram
NAUTICAL and rhetorical logical and etymo-
logical. The literary analysis is a new
feature, and 1t Is one from which most valu-
able results are anticipated. Such studies as
ILL e. IL \ -
fail to bring, says MIR. SwintoD, the pupil
into close and friendly contact with those
mighty minds whose volumes paramount
constitute the literature of our language; so
that he will no longer be reading merely
about the masters, but reading the masters
misunderstanding with them into the
heaven Of their invention, and feeding his
soul on the divine bread of their high mag
snings.
6Iya AND LETTERS HORACE BUSHNELL. New
York Harper s. Bros San Francisco: A. L.
Bancroft q Co. One large SEo., cloth.
This is a work which must awaken much
attention among religious people. DR.. Bush
nell was a remarkable man in many respects.
He was a seHmade man, of indomitable en-
ergy, loveable nature, mind of great
power, writer and speaker of force, and he
was man of great foresight, profoundly
clear thought, and of judicial instincts which
made his judgments near approach to the
perfection of wisdom. He was one of the
most thoroughly sincere and conscientiously
devoted clergymen who ever adorned the pull
pit. He is remembered in California by
many with respect amounting to affection.
During his limited stay here he drew to him
host of friends. His was a ministry at large
not only for the Church of which he was the
child but for the country he loved, and his
affection for which, and devotion to which,
stood next in his love for God. This book
will be found to be a more composite work
than is commonly the case with biography.
As there were many aspects of the life and
character of DR.. Bushnell to be considered
and interpreted, it was naturally the work of
many hands to paint his picture. And 30 it is
that not only has the compiler, Mary Bushnell
Cheney. done good work in the collection
and arrangement of the biographical data,
but the reader has parts of the work also
from the pens of Rev. DIR. Bartol, Right
Rev. Bishop Clark, DR.. Leonard Bacon,
Rev. Drs. Burton, Parker, Twichell, CHEESE
brough and Morrison. No one can read this
life Of Dr. Bushnell without being profoundly
touches by the wonderfully deep and pure
affection he manifested for his loved ones,
and the broad sympathy and tender solicit
tude he had for his fellow men.
THs STORY OF AN HONEST MAN. By Edmond About.
New York: D. Appleton & Co.
About has not often of late appeared in his
best and happiest character of novelist, and
his new venture in that line will therefore at
tract wide attention. "The Story of Oh Hon
eat Man" is in the vein of a lecture to the
French republic under the guise of an attrac-
tive tale. About believes current literature
can be made an educational means in the
hands of the skillful novelist-that he can
teach them how to live better and happier,
and can reach them in the story when the
more sober efforts Of the mere moralist will
but repel them. Who shall say that he is not
right? The French novel is very apt to be
kept under suspicion by those who
would guard their households from
the insidious danger that turks too
often in these romances, but in 1.-THE Stsry
of an Honest Man there is nothing that can
offend-rather there is much to elevate and
inspire for good. 1t is pure in its tone, and
is marked by cslmness and absence of ex-
travagance. It is love story, full of inter-
est, into which is blended a very clear and
probably very near approach to delineation
of social life in the rural parts of France
prior to the revolution. 1t is a helpful book,
also, inasmuch as its hero is made the me-
dunn for demonstrating how tact, application,
devotion and industry will win success.
TUE WELCOME CHORUS song book for high
schools academies and seminaries BY W. S.
Tlden. Boston: Oliver Ditson Co.
This is an elementary course, little high
toned for q grammar scholar, but just about
right fer the young lady or gentleman who is
TO use the book. But nearly all the space is
occupied by tunes or glees, or songs, secular
and sacred, which fill more than 200 pages.
1t may seem at first as if the music should
not be arranged, as it is, in four parts. A
set of high school, or academy, or seminary
singers is sure 10 include number whose
voices are in the transition period, aid who
can sing but little. Hence it would seem
that but one or two parts should be carried.
Yet it is wise to print four parts, which,
when played. make an excellent accompani-
ment. But it must also be considered that
most voices, during the period Of life in
which they attend the higher schools, change
and take nearly the pitch which is to be
theirs during the rest OF life. 1t is a very
favorable time, therefore, to learn to sing the
soprano, or alto, or tenor, or bass, which is in
the future to be the part belonging to the
voice of the young singer.
HEALTH. By W. Il. corield New York: D. AID.
pleton & Co.
This is q compact volume consisting Of lect-
seres delivered at the rooms of the Society of
Arts, under the auspices Of the Trades Gt;la
al Learning and National Health Socie.l