Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-09-04
NEW PUBLICATIONS.


W. A. & c. S. Houghton.
Decidedly this is the best book which Mr.
Howells has yet given US. 1t is sermon il
a story. It is volume of reason in the form
of novel; In brief it is the story of ;
learned physician OF rural parts, who discov
ers certain mesmeric phenomena in the wax
ing and sleeping hours of his daug liter, wht
marked spirituality, and is blessed or cursed
with an exquisitively sensitive nervous organ
ization. The doctor finds that he can exer
else certain will-power and control this CIR
in her actions hold her in a trance-like state
and through her do apparently marvelou.
things. He begins to investigate, and is LED
to the belief that he has laid hold upon
the Threshold of the undiscovered country
Perfectly sincere in this, he falls an easy
prey to those protesting spiritualists no
make spiritualism a business, and deceive,
lie and cheat in It's name. The result is that
the doctors reason Is partially unseated, he
becomes refugee and takes shelter in 8 COM
munity of Shakers, to whose inner life,
methods and manners we are most freely in
troduced. Here the girl, who has all the
GllIte ISslSbGR tLlH lEutClct bi ACE ldklSf aHu
faded and failed under his mental expert
ments throws off his power, and her physi-
cal system grows to strength. But the affec
ton between the two Is never lessened. The
one becomes more and more the victim of his
superstitious theories, the other more and
more the woman. Finally the father dies
wreck, physically and mentally, but at the
last convinced OF his error, and after cropping
wildly in the dark for the truth, dies believ-
ing in an all-wise and just. judging God. Into
this story is interviewer q charming love
tale, and are introduced two very
strong and manly characters, the Jour
nalist Ford, the lover of the daughter,
and the head of the Shaker community,
Elihu. Mr.. Howells has in this volume
given the strongest evidence of mental actiy-
ity and subtitle reasoning powers. The volume
is one of strength and art III fiction writing,
and of strength and art in presenting power
ful reasoning upon an ordinarily unattraetive
and threadbare subject in manner to make
it new, fresh and full of interest to the dullest
intelligence. He is a sympathetic writer,
student of nature of the unromantic type,
but none the less lover of natures beauty
and grandeur; he see far into the motives
of men and pictures character as he would
dramatic incident. His fancy is not wild,
but it is free his imagination is not the
most vivid but is sufficiently fertile for his
purposes. In character drawing is his
strength. and in presenting truth and sham in
strong contrast he has few equals. Mr..
Howells writes for the popular heart and
addresses himself not only to the cultured
intelligence, but finds bis way by the easiest
methods to the sympathies of the gen
eral reader In this volume he has
given US examples of all his pow
ers, while it does not conceal
IN the least such weaknesses as he has in
style and method So charmed with the art
with which he has placed the subject Of
spiritualism before his readers, we pronounce
this work his best, superior to his . Lady OF
Aroostook," above all his dramatic writings,
for which we had not the highest respect and
even better than g A Foregone Conclusion,
which has been pronounced one of the most
touching and impressive of works of modern
fiction, though in truth the present volume is
OF so totally different character from all its
predecessors that comparison with them is
hardly just.
TIE YOUNGER EDDA By Rasmus B. Anderson
Chicago: 5. c. Grisgs & &c. vol. vo.; mus
lin.
This is also called snorre's Edda, or the
prose Edda. It Is an English version of the
foreword the fooling of Gylfe, the after
word; BRACES talk, the afterword to BRACES
talk, and the important passages in the poet
ical diction (Skal- dska-parmal 1t contains
an introduction, copious notes and very de-
sirable vocabulary. Professor Anderson Is
professor of the Scandinavian languages
in the University Of Wisconsin. He
is writer of great industry, and has
become widely known by his works
entitled {" America Not Discoyeredby Co |
luubus," Morse Mythology" Den
Morse Malssg. g Viking Tales of the North
and other works upon Morse. The Younger
Edda may be regarded in the light of run
ming commentary upon the Elder Edda, and is
a prose synopsis Of the whole Asa faith. It
contains the systematized theogony and cos
mogony Of our forefathers; their profound
est, sublimest and best thoughts. The two
Eddas may be said TO constitute the 0dinic
Bible. The Elder Edda being the Old Tesla
meHt; the Younger Edda the New. This
translation by Professor Anderson will be
found, we think, more complete and
thorough than any other translation yet made.
and we are certain that it will be of deep
interest TO English and American scholars.
The present volume contains. Professor
Anderson thinks, all of the Younger Edda
that can possibly be Of any Importance to
English readers. In fact, it gives more than
has before been presented in English, Ger
man or the modern Scandinavian tongues.
Readers should omit the forewords and
Afterwards until they have perused the Fool
ng of Gylfe and BRACES speech. The Fore
Rords and Afterwords, it will be seen, are
written by a later and less skillful hand,
md no one should lay the book
ne Snoue's and Olaf's charming work, be-
cause he became disguised with what seemed
% him mere silly twaddle. And vet, says the
compiler these FOIewor3s and Afterwards :
become interesting enough when taken up in ,
connection with 2 study Of the historical an
Odin. And he adds
: With a view Of giving a pretty complete
'utline OF the founder Of the Teutonic race L :
AVE In nay notes given all tie Heimskringla | =
ketch Of the Black Sea Odin. have done
his, not only on account Of the material il :
furnishes as the groundwork Of Teutonic
pie, which, l trust. the muses. viii ere long (
hTect some one to write, but also on account
1 the vivid picture 10 gives Of Teutonic life I
3 shaped and controlled BY the OdInic faith. i
ANGEL LOVER. BY Andrew James syrningtor + /
r. S, n y, New York: Harper & Bros. san 1 :
Francisco: >. L. bancroft & Co.
Professor Symington has given US in this
.olume delightful biographical sketch of
over, the painter, etoher, lyric poet, must
al composer, exeeutant, novelist and drama !
ist Such an enumeration OF amateur &C. t
to say nothing Of a fornid- ]
bic array OF well earned and acknowledged !
designations. seldom falls to the 5
1t of one man. Yet these were, each and t
Il, fairly won by Samuel Lover, whom the
uthor styles "a brilliant, modest, self-reliant
rishman, who-dowered with versatile
enius and capacity for work-was every c
hit as good, genial, and lovable, as he was {
lrgeiy and rarely gifted In any one of S
hese walks, apart from the others, he occu- !
led position which would have been SUI. \
Gent FOR ordinary fame. Although not now {
enersllY known to the public, his highest G
1T achievements were his miniature por- {
rats; for various reasons, however, it is
hiefiy through his charming and inimitable
IRISH peasant songs-with their unique blend /
love, pathos and humor-that his name I
NIL live" Professor Synington was ten 4
ears in acciImulsting the material he pre-. :
ents in this handsome though small volume 4
HE MYSTERY or ALbaNwoLp. BY Mrs Elizabeth |
Van Love. Fhilatieiphia. T Z Patpreon & Trne l a