Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1884-11-15


Foremost among the magazines comes the
Century. The November edition is the arg.
es, as well one Of the best editions Of that mag
azine yet issued The series Of Battles Of the
Civil War opens with General Beauregard's
interesting accoun, Of the battle Of Bull Run,
and Warren Lee Goss' first paper on the Rec.
objections Of a Private. The latter is emf
nent realistic, and gives one quite an inside
view Of the minor experiences Of camp and
army life. Howells begins new story and
Annie Fields contributes paper entitled An
Acquaintance with Charles Reade, which has lit
tie to recommend it save the fact that it affords
rather curious view into the decidedly unique
literary methods Of the writer who forms the
subject of the sketch. Pictorially the gem Of
the number are Veddet's illustrations OF the
Song of Omar Khayyam The Century has
never produced anything finer. Topics Of the
Time among other matters suggestively treated
contains an interesting dissertation on the
Morals Of the Bar.
The Popular Science Monthly for Novem.
Der is one Of the best numbers Of that Maga.
rne which the writer has seen. 1t is crowded
with articles, any one Of which might seem to
be the special feature Of the number. DR..
Hammond discusses The Relations OF the Mind
| TO the Nervous System. There is an exceed.
ingly entertaining article on Pending Problems
in Astronomy, the close of which is an eo.
quent and inspiring appeal against the vulgar
utiIitarian with his eternal cry Of "cui bono"
II is consolation to reflect that much Of the
most advanced scientific investigation is jus, as
remote from any mere material end, as the
speculations Of philosophers. Each has
| much higher ratio essendi than the production
Of value measurable in dollars and cents
The oh-mooted question as to the comparative
educational value Of the classics and the
sciences is discussed in the present number of
Popular Science, both editorially and in
an article entitled German Testimony on the
Classics Question. The distinction made by
the editor in favor Of science as being "the
| study Of things" as opposed to the study Of
words, seems, to the writer OF this, false and
untenable, The study of the classical Ian
guages is not merely, even primarily, the
itudy Of words. 1t is the study Of literature,
artistic expression, ideas, civilization, and SO
mediately Of mind itself, as opposed, in
science, to the observation Of inscnsible nature.
We are still old.fashioned enough to believe
that "rhe proper study Of mankind is man."
But perhaps the most interesting feature
Of the number is an article entitled
If ~
ply, consisting Of extracts from letters
written by Herbert Spencer to vindicatr his
own philosophy from the charge of being an
unfortunate and unsuccessful attempt to :" re.
edit" Comte This charge, made with great publ.
city, by Frederic Harrison, the foremost Eng
lish worshipper Of Comte, has drawn an able
defense from the veteran English philosopher.
The charge is very i'll founded and furnishes
Only another illustration of the superstitious
veneration with which the followers Of the eel.
ebrated Frenchman are wont to bow before
that philosopher The relation Of Spencers
system to posvism is very easily defined. The
bearing of the two systems on the questions
| relating to the origin and validity OF mental
| ligious truth and morals are more or less iden-
tical. But this is true Of most OF the modern
systems, not because they have been reduced
to the pitiiul expedient Of borrowing from
Comte, but rather because they have all been
| anticipated by Hume. Candor must concede
tina, everything in Spencer's system which is at
once most characteristic and most excellent, is
his own, while, on the other hand, everything
which peculiarly marks and differences the
system OF Comte, Herbert Spencer most un-
qualifedly rejects.
| The Overland Monthly always rather light,
is not less so than usual in the November num-
Der. However, some Of the stories are very
good. Thesketch Of "a Day Out Doors" con-
tains'several good things as well as consider
able promise. The account Of the late Am
erican War is piece Of interesting as we'll as
vivid narrative.