The Portland daily press., 1888-04-24
respects. Boston: Lee & Shepard; Port
land; W. H. STEVENS & Coz

Derrick Sterling is the latest story for
boys, from the pen of Mr.. Kirk Munroe.
Like other stories by this writer it is full of
incident, and will delight the boys with its
hairbreadth escapes and feats of courage;
while from the soberer view of parents and
guardians it will appear thoroughly desir-
able. 1t depicts the life of an upright and
brave boy employed iii Pennsylvania coal
mine. The descriptions are effective, and the
underground life of the miners is wildly
drawn There is a large variety of charac-
ters-none more interestingI than Harry the
mule and the tame rat Socrates, with Mrs.
Socrates and the little Soc-rats.'' 1t is the
sort of book that boys like, and ought to like.
New York: Harper & Brothers; Portland;
Loring, Short & Harmon.
In Messrs. Lee and Shepard's series of
Educational Topics of the Day, is just pub
lished volume by Professor l.. r. Klemm,
entitled Chips from Teachers Workshop.
If the proverb hold true that good work
man is known by his chips, the Professor is
to be credited with much good sense, origin
atty and practical power while his lively
style proves him also the possessor Of that
humorous and kindly nature which under
stands how to reach the minds of children.
His practical hints on teaching cannot fail to
be found of much use to instructors, infusing
as it does, cheerful variety into the treat
ment of routine topics. Professor Klemm
believes that every child has a natural gift
which should, as early as possible, be recog-
nized and developed adducing various anec-
dotes in proof of his theory He quotes a
report of an interview between the great
Pestaozzi and DR.. Bell, person who be-
lieyed himself peculiarly wise in educational
matters; and gives just honor to Pestalozzi,
whom it is rather fashion at present to
neglect in favor of Froebel. Professor
Klemm's chapters on the history and bibli-
ography (German) of instructions are valu-
able. Without pretension or pedantry, this
volume merits place on the bookshelves of
all those who are interested in the education
of the boys and girls whose intelligence is TO
be the measure of the progress of the next
half-century. Boston: Lee 81 Shepard;
Portland Loring, Short and Harmon.
of an iconoclast and analytic historian to
the Jewish history up to the time OF King
David. The method Of M. Renan is destuc-
tive rather than constructive: he demolishes
traditions with the greatest freedom and
vigor, and then either replaces them with
some theory quite his own, or, leaving the
historical debris behind him, goes cheerfully
on to destroy the next landmark. The pres
entvolume is one of proposed series of
three, and has a certain connection with the
authors previous work the Vie de Jesus.
M. Renan works upon the main theory that
the Mosaic religion was nearly upon level
with other religions. its more or less mytho-
logical contemporaries, and largely indebted
to the Egyptian forms of worship. He con-
siders King David as a bandit, combining re-
markable artistic perceptions with the quail
ties of an outlaw, and becomes quite lyric
over the egregious error of those who find
prophetic testimony in the psalms. 1t GER
tainly can do nothing but good that the his
torical books Of the Bible should be exam
ined like another record, to sift as far as
possible actual fact from oriental imagery,
and from the mythical element that sur
rounds the early history of every people;
but this work should be done with sympathy,
respect and self-abnegation instead of be-
coming-as in the case of M. Renan-merely
an opportunity for the display of clever in
fidelity, ingenious special pleading erudition
wide rather than deep, and an overweening
desire to be dramatic and effective at all
costs. Boston: Robert Brothers; Portland
Loring, Short Harmony