New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-01-23
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

phia: Porter Coates.
This is much more than a volume of sketches |
Il is a really helpful and instructive book. Inc
author an Engshman by birth ana an american
by adoption. writes Of scenes and people nc hho"
thoroughly, and he gives views OF Ehglis. rur", |
life which are evidently true as photographs an,
carried out to the minutest detail ike Du'on
renre nicture His travels are in Worcestershire,
Warwick, Oxford and Gloucester principally ana
broad glmpses are also afforded OF LONDON Inc
second charter entitled The Village Oh Vno
Stourn Is a graphic and exhaustive study OF ono
~ ,hose ouaint. old-fashioned fossilzed places,
of the line of the railroad which sui SURVIVE
here and there in England and maintaining
,ornid kind OF existence serve to illustrate the
life which was lived in the rural districts cen
,nrv or q century and q half ago. The curious
old customs, the mop" or hiring fair where the
vounq men and women still 60 TO obtain employ
mont. the odd, archaic traditions and customs OF
the villagers; the complete absence OF modern
haste and hustle the air of placidity ana repose
that envelops the place and its lnhabItah's' an
is represented by DR.. Stone with hdely ana
sympathy which make the picture fascinating
In other chapters the reader is led through Strao
,ord-on-Avon and into Shakespearcs house ana over
the Aowery meads where the master USED 10 s'roi'
and mediate and every nook and corner OF ,he
historic region is described and illustrated with the
Of dscnrsive reflections but when he falls INTO
brown study his thoughts arc often quite as III
,crosting and full of suggestion rs when he Is Cd
serving what lies before him with his eyes open
Naturally he is enthusiastic over cathedral arcil'
lecture and the stately fanes OF England are en-
amined by him with the zeal OF the arcn@'olOglso
tempered by the reverence of the churchman
Canterbury. of course, calls up the Pilgrims who
set forth from the Tabard Inn under the guidance
of the Host and who exchanged many tales
while vending their way to the shrine of ABecket
through the green woods and over the grassy
meadows A visit TO Edgehill leads to historic
"reminiscences, and Cavalier and Roundhead are
once more marshallcd over against one another
Then o long stroll taken under rowing commls-
sion, with no definite aim, makes the reader
acquainted with the waysde taverns and the way
faring people, and the wagoners and the agrlcul-
tnral laborers who are met going to or returning
from their work in the fields Even the little
children playing about the cottage doors are noted
and their characteristics given
The fourteenth chapter, Merry Legend Is
q light and amusing story, into which all man.
ner of old phrases and superstitions and customs
have been woven with the idea no doubt OF CIV
ing more realistic presentation Of the life de-
scrbed Dr. Stone writes well. with many poetic
touches. strong feeling for Nature. reverentlal
Shirt and a knowledge of his subject which ap-
pcals on every page Moreover as he points out
i'm his preface, the ground gone over IN this
volume is almost entirely new With the eXcep-
ton of London Oxford StratfOrd and Canter-
bury no other writer has dealt with the SUBJECT
matter Of the booll-most certainly not in the way
the reader will find it dealt with here" IL Is III
effect an original book and it proves once more
how unnecessary it is that subject should DC
new. so long as the treatment of 1t Is fresh ana
.,iporous DIR Stone has ideas of his own. ana ne
Knows how to put them. nor is he afraid OF saying
what has been said before him. The result Is
cl arming volume. which has much more than al
eI hcmcral value
MFE's PROBLEMS: HERE AND HEREAFTER, Az
Autobiography. lone, PIP. 3D. Bos'"h' 'uppi'N"
Hud
This ANONYMOUS volume processes to relate how
the author who describes himself as clergyman
passed from orthodoxy to scepticism and thence
to what some would designate an advanced
form Of belief through me itation. literary inquiry
and third not clearly defined influence whlch
may perhaps be thought intuition. The writer's
motive in narrating his experience appears To DE
sincere desire to help his fellOw-men. Much OF his
argument is fitted to confirm belief in such as
are already convinced, but 1t is not so apparent
that the considerations which sufIced for him will
have the same cogcncy for those who deny alto-
gethcr the authority of the Scriptures. Inc
author appears to think that ne is founding his
conclusions wholly up n rational premises, whereas
in some instances IL is evident that he derives
his chief support from considerations the validity
of which would not be admitted by the scepucs
whom il is his wish to convince. Some, co. OF
his conclusions spring 80 directly from nconcciva-
ble personal experiences that it is hopeless to
expect their acceptance. For example, he POUNDS
his conviction of immortality upon what he no
doubt firmly believes to have been the apmrltlon
to himself Of the spirit Of his son. Now IL Is
Obvious that experience of this KIND. admitting
its reality for the purpose OF the argument now
ever convincing to the actual spectator could not
have for those sceptics who had not witnessed 1t,
greater significance than the records Of the
supernatural contained in the Bible, and which
the same sceptics reject on pror grounds.
Nor is this the sole objection TO such testimony
which must be encountered The scepic would
demur TO the logic Of the reasoning by which
the fact of immortality is derived from what, he
would assert, can at most be but evidence for
future life Of some kind; whether less or more
ephemera than the present existence, however,
not being in any way indicated 1t is true that
the Spirtuasts have jumped to the same con-
cluson but that circumstance can hardly be
regarded as strengthening this authors position, for
the inadequacy of their premises in many respects
is matter of general recognition. Had the author
carefully studied John Stuart Mills Three
Essays ON Religion" he would have been better
informed as to the real nature and scope Of the
opposition he had TO encounter and possibly he
might have been better prepared to meet the
sceptical positions. AS IL is the ultimate purpose
of his work seems likely TO fail because of his
underestimate Of the counter arguments. HIS
little book may rtheless prove helpful and com
forting TO many who are not IN need of any sup