The Washington critic., 1889-06-08
BOOKS AND WRITER'S

in this wise: Suppose number of
grains OF sand were put in pan. They
would have certain FORM Shake the
pan and that form would be lost But
the mathematical law of permutations
and combinations demonstrates that
eventually each moving grain will be
again right where II was at first In
the interval the mass will have been
very nearly produced many times. Time
Is of no consequence. Shaken long
enough, the mass OF sand will be itself
again, Tile same law applies through
all things. A man is made up of Ger
tain atoms arranged in particular
way In the shifts and changes of this
worlds atoms each human being will
reour again. That Is domonstrable
mathemitically. His brain, heart, all
there is to him, will be identical with
what they are. Such human being
would have the same mind, the same
SOUL since the arrangement of the
atoms makes the brain, the in.
dividuality. II will be literally the
same man or the same woman But,
before the identical human being
is reproduced. there will have been
many neSf reproductions; there will
be groupings of atoms forming parts of
the old brain; andto these groupsso
arranged together again will come
flasbes-mere flashes--of memory, be.
cause they win have the same adjusted
invisible tracingsupop them. This is
what makes Tvs sometimes have dim
recollection that we have seen some-
where before something we en-
I. counter now. With succeeding group
ings Of atoms this memoiy
win be more distinct The finally
readjusted man will know all, remember
all. Each subsequent change TO him
4 will be but q reproduction of what he
has at some stage been before, and,
meanwhile, he will have beer a part of
ere,g6odg else There will be universal
memory, universal knowledge. The
world Is not yet old enough to allow Of
more than giiinmerings Of this to be
perceived. But time does net matter
Tho mathematical law cannot be gain.
said Mankind is immortalto q Ger.
tainty. Immortal from a law even of
physics.
Here is one form Of theory Of rein,
oarnation, grotesque al first thought,
but fascinating and more puzzling when
considered deliberately 1t is one of
the indications of our drift of thought
toward this form Of continued exist
ence. In his book Mr.. Walker Is less
fanciful, but not less interesting. He
writes correctly and hicidly and in his
study of an old belief attracts the
reader "Reincarnation' is more than
book Of the hour.
IL required moral courage on Mr..
| Walkers part to write the book he has
| given to the public, and II requires II In
n II % u
tions he makes, but much that he says
Is not to be lightly thought upon.
There Is no tlinching. There is argn-
mcnt from no begged premises and
there Is explanation OF much that be-
fogs even the average intelligent mind
as to what reincarnation means. The
author is able, he is very evidently
honest and, to those who are not mind
bound by legends of the present, he is,
to an extent at least, convincing. As q
literary production the book is worthy
Of the attention of the cultivated; as Il
possible avenue of escape from the
desert of no theory, in which q host is
wandering, 1t has another value.
Mr.. DoSNELLY hEvIEwERs, by William
ID. o'Connor Published by Belford,
| Clarke q Co., Chicago, New York and
San Francisco.
William d. O,Connor built O sufficient
monument for himself when he became
prime factor In the creation of the
Life. Saving Sci vice of the Treasury De-
partment, but he also left behind him
half dozen books which will continue
10 influence the minds of men. The
last of these, entitled "Mr. Donnelys
Reviewers" published after the authors
. | 1nath hae i,rot it, t,ll A., . Id
As the honey bee stores sweet juices
and stings and dies, and as the sensitive
aloe bursts into gorgeous blossom and
perishes, SO O'Connor seems to have
done in his last hours the work bywhich
he will be longest remembered. II is
wholly controversial and contains the
energetic spirit Of very live man in
j decd
| This review Of Donnclly's reviewers
Is so vigorous and lucent, SO carstic
and brilliant and eloquent, as to recall
Byron's great satiric poem, and no lover
of refined polemics will forego the
pleasure of reading It II he but gets a
taste. II Is the masterpiece OF
Verulamian poet, who suffered
paralysis of his genius by confinement
In a Government office. The critics
who especially suffer from the blows of
this champion of Bacon are Appleton
Morgan, j.. Gilpin Pyle, Richard Grant
White, Lawrence Barrett, Fl. A. Clapp
and the reviewers of the New York
Tribune and Herald. The derision is
merciless, and the reader, whatever his,
opinion Of the Shakespeare au-
thorship, must see that the particular
reviews selected are quite annihilated.
Nowhere among recent publications
have we noticed more delicious piece
OF writing or a more scholarly discus
sion of current topic, The brochure
fairly overflows with learning; the
author seems to have at his fingers
ends a knowledge of everything that.
has ever happened in literature, and
memory such rs John Milton showed
In both his prose and poetry. One can
not read the Reviewers" without
earnestly regretting that the world was
cheated of its rights by the voluntary
incarceration of this remarkable brain
for lifetime within the narrow walls
Of a Treasury bureau.
BRESTASo's ROMANTIC Library. Vol. l.,
containing "Jettatura," by Theophile
Gautier; ia Noble Sacrifice" by Paul
Feval, and "The Black Pearl, y by Vie
lection, containing dMargot," "The
Beauty Spot "Croisilles,n and "Valen-
tins Wager,n with biography and por-
trait of De Musset. Cloth, 81; paper, so
cents. Brentano's; New York, Chicago
Washington, and San Francisco and
Paris.
Brentanos are forcing the publishing
branch Of their business very rapidly to
the front, and are doing II by the exit
bition of tact and good Judgment as
well as enterprise. One of their latest
specialties, "The Romantic Library"
Is likely to prove exceedingly popular
| II tha VOlumna IN come ore no mood ae