Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1892-12-24
EDITORS TABLE.

standpoint of literary merit, the best volume
! of poems. Miss Butler the accomplished
niece of Mrs Hannibal Hamin of Bangor,
| is a writer of unusual grace and beauty OF
Iietion There is range of thought and
( variety of treatment in the poems that make
up this volume, which bespeak for the
writer rich culture and literary abilities of
"A rare order Especially in descriptive pas
| sages does she appear TO conspicuous adj
vantage. "here is nothing angular or crude
| in any of her poems embraced IN
the volume before us. The varied metres
are rich and musical, and possess the grace
of an exquisite literary finish. What could
be more beautiful than this gem from the
poem When Spring Comes Up the Ken
nebec."
40 waken, wsken everywhere
The fairy argosy of spring
Flashes by les capped sequin
Her foremost sfalop rocks, today.
Light.wingpd on Merrymeeting Bay.
Hark to the laughter in the air
Where happy songs in carols break,
And life comes murmuring IN the wake
From every spar the sunbeans fall.
Sweet treasure loads the cleaning deck.
oh, waken, wakeu, waken all!
For Spring comes up the henDebec'
Or this from the Retreat of the Fog,
over the haTbor sullen aud still
A gray fog stretches its mantle chill,
Wrapping it, folds round cove and hill,
With cold and shadoxy hands.
The Idle vessels rock TO and fro. a
or rise or dip in a rhythm slow
ON the silent tide that is ebbing low
over the dreary sands.
There runs through ali of Miss Buffers
poems the charm of pure Chris
tan spirit the strength AMI grace of
heart strong in faith and full of tender SYM
pathies 1t is u matter of regret that this
volume is published only for private circu-
lation. since its rare merit could not fail TO
win it ready and general recognition were
it to be given to the trade.
Practical Ethics by William Dewitt
HYDE ID. u. .presiden, of Bowdoin College
New York Henry Holt and Company.
We have delayed reviewing this admir-
able book for several weeks, in order to
give it something of the careful study that it
merits We have lard it away with convic-
ton that it is destined to play an important
part in future ethical study in this country.
II is not bulky volume, containing but
223 pages and yet. within its cover is con-
tanned a comprehensive, concise. and adj
mirably arranged presentation of the prin
eiples of practical ethics. la his preface
the author brings ont very clearly the pur
pose of the work Referring to the large
number of ethical works which have been
published during the last decade he says
ON the one hand treatises abound which are
exhaustive in their presentation of ethical
theory On the other hand books are plenty
which give good moral advice with great
elaborateness of detail. Each type of
work has its place and function
The one is excellent mental gym
nastic for the mature; the other adj
mirable emotional pabuum for the childish
mind. Neither, however, is adapted both
to satisfy the intellect and quicken the con-
science at that critical period when the
youth has put away childish things and is
reaching out after manly and womanly
ideals.
The book which shall meet this want
mus; have theory: yet the theory must not
be made obtrusive, nor stated too abstract
ly. The theory must be deeply embedded
in the structure of the work and must COM
mend itself, not by metaphysical deduction
from first principles. bnt by its ability to
comprehend in a rational and inteli-
gible order the concrete facts with which
conduct has TO do.
Such book must he direct and practical.
Ii must contain clear-cnt presentations of
duties TO be done, virtues to be cultivated,
temptations to be overcome, and vices TO be
summed: yet this must be done, not by
preaching and exhortaiion, but by showing
the place these things occupy in coherent
system of reasoned knowledge. Such a
blending of theory and practice of faith and
works, is the aim and purpose of this book.
A careful study of the book will convince
apy candid reader that the author has been
admirably successful in concentrating this
purpose.
At the very outset he does not hesitate to
deal frankly and pointedly with the fact of
sex. giving parents some pointed AMI peril
nent advice in connection with the subject
that cannot fail to be productive of good
results.
President HYDE was admirably qualified.
both by scholarly requirements and practi-
cal experience, to produce work on ethics
that should fill just the requirement lac
speaks of in his preface.
The college instructor can have no hard
err task than that of clothing the dry bones
! of ethical study--dealing largely with alb
strac:ions-with flesh and blood. and
imparting to it life and interest. The
writer can bear cheerful testimony to
the fact that President Hyde has been able
to accomplish this very task. He has sue
cee,led in making philosophical and ethical
study at Bowdoin--once the bane of the
college cnrriculum-one of the pieasantest,
most enjoyable and most profitable features
of the course. He is an ideal instructor,
stimulating the interest of his pupils, aud
/ imparting to them large measure of his
own studious zeal and love of investigation.
He welcomes the closest cross questionings
upon all the points that come under consid-
1 Grafton. and student must be dense inieed
who would fail to derive benefit from his
class room discussions. or to be inspired
with personal interest in their subject
matter. It would he hard to conceive Of
a method better adapted for the importation
of ethical truth than that which is followed
By President Hyde in the little volume I'M
der consideration. Every object dealt
with 10 handled under the following logical
y correiative heads; l. The Duty; .. The