The herald., 1893-06-18
LEY L. nEnYnER.l


ical novel series, by John II. Munick.
The readers have already paseed through
the age OF discovery, conquest, bigotry,
colonization, reason and tyranny. In
this present volume we see the age OF
superstition wel-hsndied, the char.
acters and scenes, although creations
OF the author, still in no wise discredit
the genuineness OF the historical annals,
which are presented with conscientious
fidelity. The title Of this number is
very appropriate ard a eign board indi-
cstive OF that epoch in the hietory OF our
country, The Witch OF Salem; or.
Credulity Runs Mad. II Is difficult task
TO go back to ages by-gone, TO diyest
ourselves OF what we know and are end
from clear conception of generations
that have been, of their expe-
riences, objects, modes OF lie,
thought and expression. It is o task
better suited TO the novelist than The
historian, and even the former treada
on dangerous ground in attempting j
One of the prime objects Of the Colda
bian Historical novels Is to give tu
reader as clear an idea as possible OF Z
common people, as well as OF the rulers
at the risk OF criticism to clothe the
speeches of his characters in tie dia-
lect and idioms peculiar to the age in
which they lived. In the former vol
ume, the sentences most criticised were
the ones taken literally as spoken or
written at that time. 1t seems as il
few critics grow more severe the nearer
an author approaches the truth, yet the
greater number OF thinking men and
women who review these, az well as
other books, are students themselves,
and the author who adheres to the
language of bygone age has nothing to
fear from them. So much for
and in favor OF dialect
in unison with the data OF historical
time. The Witch OF Salem is designed
to cover 20 years in the history of the
United States, or from the year 1850 TO
1900, including all the principal features
of this period. A time and scenes that
are ae hard to depict as the similar oc-
currences in The Scarlet Letter, so ad-
mrably portrayed by Hawthorne. Chas.
Stevens OF Salem, with Cora Waters the
daughter of an indented slave, whose
father was captured at the time OF the
overthrow of the Duke of Monmouth,
are the principal characters. Samuel
Il
tragedy, ie a serioua study, and has been
painted, after careful research, accord
ing to the conception formed of him.
No greater william ever lived in any age.
He had scarce redeeming feature
His religion was hypocrisy, su-
perstition, revenge and bigotry.
His ambition led him to deedaof atrocity
unsurpassed. But one character in lit
erature seems near a counterpart, and
that is the character of old Roger Chill
lingworth in the Scarlet Letter, char |
acter which was a striking evidence of |
mans faculty of transforming himself |
into devil il he will only, for reason
able space OF time, undertake DEVILS |
Office. The information on which this
story is founded seems to have been
drawn from the most reliable historical |
sources, and it has been woven together
in way which seems to be the most |
pleasing and instructive that could be
imagined.
#**
One of the fresheat, brightest, wittiest
books that Houghton, Mifflin q Co.
have issued for long time is A Cathe-
dral Courtship and Penelope'a English
Experience, by Kate Douglass Wiggins,
very cleverly illustrated by Clifford
ing of these pages have already gone the
rounds OF the country press, copied from
the Atlantic Monthly, where they were
originally published, but they gain by
the dainty setting OF this book. They
may be warranted to destroy utterly the
most distressing OF the blues that hu.
man flesh 10 heir to, and TO bring
laughter and sunshine wherever they
go. Bright, witty and well-filled with
casual, ehrewd observations, these two
trihes form pendant to Sara Jeanette
Duncan'a delightful books OF travel.
A charming vein OF feeling runs
through the story of The Cathedral
Courtship, while the account of Pene-
lope's English Experiences is fairly bub-
bling over with satirical humor. The
characters are drawn with a swift, uner-
ring hand, the high church aunt OF the
cathedral courtship having as much in.
dividuality as the serious American low
er in Penelope'e Experiences. The au-
thor's delicacy of touch throws in relief
all their salient features, and creates
living men aud women while only eeem.
ing to amuse with humorous trifles. The
experience with the eggs, which the
three American maidens try TO eat ont
OF the ehell in the European fashion, ia
little iar-ieSched, perhaps, and their
embarrassment upon learning that
they are going to meet "a
duke is aeo trifle unreal.
But these spots on the aun that
gives go much light enjoyment are 70
small that it seems almost unfair to
refer to them. The book is little gem
that will gain popularity without the
recommendation OF critica, and will find
hospitality in many home in America
and abroad.
ass
Lee & Shepard have a new book by
Henry Wood that is indeed valuable
addition to the literature devoted to
the subject OF mental healing. 1t is or.
titled Ideal Suggestions Through Mental
Photography, restorative system for
home and private use, preceded by a
study OF the lave of mental healing
Suggestion OF soTo kind is the
great mental motor u may enter
the human mind either in thought
waves projected by another mind, or
through the avenue of an outer sense.
Hypnotic suggestion stirs the mind on
the sesson's plane by the dominant inn
position of the force OF another person
ality. Ideal Suggestion is the photo.
graphing of pure and perfect ideals di-
Yected upon the mind through the me-
dium of the sense Of sight. It 10 volEn-
tary and free from any admixturs of
nersouality or imperiection, By the