The sun., 1893-07-08
NEW BOOKS.
Brief Review. OF Iraportant aad InterestIne
New Publications.

Brief Reviews OF Important aad InterestIne
New Publications.
Somo OF tho novels OF occultism have been
put forth. we believe. under the Impression
that they were interesting performances The
authors OF them have been sincerely OF the
opinion that they were contributing to the lit
erature OF pure delight. though why thoy
should have supposed anything OF the sort is
n question involving 80 profound mystery
that we should not think for q moment Of try
Ing TO answer II. It is no moro than fair to
Mrs. Margaret b. Peeke to say that her occult
novel, "Zenia. the yestal: or. The Problem OF
Vibrations" tArend Publishing Company Bos-
toni is not offered to the reader as an amusing
production. As far as We can see. 1t Is offered
as an appendix and key to Mrs Blavatsky,
which Is IA very different matter. 1t Ia q large
book. n sort OF TheosoDhic bolus. ominous and
awkward. but doubtless bencfcont. and 1t is
Mrs. Peeke's intention un1uestionably that 1t
shall bo taken like bolus. not joyfully, but
solemnly, and ms thankfully rs may be.
Mrs. Peeke says that sho was assisted
in the preparation OF this novel by the
Brotherhood. and by order OF the IIierophent
Egyptian and Alcantra OF Granada. under
direction OF tho Algerine" She dedicntes It to
a triangle and q dash. and In the body OF the
story there is plenty OF further evidence Of her
sincerity and OF the fact thnt she knows what
she is talking about-a fact which will recon-
mend itself to the reader. inasmuch as 1t is
desirable that somebody should know. Tho
knowledge OF vibrations which are an especial
point In this story. was possessed ages ago by
the Chaldeans Egyptians. and Jewish Kaba-
lists. and is still held sacred by the Lamas OF
Tibet. but the novelist says that some Of the
cult used in her book has never been put into
English before. We cannot do otherwise than
lao Inr 70 frx tn pol.. on
quainted with it. for Mrs. Peeko declares that,
If he will be at the trouble to do so. he will be
led across the threshold into the Temple,
where the secret laws Of life and occult phi
losophy will be made plain nnd whore he will
find himself no longer worm OF the dust, but
Deiflc babe. That Is prize enough, We
should think. for anybody OF any modesty ut
all. We trust 1t is not out Of the way to speak
of tho plot OF SO serious and so occult novel.
1t is briefly that Ienin. an American girl is
discovered by n venerable Master in Theos-
ophy-who was likewise n venerable Deihc
babe. OF course-to have been vestal virgin
in the temple OF Isis before tho birth OF
Moses. and in tho temple of Athena long
aftcrwnrd. and that she dedlcates herself
anew to vestnl service in the temple OF hu-
manity of contemporary existence. There was
n youth who wished to marry hor. He was
such youth as we should think a young wo-
man could dispense with quite unregretfully
in the usual unoccult fashion. but Zenia had q
highly soothing quotation from the Master.
which she repeated three times in order to
make sure. Il give thee" she recited in a
soft. low voice to herself. after she had dis.
missed the youth-"I give thee cedar oil wrap
pings and tho Lotus leaf: also the cord Of three
strings. These will bind thee to the Truth.
and thou shalt know the golden ways OF Spirit
and tho Sacred Mysteries" That would have
been efcacious. We should think. oven If the
youth had been at all worth while. 1t GER
tainly was in the case In hand. for Mrs. Peeke
tells us that when Zenia had concluded no
trace OF earthly thought or memory was on
her face. No self. reproaches. NO repinings She
clnsped tho hand OF her mother-we had not
thought 1t necessary to mention Zenia's moth
or. but she is IN tho story-and In unison they
brcathed tho sovon deep brcaths OF Prana.
and recitcd together the prayers OF tho Master
OF Fire in Egypt. That. very properly. is the
end OF the book. There was nothing more to
be done. They did not recite "Quevy. quavy.
Irish navy" 1t was unnecessary. Besides.
we are pretty sure 1t would not have been gen-
Tine Theosophy. though it has good deal OF
tho look of 1t.
II the reader feels that he has not got
enough about Theosophy after he has finished
NTS. lceko uOSel-Wulcu ID unlikely, though
q reader may feel anything-we recommend to
him Tho Ocean Of Theosophy." by Mr. Will
liam O. Judge published ut the office of The
Path. in this city. An ocean OF this sort Of
thing we submit. ought to be sufficient for
anybody. We cannot undertake to give a
chart OF the ocean; We have other things to do
than to go about after Mr.. Judge and Irs
Blavatsky with O doep sea sounding apparn-
tus We observe that Mr.. Judge sets Mrs.
Blavatsky above Mr.. Sinnett, the English
lunatic in Theosophy. as an expert upon tho
facts regarding the Seven Globes of the Earth
Chain. Mr.. Sinnett. 1t appears. has a notion
that the Globes do not interpenetrate ono an
other, but are connected by currents or lines
OF magnetic force. whereas the facts. as Mrs
Blavatsky obligingly points out. nre merely
that the Globes arc in coadunition with one
another but not in consubstnntiality. This is
q deuce OF a difference. as the most shallow
Theosorhist will see. But We repeat that we
have no more time to spend in watching Mr.
Judge and Mrs Blavatsky disporting them-
selves in their ocean. The Foolish and tho
whale are interesting, no doubt. but there are
things besides. We wonder. by the way. IL
Mrs. Blavatsky ever reached the felctous
state OF being Deilc babe. We are pretty
sure that Col. OIcott did. and We suspect that
Mr.. William 9. Judge has the distinction Of
amounting to something OF tho sort.
The philosophy In - Mortal Man." a poem by
Mr.. Arago Easton tEaston Company. Chicagol
is proverbinl. and we doubt II there Is a relloc-
tion or a proposition in it that is not sn'e. Ono
would as soon think OF contradicting tho Cen
trail Park obelisk ms OF denying the run OF
ideas In Mortal Man" Take. for Instance.
this proposition:
Offensive odOrs. that in mir prevail
We feel as though we'd rather not nhale.
Nobody can controvert it 1t is an adaman-
tino truth which will endure when the Pyra-
mids are dust. The poem Is full OF such things.
We think We have never seen a collection OF
moro perfectly obvious remarks.
Recreations In Botany" by Caroline A.
Crcovey. n useful book. designed to interest
and instruct dwellers In tho country In the
wonders round about them. is published by
Harper & Brothers 1t has excellent illustra-
tions.