The morning call., 1894-09-02
RECENT PUBLICATIONS

lsted, but that his history was an expires
sion OF the solar myth. This work was a
sklt on the methods of the ''naturalistic,
classical and historical scholars who were
deV0tlng their energies TO disproyng all
the ancient stories. In modern days. the
agnostic school, as we'll as the schools OF
the higher criticism" whatever 1t may
be, have long devoted their energies to the
destruction OF religious aui loritIes up 10
their days supposed to be founded on
sound tradition and history. The writer
OIL ne Abraham Lincoln Myth, B0caTdo
Bramantip, Hnxleyan professor of dia-
lectlcs In the University of Congo, has
appled their methods to proving that Abra-
nam Llnc0!D did not issue the emancipation
proclamation. The author admits. for
arguments sake. that such man as
Abraham Lincoln lived in America In the
nineteenth century, and that he was Pres
ldent oil the United States during the civil
war, and claims credit for extreme fair
ness Tor the admission. At the same time,
however, he maintains that the popular
story OF Lincoln is unhistorlc, lit only to
De ielegated TO the Category OF the myths. -
Ii would hardly do To tell more of the con-
tents of the book-it is so small and can
be read in short time And any man
who Will take the trouble 70 get the book
and read 1t will not only have the pleas
ure OF many good laugh at the strange
mental condition of the diaectician, but
VIII OBTAIN thorough realization OF the
methods of proof and reasoning so COM
mon among the schools of the agnostlcS
and the higher critics Our 5cien tific men,
great though they be as observers, are not.
as rule, distln guished for their logical
| power or accuracy, and this Is empha-
sized In this little book by the use oil argO-
ments and methods that every reader of
scientific articles will readily recognize.
The Abraham Lincoln Myth is indeed
nnin nirrr M wi a
Judgment of all readers. New York: The
Mascot Publishing Company. For sale by
the booksellers.]
A PERFECT FooL-A striking title of
an interesting story by Florence Warden
this. Chris Abercarne, the perfect fool,
and her mother, reduced TO poverty by
zone OF those periodical upheavals of
things in the city" answer an advertise
ment in the Times for housekeeper with
a daughter in a large establishment al
| WyDgham. They are hired. and on arrival
flnd their master TO be one John Bradfleld,
a collector of curios and a millionaire.
The second day of their stay at the large
| establishment" they discover that luna
| tic Is confined in wing OF the house.
| The lunatlc is the son of John Bradfeld's
best friend, whose generosity and kind
ness has been reQnlted by the confinement
of MS son and the embeZZlement of his
fortune. John Bradfeld falls in love with
! Chris Abercarne; so does the lunatic, and
! the story consists of necessary incidents to
bring about the restoration to health aud
sanity of the lunatic aud the defeat
| of John Bradheld's plots ard schemes
The development of the plot leads
to many strange. interesting and exciting
events and to fair amount of good char
| acter drawing. Nothing could be better
| than nipfura Of Mrs
a lady of good birth and position in the
place OF an emplOye, with all her ideas of
personal dignity and propriety at war
with the necessities OF her position.
Chris herself, the perfect fuol. is an hon
es t-hearted outspOken girl who, though
treated as baby and trained up to moth
| ing, possesses all the qualities that make
for success. Drawn with good deal of
skill, too, are the characters of Mr.. Brad
| fields smart relatives, the Graham
Shutes. especially that OF Mrs. Graham
| Shute, the vulgar, OveTbearing woman,
devoid of delicacy. who Is ever
hurting others by her elephantine clumsi-
ness. Best of all is the picture of Mr..
| Bradfleld himself, the great man in the
| little place, with his strong will, his keen
! desire for mastery, his crude humor and
! his persistent struggle to avoid defeat
| The story is well written ana the interest
N maintained to the very end. New York :
| The international News Company. For
sale by the booksellers.]
| PICTURES OF THE FUTURE.-William
| Morris in England and Bethany here
| have pictured the happy results that are
to come from the socialistic development
of the world. Eugene Richter, member of
the Imperial German Parliament, holds
opposite views of the effects of socialistic
government, and to these views he gives
expression in pictures of the Future"
! Socialism, such as Richter here presents,
! principles as well as results, would be re-
pudiated both by Bethany and NJ orTls, for
| it simply is the socialism of the wOrkhouse
and almshOuse. According TO Richter.
| after socialism came 10 to power, the people
| had to make their choice OF trades, and, of
| course, no one wished to choose the harder
and more laborlous. There was no lack
| of statesmen aud sales ladies, no lack of
| inspectors, fOremen, MANAGERS, gamekeep-
ers, few If any wanted to become pavloTs,
st0kers or sewer cleaners. Bonds were
| repudiated, mortgages annuied, and there
| was no money to pay the savings
bank deposits. Houses and rooms were
obtained by lot, husbands were separated
from their wives, mothers from their
children, the state dinners were badly
cooked and served, work was badly per-
| formed, politenesS ceased-ln fact, social
ism developed for all the people worse
| state OF things than ever existed among
the poorest of the poor under the old sys-
tenn. The book is well worth reading. in
asmuch as il presents under the guise
| OF story the reasons uppermOst In most
minds against socialism. No man OF any
! ability can fail TO see that our present
| form OF civilization is inadequate, that a
change is coming. and that the drift of
this change seems to make for socialism.
| Even the trusts and combines OF the big
business interests seem to be steps In the
same direction, and the study OF this drift
IS incumbent on all. Herr Ricbter's work
| presents certain states OF the question
that must be considered. and presents
Them In most forclble way. New I ork
Optmus Printing Company.
MAGDALENA.-The scene of this story.
by Perpetus POnslevi, is laid In Spain and
in the United States of Columbia. and
therefore needs must be one of passion. 1t
is the scheme of false wife and traitor
friend to obtain the large estate Of Don
Cosme SuareZ of Bogota. BY making a
| will that on his death transfers all his
| property to his niece, Isabel de AlbOrnoz.
In Madrid, Don Cosme makes the eonspira-
tors change from PRISONERS to sedulous
protectors of his health. The wife, how
ever, sends her ally, Don Julian, to Spain
TO plot against the Lille OF Dona Isabel.
and as months 60 by with result she
starts herself for Spain, and settles in
Madrid. Ultimately, of course. the wife
IN in lgnr a0h