St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-05-14
NEW BOOKS.

Baby" and "MignOn," which have been
we'll received. and If they have pointed
no particular moral, have amused her
readers In healthy, delightful way, 80
much so that any book from her pen is
sure of hosts of readers.
In this new venture the writer wishes
TO be taken more seriously. as her aim
Is not to amuse, but Ito try to show the
/ working OF mind so thoroughly en-
dowed with practical common sense as
to be unable to reconcile an innate sense
OF justice, and an intense desire to fol-
low real Christianity meaning the
original religion which Christ Himself
taught, regarding Him from any Chris
tan standpoint. or even that of the
agnostic-with the so-called religion of
Christ as laid down by some of the
dogmas to which the orthodox church
sets her seal today"
The story runs thus: John, the
bishop of Blankhampton. died. and the
prime minister appointed clergyman
or London to the vacant diocese. Blank
hampton was large military garrison,
and that part Of the Inhabitants wanted
"a real swagger bishop" while the
conservatives wanted their spiritual
lord to be man Of good family and of
somewhat evangelical principles.
The Rev. Archibald Netherby,
bishop. elect Of Blankhampton. was the
eldest son of one Of the Oldest families
of the North country, graduate of
Elton and Oxford, and the possessor of
large estates. He was a man about
forty. big. strong. athletic aud alert,
with quick. clean gait. and keen,
interested. everyday sort of manner.
A handsome man and unmarried.
One Sunday while preaching in the
cathedral the bishop saw a woman's
race Just across the choir framed as in a
shrine of dark oak. which riveted his
attention by its expression of strained.
eager listening. face which haunted
him for many days more or less until
he met its owner at one of the large
houses in his blshopric. She was Cecil
Constable, the only daughter and heir
ess of Sir Edwin Constable, lady of
sweet presence aud winsome manners.
The bishop fell madly in love with her,
and as her father had conceived a
warmth of friendship almost devotion
for the bishop, and praised him III I'M
stinted terms to Cecil, she soon recipro-
Gated his love and their engagement
was announced and the wedding day
set.
Perhaps the author has never drawn
character SO grand and heroic, and at
the same time so humanity lovable, as
the bishops. All her readers will bow
before the charm OF his magnetic per-
sonality. AS she describes him, all
Anak of a churchman. who during all
his life possessed the power of drawing
all sorts and conditions of men under
the sway Of his personal strength and
influence. with fervent piety without
cant or hypocrisy. with perfect genius
for administration. all indomitable will.
Simple. transformations manner, an
exceedingly kind heart, and. on oc-
casions. the gay spirits of boy. Thus
far the story is natural and probable.
but here the religious question came in
and separated lrrevocabiy this man and
woman, who loved each other for time
and eternity.
Cecil could not reconcile the Thirty
nine articles with the advanced thought
OF modern times, ami therefore Judged
herself unfit to be bishops wife. Her
lover convinced her that the articles
must be taken in the spirit, and not in
any sense in the letter, and for time
her mind was at rest.
The week before the appointed wed
ding oay her religious scrupies awoke
once more. and she found that she really
had no religious belief. that the story of
Christ was to her only fable of the
past, and that she had no reverence
for the religion held sacred by
the church nor any belief or hope
IN world to come. OF course that was
the end for them of all hope of mar.
rage. The writer speaks in her preface
OF ''the rocks which the church allows
to endanger the channel 10 harbor
never easy to navigate at any time" Is
belief in the redemption WORK of Christ
one of the rocks? Must the church
abandon Its hope of the resurrection and
the life of the world to come at the die
tates of agnostics and ''creedless
Christians" if such an anomaly exists.
1.-The Soul of the Bishop" is interesting
solely because of the Christian manli-
ness of the prelate. AS a religious
novel it is another farthing dip of 1.-THE
Heavenly Twins" and "a Yellow
Aster" variety lighted before the shrine
of Free Thinking.
We do not believe that any intelligent
woman would refuse to marry man
like the bishop, whom she loved, because
she could not make the parts of any
religious belief fit. With the world full
of mean, petty men who are arrogant
III prosperity aud when poor stand with
cap in hand before wealth and position,
without wit to discern worth, such a
man as the bishop would be living
argument in favor of any religious
belief. and surely win to his way of
thinking any woman who loved him.
..Mr. Lake Of Chicago" A Novel by
Harry Dubois Millnan. Street &
Smith, Publishers, New York. Price,
so cents.
A story very much in the line of "Mr.
Potter of Texas" The hero, of course.
is genuine American. and although of
Chicago is the essential product of a
wide and varied experience in
many lands. Calm and collected in
every emergency, without fear or re-
aproach, he passes through startling ad-
ventures aud scenes of peril, but wins
/ at last.
I, The character of Mr.. Lake is over
drawn. He is too finely bred for one
who passed his youth as a cowboy and
was the associate of miners and gam
blers. To those who love hero and
tales of daring and courage, if somewhat
lmelodramatic, this book will be well
icome.
i
"Tangentialliters and Tangentiallites.
A modern discussion. BY A. P. Pich-
I, ereau. Chicago. A. r. Pichereau,
y p,,h1ichor Prino nonto