The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-10-23
BOOK NEWS AND REVIEWS.

OF the farm or as among the most perfect
of recent specimens of book Illustration.
They are drawn with very delicate aud
finished touch, aud are conceived
in spirit OF true SYM
pathy with the farm boys expert
enecs. They are as realistic as anything
short OF a photograph can be. Indeed,
they are more realistic than any photo
graph, since they embody sentiment
that it is the Office Of the photograph to
ignore. The book il printed finely enough
TO satisfy any artist who has
put his best efforts into illus-
trstions, and is handsomely bound. The
text no more than justities these elements
OF an artistic book, and should imagine
that the authors literary friends might
be lempted TO advise him To enlist COM
petent writer 10 furnish that part Of his
his next book. III. Gregory, Providence.
In "The Ascent OF Man" Henry Drum
mond has MADE an ambitious effort to
bring evolution, revelation and reason to
an agreement, and that agreement seems
TO be that evolution and Christianity
are identical, which Is posi-
tion perfectly in harmony with the
secret hopes of very large number of
men who have not as yet discovered q
basis for reasonable argument to justify
those hopes. The expositions OF the doc
trine of evolution that have been made
by John Fiske, and by others,
while not reaching the same
feryid conclusion with Mr.. Drum
mond, do in fact lead ones mind along a
path that is perceived TO be parallel with
the path OF religion, with such con-
81 nj .~A a.
extreme probability 10 the hope that
thoy will eventually merge. Mr..
Drummond we know as the great modern
panygerist OF Love-with the capital let
ter-and we are therefore quite prepared
for this:
Through what does evolution work?
Through love. Through what does
Christianity work? Through love. Evolu-
tion andChristisnity have the same author,
the same end, the same spirit" and so
evolution and Christianity arc one; which
is a comfortable and comforting con-
clusion to arrive at, even over the some-
what uneven and shifty surface OF the
road travelled by Mr.. Drummond.
Without assuming to consider the
likelihood OF Mr.. Drummond being Gc-
corded his argument in full, l can see that
his book will be very useful and comfort
ing to that large and increasing class who
fret at the bonds of the severe
Christianity that refuses to accept
even the iuferences Of evolu-
tion, and dares not even contemplate the
equally severe and unattractive Darwinism
pure and simple. This class OF people,
who have capacity for thought, have been
driven TO all assumption OF indifference
they would willingly lay aside for q
rational view that saves their traditions
and their inherited reverence. i cannot
say that this book OF Drummond's will DO
this. In the case OF strong and indspend-
ent thinkers II Will not, because, with all
the subElety end grace and fervidness OF
Mr.. Drummond's consideration of the
subject. he yet virtually begs the question
ana invites his readers TO come TO an
emotional conclusion. But the book
must be real In the light OF the fact that
it Is substantially q reprint of lectures,
and that the lectures did not assume to be
original, either in substance or conclu-
sion. Wha. MIR. Drummond has done is
TO draw the sweet sap OF comfort out of
the writings aud researches OF others
and simmer Ii down to the consistency
OF the emollent he offers for applicst ion
TO minds and hearts made sore, and under
standings strained by the harshness OF
tho essential oil of evolution
Darwin administered. In this
character " The Ascent of Mar" I"
seems even moro important than il it
were one mans reasonings. IL may be, 40
some OF the critics have said, "the most
valuable contribution to evolutionary aud
moral science which has been given TO the
world since Darwin's Descent OF Man APP
pearsd, but i am one that wishes more
time and stronger sense OF the value and
consistency OF Mr.. Drummond's csllocs-
tive argument to wean me from differ
ent estimate. James Pott, New York.
q, II.