The herald., 1894-03-25
[BY L. BEHYMER.l ]

IN n late eulLlOn from Ln6 puDnSnluR
house OF D. Appleton & Co. we find the
literary quality of The Greater Glory,
by Maarten Martens, is as individual
and in places az extravagant as in bic
two earlier books. Like the others also,
the book is one OF real briiiiancy and
strength, barring the allegorical argu-
ment, concerning which it is good to
heed the remark OF the author that none
need read 1t.
The story deals with the fortunes OF
two families, both Van Rexelaere, OF
which Baron Rexeaer Van Deynum is
the real aristocrat in possession of the
family estates of Deynum, and Cosnt
Hilarius Van Rexelear, the spurious
eTistocrat, who is, however, high in IA
vor at court and ambitious to become
the head of the family. A series Of
events grants the counts wish, and
causes the punishment OF the gentle and
, lovable baron, with his family, and the
installing OF tue low. born Van Rexelaers
over the estate. Here the Yonker
Reinout, the sole scion OF the pretender,
grows to an earnest and honorable man
hold in spite of the ehsme and barren
ness of the life he leads; and he finally
abandoos his vulgar, shameless father
and hs frivolous and ease loving moth
or for the greater glory, in the higher
life OF struggle and achievement. So
living, he finally meets in Wendela, the
daughter OF the true Rexelaers, his help
meet and exceeding great reward. The
story is not complex; the interest and
gravity OF the book lie in the treatment.
The writer exces in brilliant descrip-
ton and characterization, though he
fails in construction. Both his humor
and pathos are individual, and his satire
is not more bitter than life warrants.
IS
Cassell & Co. have just issued vol
ume which has created almost ae much
guessing as to the authors name as any
anonymous book lately published.
Some have said that A Superhuous
Woman, published anonymously, was
wlitten by Sarah Graud, but this seems
scarcely probable, although the author
is undoubtedly a woman. Like The
Heavenly Twins, the book is q novel
with protest-this time against such
conservative sex-distinctione as war
against the privilege OF women to do
pretty much as they please. 1t alao
contains preachment upon heredity.
Jessamine Halliday, reigning Lon
don belle, all but betrothed to the vicious
Lord Heriot, suddenly disappears from
London society, and reRppears as q SER
want in @ farmers houee in Scotland,
where she meets Colin Macgillvray-an
honsst, primitive, handsome Scotch
man, whom she loves at first sight. She
gives him q half promise of marriage,
and then, frightened BY the prcspest,
fees back to London and marries Lord
Heriot, to become the mother of imbe-
cile children. The story is written clev-
erly, and at times with real strength and
pathoe, though some of the physical
studies may be thought in questionable
taste.
From the Arena press we have each
month new books upon the topics of the
day, upon subjects which have vital and
living interest for the people and so.
ciety. To every thinking mind comes q
time when it ia confronted by the all
absorbing questions of whence 2" and
"W hither?'' We think we are con-
ecious of an existence here as O reality,
bat often the past seems like dream
"a tale that is told"-and, too, we
have some dim, shadowy remem-
brance of things that have not
been experienced in this life. Who
is there of us who has not
been stirred to the depths at the un-
toward circumstances in which some
soul finds itself in this world? We have
asked, Can God be good and allow a
soul to come into being in den OF sin,
where all it sees and hears and feels is
reeking with wrong and misery?
In the last book issued by the Arena
press Of Boston, Earth Revisited, by
Byron A. Brooks. any thoughtful person
will find sympathetic response to his
own imaginings and questionings OF
the nature we have mentioned. The
author has shown US the earth 100 years
henOe-a world far SURPRISING any Uto-
plan dream. He not only shows us
this world, but tskes US to live in it
and be of it. 1t lie vivid, striking
picture of life approaching ideality.
Earth Revisited 10 O story whose plot
is most attractive. The characters are
strong and interesting in and OF them
selves, and to this is added the thrilling
fact that they are reincarnated
spirits. The hero, after an acci-
dent by which his brain ia injured,
takes up the thread of his old life, be-
longing nearly q hundred years before
the then present era. The old life, with
all its mistakes. misconceptions aud
wrongs, bears down upon him with in
Hufferabls weight. But he must work
out his own salvation; no one else can
do 1t for him. Never was there a moro
direful delnsion that that death can
change character. We are in eternity
now; the laws of nature and of God
must be the same here and in the stars.
He changeth not" Ali idea of i'm
mortality is abandoned, il we are not
the same after death as before, if con-
sciousness does not continue. But the
soul cannot change: it is l, myself. Its
conditions may change; its environ
ments may be vastly different; but its
life can be but a continuance OF it's
earthly existence. We follow this soul
in its development to where it is in har.
mony with its surroundings. We watch
with deep sympathy its blind groupings
after truth, and we rest in the surety OF
q great Hand guiding it safely.
Love is the keynote of the entire
thought OF the book--love expressed in
all its phases. Again and again are we
thrilled with the portrayal of the power
OF love. Woman is shown living the
ideal life-that of leader and guide
in spiritual things. lifting man
up to where ne reaches God, completing
him Goethe pictures Margaret as
carrying away to heaven the soul of