The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-01-20
THE CRITICS COLUMN.
DEVOTED TO COMMENTS UPON
RECENT PUBLICATIONS.
The yireinis Medical Monthly -" Wood
Iand sprits" - Helen" Lille Oh
General Hancock.

THE LIGHT SHINETH. BY Rev. DR..
William Dudley Powers. u. ID. 80
cents For sale By West, Johnston
a. Co.
| In, four chapters, entitled respectively
Dawn. Noon Evening Time and Night,
Dr. Powers has, In this book, nicely
! bound In paper. fonr sermons upon APP
| propriate Scriptural texts. With small
| claim TO originality OF thought, IL Is
| one which will be doubtless enjoyed Dy
| many who find the new expression oil
| old truths spiritually helpful, ana are
Hmcritical through pure simplicity oil
faith and moral earnestness.
DR.. Powers likeness Of life to Day
| that Is past is simile as old as the
| Rible hut Is also one whose force
| makes 1t perpetualiy new, or at ieas'
| perpetually beautiful. He has simply
reproduced a very old allegory, but II Is
| nevertheless an allegory whose age III
no degree detracts from It's meaning 10
struggling men and women. ~ literary
style is too stilted for beauty.
| THE VIRGINIA MEDICAL MONTHLY
| January. 1895. Landon r. Edwards
| Nj ID LOG west Grace street, Rich
mond. Editor and Proprietor. Price
| 81 Der annum For sale BY west
| Johnston Co.
| Invariably presenting a strong table
of contents, as does the Virginia Medl-
| cal Monthly. this last issue is both fuller
ard of more varied interest to the medi-
| cal profession than the Immediately re-
| cent numbers.
The original communications are ten
in number, and are presented by Dr.
Henry Alfred Robbins. DR.. ]. Wesley
| Bovee, DR.. Henry b. Deale, DR.. Walter
l.. Pyle, and Dr. Thomas Norris Vincent
ali Of Washington, u. c.; DR.. Elliott I.
Brady, Chatham Hill, Va; DR.. r. o.
| owen, of Lynchburg; Dr. j. Allison
| Hodges. of Richmond; Dr. George a.
| Robe of Baltimore, and DR.. j. t. lie
| Hardy, of Savannah, Ga.
The clinical reports and correspond
ence present valuable experience Tor the
| benefit of the profession.
| Drs. John Dunn and Stewart Mcclure.
| of this city, are represented by their
usual departments of Eye. Ear Throat
| and Nose" and General Surgery; Or.
| Bernard Wolfe, of Atlanta. by that OF
Skin and other Diseases These three
departments add both TO the interest and
| value of the Medical Monthly.
The remaining pages are devoted TO
| records of society and board proceedings,
| Analyses and Selections, Book Reviews
| and editorials. completing what is in our
| opinion, as stated, one Of the most eN-
| cellent copies OF this popular magazine
we have yet seen.
THE WOODLAND SPRITE: An Inter
| probation. by Burns Wilson. q.
| u. Putnam's Sons. New York. London.
| For sale by West. Johnston GO.
The contents of this deicately- bound
| "booklet" are familiar TO all those TO
whom the pages of Harper's Monthly and
| the Century Magazine are familiar LlIe
| Is much too short TO spend any OF IL
| i'm reading the great bulk OF the rhyme
| which is called poetry, and whose poverty
| of thought and absurd assumption 10 IL
| self of the qualities Of true poetry, nave
Justly made it and the unintelligent
makers" popular themes for Joke-makers
and the caricaturists. Many verses with
| ont a suggestion of real poetry work
their way into the pages OF Harper
| Monthly. ably edited as it is, but 1t is not
| often that similar intruders are found upon
| the table of contents of the Century. III
| is not given to placing the stamp OF It's
| approval upon second-rate verses,
| The poetry of Robert Burns wilson mas
| run the gauntlet of press analysis and
| criticism The present poem contains
many passages of absolute vacuity,
| and a similar number of poetic
gems. but, in our judgment, II
comes. taken In its entirety dis
tinctly under the head Of those express
| sions for whose perusal life is too short
| by far.
HELEN. BY Oswald Valentine. In
cognito Library. G. =. Putnam's
Sons, New York. London. For sale
by West Johnston & Co.
This book presents TO us short story
| of sustained interest, through the medi-
nm of a literary style which Is very
| agreeabIy familiar TO those who nave
read THE Passing of a Mood.
The Helen" of the story is an eN-
| ausitely noble woman, and becomes the
wife of a young and able. If also conslm-
mately selfish gentleman Of literary
and humanitarian ambitions. The story
itself Is of his success in the one and
abandonment of the other. at the high
cost of his wifes happiness other thah
the very spiritual sort which is SAID 10 pc
long to the individual who hath hsht
within his own clear breast, and VINO
NAV sit in the centre and enjoy bright
day" -,
The story Is admirably told, and we
think that all who read 1t will concede
it's Helen to be the centre OF It's
| charm.
| GENERAL HANCOCK. Great Com
| mander Series. BY General Francis
A. Walker. ID. Appleton Co.. Ne"
York For sale by West Johnston
x Co. .
This contribution to the very eXcelieht
"C;reat Commanders series of Messrs.
AnpIeton is by a soldier whose intimate
| personal acquaintance with It's subject
| gives it special value. 1t Is evident ina
General walker shares in General Grant
admiration for Hancock, from whose per
sonaI memoirs we quote the followlhg'
Hancock stands the most conspicuous
tgurc lin the Northern army OF al
tho oreat officers who did not exercise a
sa,arate command. lie commanded d
corps longer than any other one, ana ms
name was never mentioned as having
committed in battle a blunder Tor when
ne was reprehensible. lie was man Oh
very conspicuous personal appearance:
tall. weIi-formed. and at the time OF
which 1 now write. young ana fresh
looking. lie presented an appearance
which would have attracted the attention
of an army as he passed. his GENIAL
disposition made him friends ana MS
nersonal courage and his presence with
his command In the thickest or the nght
Won for him the confidence OF troops
serving under him.
General Walkers admiration Tor MS