The record-union., 1896-05-31

A. d. Worthington & Co. Ghe Hart
| ford Publishing Company, Hartford,
Comm have issued work by Helen
Campbell which will attract wide at
tention and engage great deal OF
! thought among the American people.
The work is now being offered to the
! Sacramento public, SO that full op-
rortunity is afforded to examine II. 1t
is entitled Darkness and Daylight, or
| Lights and Shadows of New York
/ Life: a Pictorial Record of Personal
Experiences by Day and Night in the
| Great Metropolis" Mrs. Campbell is
| a well-known philanthropist and city
missionary. All such are likely to be
! enthusiasts in their labors to anchor
ate the condition of the poor and the
! wretched, and hence are given TO lurld
and emotional views of things. But In
| this instance whatever Of excess hef
! enthusiasm might lead her ento IS
guarded against and prevented by the
| editorial assistance she has received
| from Colonel Thomas w. Knox, the
! widely known author and Journalist
! and Superintendent Thomas Byrnes,
| for so very many years Chief OF the
! New York police and detectives. In
/ addition, she has the Endorsement of
Rev. D. Lyman Abbott, who has writ
ten the introduction to the work. Thus
/ fortified it comes to the reader with a
great deal of force. The book is one OF
! 40 pages, with go large and graphic
! engravings from photographs and
| dawings taken from life. The book IS
divided into three parts, New York as
seen by Woman" Mrs. Campbell; as
| seen by a journalist, Colonel Knox,
| and as seen by a detective, Superin-
| tendent Byrnes 1t has been said that
| one-half of the world does not know
| how the other half lives. This latter
| half, it should be added, is TO be found
in the great cities and large towns,
mainly. DR. Abbott says that the prob
| lem of the great city is the problem OF
modern civilization. This is so nearly
| If not wholly true that it makes this
work of special interest, since we arc
| impressed with the belief that its re-
citals are true, even TO detail, and that
| conscientious work and faithful adhe-
| sion to facts characterize the story
! The claim is made for the work that 1t
| is testimony beyond possibility of doubt
| OF the utility and power Of Christian
work prosecuted among the l0Wly and
the vicious, the poor and the unfortu-
nate, by sincere peple. who are upheld
! by perfect faith in the teachings Of the
| Christian religion. 1t is not a book OF
! high literary merit. We apprehend that
very little effort was made TO have ii
| ornate, but assuredly, if simplicity,
vigor and detail can invest a story with
/ interest, one of the most graphic and
/ dramatic evidences in favor Of that
style that can be found is this in-look
into the undercurrent Of New York
/ life 1t may be thought that much OF
such recital would be revolving, but so
! far as we have examined the book we
/ have found nothing of that character
| in it. OF course it abOunds with that
which makes the heart bleed in pity
for human suffering; at the same time
there is a wealth Of satisfaction in its
revelations Of triumphs scored against
vice and low living.
Mrs. Campbell spent many years as a
city missionary literally In Darkest
! New York" and did wonderful work.
| Her volume presents the thrilling ex-
| periences Of Christian endeavor with the
| hundreds of pathetic and amusing
scenes packed into them; it pOrtrays life
| in the great city by day and by night.
/ From all these rich and varied expert
| ences 1t draws living truths for head
and heart. Mrs. Campbelrs account of
rescue work is full of touching Incl
| dents. Stranger stories are here told
| than romance ever dreamed Of. and are
drawn from real life. She weaves in
anecdote after anecdote, incident after
/ 4 ~,
der's attention is thus held to the end of
| the volume Strange, but most sug-
/ gestive is the fact" says Bishop Coke in
commenting this volume, that Christ
! is to be visited in these dens and dives
there are those whom He will bear in
mind when He says: 'Ye visited Me-; or,
when He says: 'Ye did it not to Me
| Rev. DR.. Lyman Abbott's lifelong in
terest in City Mission work. and his per
sonal share in that work. fitted him to
write for this book. In his introduction
| he says:
My interest in these phases of city
| life dates back from my college days.
| From that day to this-Over a third of a
| century, have continued the studies
| then begun, and the subject of this book
| has been one Of the great subjects of my
study-sOmetimes in literature, often in
! life"
| No appeal from tsp2 perance advocates
/ can do more to promote the cause of
temperance than the thrilling scenes and
| incidents so well described; at least so
! say Mrs. Mary A. LivermOre and Miss
/ Frances +. Willard.
/ One Of the most interesting portions of
! the book is written by Inspector Byrnes
/ giving the ripe experience of thirty
years of detective life.
/ The volume is a wonderful tale Of
/ Christian love and faith. alive with in
tense and striking reality. 1t is a pure
and elevating book On this point the
words of Rev Dir. Twichell and Rev.
/ Dr. Magoun. President Iowa College. are
worth quoting: DR. TwicheIl writes:
My wife says that she is going to set
our young people on the book right off
! for the good it will do them; and Pres
ident Magoun says: My family finds
where other books on our shelves lack
| interest this one holds and rewards at
| tention."
OF the 232 engravings, every one of
them we are told was made from photo
| graphs taken from life, mostly by flash
light. Also. that every face is a por-
| trait. every scene a stern reality In
| looking at these illustrations the reader
| sees at glance just how Gospel work
is carried on by day and by night by res
| cue-bands; he is shown strange sights
in out of the way places that are rarely
or never seen by the casual visitor; he
is taken into cheap lodging houses and
I cellars; into the homes of the poor; into
newsboys' lodging houses; into the po-
lice and detective departments, etc.