The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-03-14
THE LITERARY FIELD.

THE LITERARY FIELD.
'peath end Afterwards" by Sir Edwin
Arnold New Amsterdam Book COMPANY
publishers, New York. Cloth, price 60
cents
THIS little book is an argument that
places in Ats strongest form the moral
presumption in favor OF O. continued ex-
isenoe. 1t disposes of the Illusion of dis
belief, and makes 1T seemingly impossible
10 answer the inquiry: "Why preserve
matter and notion and not consciousness
and intelligence" The chief object of Mr..
Arnold's essay is to suggest that all our
fears are needless, and not one single
hope expectation or aspiration Is half
great enough, or glad enough, or bolo
enough; that the secret OF the Universe
Is, after all. an open one, like that of
the earth's motion, or any other tardily
made intellectual discovery illuminating
the perpetual fact that things are not
what they SEEM" The author we'll recog-
ni0es our doubts anu misgivings, however.
for he gays In the beginning:
III We were all sure, what a difference
Il would make! A simple yes. pro-
notnced by the ndict of immensely de-
veloped science; one word from the lips
OF some clearly accredited herald sent on
convincing authority. would turn nine
tenths Of tho sorrows of earth into glori-
ors Joys. and abolish quite as large pro-
portion OF the faults and Vices of man
kihd Men and women are naturally good;
II is fear ana the feverish passion to get
As much os possible out of the brief span
Of mortal years. which breed most human
cnTses. - What a change If all these
Gould really believe that they are cher
!ihed guests in en- intermediate mansion
Of Z benign universe, not doomed captives
IN one of its mournfnl dungeons. how
nappy as well as fair and attractive, th.s
planet would become II II were not n doc
ts'na. not a theory. not n poetic dream,
pu' 1act seen and accepted that Death
arrives. not like Monsieur de Iraris.' to
.up the criminal, 10 clip his collar ami
na'r' and lop away from him life and
love and delight; but as a mother lullins
nef children TO sleep. so that they may
make ready for play In the fresh morn
hs' as the eentltst angel of all the many
MINISTER'S Of men. bringing him far more
.'1" oirth ever brought; and leading him
path as fun of miracles of soft ar
.-xemeht, and MS delicately contrived
.vf ms benefit as Is the process of birth
.s~i. to heights of advanced existence.
simple nevertheless. in their turn and
0ues az are the first drops of the breast
aliA OF HIS mother, and neither more nor
les wonderr,,l,'
Asaih the author says, when discussing
w various considerations for belief In a
nture state:
=. 4Aere Is a Significance like the breath
~ perpetual whisper from Nature. In
way which the theme of his own I'm
~, "'ty teascs and haunts I man. Meta
- mat ne discusses It least and decides
~" u' II most dogmaticaily IN those d.
..'eF moments when the breath OF N
alsh impulse sweeps away wor,,oa,v
S ana selfishnesses What n blow
i..a,. philosophy of negNtior Is the sailor
A. s from the taffrail OF his ship into
~. .Sry sea to save his comrade or to
sI,hs sn Neth him! He has never read
~, Fiato or Schopenhauer-perha
1--we. wen that heavenly verge. Whose
nrS ' ms Mo for my sake. the same shall
h.n' hut arguments which are as far
~ philosophy, as the unconscious
.,,,,. 10 deeper than the conscious, suflci-
&c. persuade him TO plunge. Love that
M, IL than death bids him dare. for
A. "pefious sake. the wcltering ABYSS:
,.r s"h deed of sacrifice and heroic con-
NJ, ~ Oh peril. in itself almost proves that
~, "nows more than he believes HIM
""ow about his own immortality."
Ter outrrent History" for the fourth ouar.
Garretsn%No Alfred S. Johnston, editor.
Ny. D. CoA ~ Co, publishers Buffalo,
TIT. ~, year. N.5o; 40 cents a number.
bean valuable work of reference has
coum, 'quently commented upon in this
into Ihe Information here condensed
ha,aa lew hundred pages is not only most
sen,A, sy selected aud Impartial, ire
for i, out also most admirably arraneed
numhs eiee; so thst tho four quarterly
eonn,.t ior the year, bound whh the
.n.~ pS'e analytical index. make an ideal
eon,o'n. Inc volume now completed dsss)
tor,r,,,, ~" pages of reading mater. rs
trt,,o. 0hu seven maps end other Mus
indey ~, a'o has a complete cnaiytical
kova The current number treats Of mo
plete nv, elections, giving final and con,
han ,os o,a OF the vote by States: the Gu
venez,,a,...' crisis In tho Ottoman empire;
ton. treaty; international arbt.ra
MAJ. currency reform; general no,t,,ca,
'toha 80. :" EUROPE aud the ORIENT: Mani
IIamh,,nool question: British politics:
try re, oock strike; duelIing and milf
az Germany. Indian famine: