The times., 1899-09-10
Miscellaneous nnnLs

How to Swim" is book of moderate
size, containing a treatise upon the art
of swimming and the best methods of saw
I ing life and resuscitating the drowned. II
is the work of Captain Davis Dalton. chief
inspector of the United States Life Saving
Corps. 1t is intended primarily of course.
| for the person who is Just learning to swim
but there are also descriptions of fancy
strokes, and set of rules for swimming
contests. In short, all branches of the art
of swimming are discussed thoroughly and
with care.
The book is well-written one, and con-
tains several illustrations. among them a
portrait of Captain Dalton himself. 1t is
barely possible, however, that its actual
value TO the public, or at any rate, its sales.
may be considerably lessened by the fact
that short time after it's publication the
| author was drowned while swimming at a
bathing beach. (New York: G. p. Put
MANS Sons. $1,000
The latest volume in the Heroes of the
reformation series is q life of Philip Mel
anchthon, by Dr. James William Richard, Of
the Lutheran Theological Seminary, Gettys-
burg, Pa. It has been carefully written, and
contains lengthy selections from Melanch-
ences to the books from which material was
| taken. It is designed principally for the use
OF educators and others who wish to study
the period of the Reformation. (New York:
| u. +. Putnam's Sons S1.50)
Ethics and Revelation" by Henry s.
Nash, is collection of papers somewhat
| similar to the hampton Lectures of Oxford
! but originally delivered in the form of a
lecture course at Philadelphia. The au-
| thor is professor of the Episcopal Theo-
| logical School at Cambridge and author of
Genesis of the Social Conscience" There
| is one chapter in this book which ought to
| be read whether any of the others are or
not, at this particular crisis in American
history, and it is entitled THE Free State"
| In it the freedom of democracy and the
| Importance of the liberal ideas which have
lately pervaded the Occident are discussed
| The theologians as well as the political
economists are coming to recognize the fact
that in the free development of indiviiuali-
ty alone can be found stability for church
! or state. 1t is the idea which is brought
out by Professor Nash
Another essay is on Comparative Re-
! ligion," and shows a subtlety and sympa-
thetie insight which are not altogether
common even in this liberal era. The au-
! thor recognizes the fact that with tremen-
| dous swiftness through the forces of mod
erp progress all nations are being brought
into contact, and that ii is necessary for tn ;
welfare of all that there should be mutual
respect and confidence in place of the old
spirit Of antagonismt and suspicion. He
| says:
| To apprehend our neighbors thoughts as real,
in case they differ broadly from our own, is Of
| all things most difficult The instructive and
| inbred tendency is TO name thenl indeed but to
| name them y, an almost lfeless something or
other that does not, ss,1hen struck, strike back
| hard, and which, on the point of receiving the
| mortal stroke, gives only enough resistance to
glorify the parade of finishing blow. To the
| siniess humanity of Lord the thoughts and
motives of His neighbor7 were as real as they
were to the immediate owner of them; a spir-
| itual sympathy, unchecked by egotisn. unham-
| pered by spiritual inertia, brought what was
near His feliow-man home to Him.
This book is one which will appeal
strongly to the intellectual man who is in
terested in the so-called conflict between
science and religion. 1t is scientific and
| spiritual at the same time New York:
| The Macmillan Company $100)