The Minneapolis journal., 1903-10-13
Books and Authors
NEWS OF THE BOOK WORLD
The World-0ld Problem Again
Maiden Versus Man in the Arena
"A Call to the Church Lowly
Life on Lake Michigan A. A.
Knipe as an Author.

K A book which sets out to ascertain
II possible just where we belong, to fix
definitely the place and power" of man
in the universe, and by announcing that
purpose gives promise that it has a solu-
tion, should attract worldwide attention.
1t is certain that Clarence Lathburys s
book, 'The Being with the Upturned
FACE" which in its opening chapter de-
clares its intention as above, will not att
tract anything like such extended atten-
ton, for it does not fulfil it's authors
promise. It only offers grounds for
belief. 1t is a book of meditations
on the problems of the universe.
1T is in general elevated in tone
and diction, tho by no means flawless in
either, and carries one swiftly thru a train
of thought which, even if not put into
syllogisms, often has convincing power.
But one is not disposed to accept the die
turn of the central chapter that men are
'savages In training for angels Men
may have marked traces of savage ances-
try--even the best of them-but the man
of to-day is far removed from the savage.
And, again, the statement that ''even
Wickedness is better than insipidity and
sterility' will not make friends for the
book. But, even if one cannot agree
with a great deal the book says, he
can at least gather mental stimulus from
it, In the chapter "The Thread on Which
science will prove Immortality. He does
not say along what line of work Per-
haps he means some scientific Saul out
seeking stray asses may stumble on the
kingdom.
Professor Charles K. Gaines Of st. Law
renee university has shown the results OF
deep study of people and conditions in the
Greece Of the fifth century before Christ
and has, of course, drawn strongly on
his fertile and refined imagination in the
production of George, Romance of Old
Athens" in which such distinguished
characters as Pericles, Alcibiades, Lysan-
der, Socrates and Cleon figure. There is
most interesting portrayal of the life OF
a Greek school boy, Theramenes, at Ath-
ems, and the disturbed relations of Athens
and Sparta are introduced with histori-
cal crisis, and the romantic feature is
injected with a most charming account
Of the meeting of the Spartan maiden
Gorgo, with Theramenes, in a wrestling
match in which the boy was beaten by the
young girl, but the two hostiles fell in
love with each other, curiously enough
and the story of their love, broken by a
tragedy, and including the career of Their
amenes as a valiant soldier in the con-
flict with the Spartans, will be found very
attractive. E". Ets.
Anna Robertson Brown Lindsay, Phi
D., in her stirring book, 1.-THE Warriors,'
makes trumpet call to the church anc
Christians to realize the tremendous
changes which are taking place in the
| world, opening long-sealed nations ant
races to the entrance of the higher ane
Christian civilization and its marvellous in
ventions. The author strongly and elo
quently points to the divine law of con
duct as the true and only solution of ths
| ills from which human, society suffers
She does not believe that the talk of {
dying, played-out Christianity and church
has any basis in fact but she would have
the church share more in the growing
life of the world. Her suggestions ar.
stimulating and her appeals, are like
marching orders. This book, however, il
not a pious dissertation or a mere mis-
sionary appeal. Her call to action is &C
centuated with keen analyses of thu
sources of the discomfort, the unrest o
to-day, and no one can read the chapte
entitled THE World-March, Workers
without being stirred somewhat from in
dolence, selfishness and inaction.