Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-15

REASON IN BELIEF; or. Faith For an
Age of Science. An Examination INTO
the Rational and Philosophic content
of the Christian Faith. BY Frank sew
all, MA. ID. London: Elliot STOCK.
Washington: Woodward IL Lcthrop-
Dr. Sewall announces that the twelve
chapters of his treatise discuss the ration
ality of faith in a new way. Starting. he
saws. with Rants generally accepted doc
trine of the unity of apperception in the
SOUL as the basis of all relation and all
knowing he carries the principle to its
results not only as touching the existence
and personality of God but as relating to
the other great fundamentals of the Chris
tan INSTRUMENTATION incarnation, i'm
mortality and salvation. In pursuance OF
this purpose he introduces his work with
an inquiry into the nature of faith in an
age of science and contrasts Hume's mega
ton with Rants affirmation.
The more important following chapters
are given to the nature and basis OF In
duction, the unity of experience. the per-
sonality of God, man IS q spirit. the spirit
ual world, miracle, law. heaven, sin and
salvation.
The method followed by DR. Sewall is
necessarily metaphysical. but without bias
to UNCONVENTIONAL stand points and With
out undue abstruseness. Inc dIenl-y or his
simple, clear yle is one of the attendant
graceS of the work. Realizing the signlf1-
canoe and power of thought i'll shaping the
feeling and doing of the practical masses.
he holds abstract questions to be of interest
to the busy world of today. His effort is,
therefore to find for faith Justification
in reason.
For those who are sincere believers in
revelation Dr. SewaH has succeeded in
giving a welcome support for that position
from a rational basis. How his thesis may
be viewed by those who are not already
convinced may be more open 10 question
His expression is so infiltrate and per-
meated with the beautiful. recognized Ian
guag of accepted faith that ii IS diff1cult
to conceive of the content as not also be-
ing Colored with that prepoSSesSion. How
ever that may be, no question can be
raised as to the scholarly dignity of the
presentation of the thoughtful Christian
attitude, and the sincerity of intention at
the root of the inquiry. There will be few
to resist the glow and vigor of his belief.
SHIBUSAWA; or. the Passing of Old
Japan. BY /. William Adams. Illus
trated by L. Dalton Stevens. New
York: G. p. Putnam's Sons. Washing
tom Woodward & LOthrop.
This study of the beginnings of occidental
influence in Japan is especially timely at
this moment Mr. Adams has written a
book which convinces the reader of its sim
-erity on every page. He has created, with
q really wonderful, sympathetic insight, the
point of view of both the progressive and
conservative elements in Japan. The ar
chaic character of the civilization proceed
ing the modern awakening. contrasted with
the receptiveness to new ideas typified in
Shibusawa, who stands for young Japan, is
interesting in the extreme. Shibusawa,
however. places limitations his recep-
tivenesS and use of western ideas-a fact
which the world is growing to recognize.
He is willing to utilize modern progress as
a weapon by which Japan shall hold her
own among the nations of the earth, but
he is not willing to peri lit western ideals to
control his interior life.
The revolution in the position of women
wrought by the last twenty years or more
is admirably represented by the love of
Shibusawa for Kinsan. Divided by the rigid
bonds of caste. the lovers are hopeless of
happiness. 1t is only after years of strug-
gle and conflict, during which each has sue
ceeded miraculously in preserving an I'M
stained soul, that the changes for which
Shibusawa is largely responsible make their
union possible. In the meantime. in the
careers of KinSan of Takara-who is the
bride forced upon Shibusa wa-and of the
unhappy Nehachibana. the gamut of sor-
rows possible to Japanese womanhood is
run. In his love, well in his state
craft Shibusawa becomes the symbol of
the marvellous new Japan.
CHARLES GODFREY LELAND; a Btog-
raphy. BY Elizabeth Robins Pencil
In Two Volumes. With Illustrations.
Boston: Houghton. Miffiin & Co.
Mrs. Penneli has with infinite care and
scholarly discrimination completed life of
her uncle, the famous Hans Breitman,"
that has sure been labor of love and ap-
probation. To write Leland's life is, in a
measure, to chronicle the course of nine
teenth century literature. There are refer
ences to Motley, Lord Houghton, Caroline
Norton, Jean Ingelow, Barry Cornwall, Os-
car Wilde, Robert Browning, Bret Harte,
Walter Besant York Powell korner
Strauss, Washington Irving. Bulwer Iytton
Bancroft, Sarah Bernharot, Emerson, Low
ell. Holmes, Boxer, Dickens dad ,rany
others.
The book is full of letters and anecdotes
and is a very much more complete and
valuable memoir than the fragment pub
lshed by Leland himself. He was a schol-
ar as well as humorist: he spent a large
part of his youth in Germany and France
and many years of his life in the literar ~
whirlpool of London. He was lieutenant
on the northern side in the civil war, and
later was editor of the Philadelphia Press
He spent many years studying the Ian
guage and customs of the gypsies and In
dams and left all his papers. letters and
manuscripts in the hands of this niece.
Mrs. Pennell, wife of Joseph Pennel the
ously and delightfully."- Illustrated.
I WILL REPAY; Romance by the
Baroness Orczy, author of THE Scar
let Pimpernel." Philadelphia: ]. b
Lippincott Company.
The Baroness Orczy's new romance pre-
sents a plot as pregnant with interesting
situations as her earlier story. Like it, the
scene Is that of the French revolution. In
this case. however. the action takes place
in France. Juliette. the daughter of the ole
Due de Marry, is forced. at the age OF
fourteen, to take an oath to destroy the
man who has been the unwilling slayer OF
her brother The Due de Marry, half crazed
with age and misfortunes. can make no al
lowance for the fact that his dead boy had
forced the fatal duel upon Deroulede. The
girl is too young to resist the fearful inner
itance In pursuance of her oath she plans
a meeting with Deroulede, who rescues hei
from the Paris mob. In reward for this She
betrays him. AS soon as she has done 81
she realizes that she loves him, and find.
that he loves her. The suffering consequen
upon her act, the atonement she endeavors
TO make by the sacrifice of her own life
and the happy contamination of theiI
drama through the agency of an English
man who has made himself known the
"Scarlet Pimpernel," make story OF alb
sorbing interest. The scenes of the reigr
fst. Iii.