more distinguished corps of lecturers brought together than in this volume, in which the Message of Christ to the Individual Man, to Human Society, to the Will, to the Scholar, to the Inner Life, and to the Family, is set forth by Professors A. V. G. Allen and F. G. Peabody, Dr. Munger and President Hyde, Dr. Henry van Dyke and Bishop Potter, successively. And so, through the life of his devoted disciple, perpetual effect in the University has been given to the life of Harvard's greatest preacher for the pointing of successive generations of students to the wellspring of life divine in Jesus. (Houghton, Mifflin & Co., Boston.) Suggestions toward an Applied Science of Sociology, by Edward Payson Payson, is more nearly a book on metaphysics than upon social science. The author attempts to construct a theory of man's relation to the universe which is neither distinctly materialistic nor distinctly spiritual. His general view, however, is that the physical side of man's activities is the one to which society can most helpfully address itself, and he consistently urges a comprehensive scheme of public philanthropy by which all the submerged and hampered children shall be provided with sufficient food, clothing, and lodging, and subjected in every way to such an environment as shall develop their powers. The book is more in line with German than American radicalism, as American radicalism stops short with public provision for the higher life of man, and—in the West especially-reduces to a minimum public provision for material wants. (G. P. Putnam's Sons, New York) POEMS Mrs. Trask's poem Under King Constantine has passed into a fifth edition; and in this latest form is a welcome addition to the holiday books, although it comes at the very end of the procession. (G. P. Putnam's Sons, New York.) Dr. W. R. Huntington's slender volume of verse, A Sonnet and a Dream, may occasion some surprise in the minds of those who know him only as the eminently successful head of a great city parish, as an organizer of unusual force, and as the most influential debater in the Episcopal Church. Dr. Huntington is all these things and much more. Behind his statesmanlike breadth of view and his lucidity of mind there is a genuine poetic quality-a fervor of spirit which at times flashes through his discussions and illuminates his work. In this tiny volume there are many evidences of the fervor of his nature, of his poetic feeling, and of certain sacred experiences in his own life which find no expression in words, but which contribute to the depth and richness of his thought. Dr. Huntington is especially happy in his use of the sonnet form; and there is a tonic quality in these brief, condensed, and clearcut verses. They are notable for definiteness, clearness, and sanity; and they have all the more of comfort and light in them because they have their roots in dark experiDr. Huntington does not solve the problem of life easily, nor does he write about it fluently. Its tragedy is open before him; the object of its grief he has fe't himself. He writes, therefore, soberly and with a touch of pathos, and yet always with a resolute and contagious faith. (The Marion Press, Jamaica, N. Y.) ences. NOVELS AND TALES The latest volume in the biographical edition of Thackeray's works contains The Christmas Books, and very appropriately makes its appearance on the edge of the holidays. The introduction, which covers the period from 1847 to 1855, is delightful for its illustrations, which are full of the Thackeray quality, and also for the information which it throws upon the occasions and circumstances which suggested the writing of the different stories. (Harper & Brothers, New York.) M. Rostand's huge success with the play "Cyrano de Bergerac " has naturally attracted other writers to the subject. The novel by Louis Gallet called Captain Satan; or, The Adventures of Cyrano de Bergerac, has the merit of not imitating the play at all closely, while it differs from the actual history of the real Cyrano also quite as much if not more than does the play. It is a lively tale something after the Dumas type, and may be read with pleasure, although it has no approach to greatness in any way. (R. F. Fenno & Co., New York.) SCIENCE Professor William H. Chandler, of Lehigh University, has edited a three-volume work of reference, an epitome of universal knowledge, called Chandler's Encyclopædia. Many emnent scientists and writers have contributed and assisted. We believe that editor and publishers are right in holding that there is a place for a moderate-sized, moderate-priced encyclopædia, which shall have a wide range in subject and shall aim at comprehensive ness rather in the number of subjects treated than in the length of the articles. If we were to criticise a work which has, on the whole, been done excellently, it would be to the effect that the editor has sometimes carried this idea to an extreme; it would be possible to eliminate some scores of unimportant titles and use the space gained to advantage in lengthening other articles. In the direction of science it is particularly full and satisfactory. We have tested the book to some extent in the field of American biography and have not found it lacking. There are many good maps and hundreds of illustrations -the latter unequal in quality. (Peter F. Collier, New York.) The American Woods, by Romeyn B. Hough, is more than a text-book; it is, one may almost say, a portable cabinet as well. With the explanatory and descriptive matter are sent out neatly prepared cards containing each three thinly cut specimen sections of the actual wood, cut transversely, radially, or tangentially. These specimens are beautiful to the eye in themselves, and teach the essential facts about the wood-fiber better than could any amount of printed text. The volume, apart from the specimens, is compact with all possible scientific and industrial information about the twenty-six varieties of American woods considered in this, which is Part I. of a work the completion of which will, we hope, not lack support. (R. B. Hough, Lowville, N. Y.) TRAVEL AND EXPLORATION on the recent history and prospects of the Congo State. Mr. Stanley repudiates with some indignation the lately advanced idea that the Congo Free State is among the "dying nations," and advances many facts which go far to show that its future is bright. Captain Burrows's book is written in a manly and simple way. It is fully illustrated from photographs. (T. Y. Crowell & Co., New York.) HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY In the volume called First Steps in the History of Our Country the authors, Dr. W. A. Mowry and Mr. A. M. Mowry, have followed the original idea of telling the country's story in thirty-seven biographical narratives. Beginning with Columbus and ending with Clara Barton and Thomas Edison, these simply told stories are decidedly of a character to interest the young scholar. (Silver, Burdett & Co., Boston.) The Life of Charles Stewart Parnell, by B. Barry O'Brien, is a capital piece of work. The narrative is aglow with the author's enthusiasm both for the leader and the cause, but the warmth of this devotion does not at the critical point turn a wholesome biography into an unwholesome eulogy. It is a satisfactory biography of a remarkable man, and presents in vivid outline one of the most important chapters in modern English history. (Harper & Brothers, New York.) Books Received For the week ending December 30 Forman, S. E. First Lessons in Civics. 60 cts. BROTHERS OF THE BOOK, GOUVERNEUR, N. Y. Bragdon, Claude Fayette. The Golden Person in the Heart. T. Y. CROWELL & CO., NEW YORK Hall, Newman. An Autobiography. $3. DOUBLEDAY & M'CLURE CO., NEW YORK Smith, George Adam. The Life of Henry Drummond. $3. 70 cts. GINN & CO., BOSTON Stickney, J. H., and Ralph Hoffmann. Bird World. The first authentic information about the diminutive races of Central Africa came, we believe, from the Emin Re.ief Expedition, although the existence of such tribes had been noted and rumored by previous explorers. Captain Guy Burrows, while in the service of the Congo Free State, was called by his duties to the great territory through which the so-called pigmies are scattered, interspersed curiously among tribes of ordinary natives. His book, The Land of the Pigmies, is by no means confined to the little people, Carus, Paul. Godward. but contains a readable account of extended exploration and a still more readable study of African manners, customs, and supersti tions. Mr. Henry M. Stanley furnishes an introduction which throws much needed light LONGMANS, GREEN & CO., NEW YORK Rogers, Arthur. Men and Movements in the English Church. $1.50. THE OPEN COURT PUBLISHING CO., CHICAGO, ILL. OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS (AMERICAN BRANCH), NEW YORK The More Excellent Way. Compiled by the Hon. Mrs. Neff, Silas S. Talks on Education and Oratory. R. H. RUSSELL, NEW YORK The Religious World Dr. Harper on Theological Seminaries No man in the country is better fitted to speak on Theological Seminaries than President Harper, of Chicago University. He speaks as one who has been a seminary professor, who all his life has been a specialist in Biblical study, and who also is in close touch with the larger world of a great university. Whether right or wrong, President Harper expresses a conviction which is felt by many people, and which seems to be gaining ground. We have no sympathy with mere destructive criticism, but Dr. Harper is not destructive. His words are so important that we give them large space and advise a careful reading. They are quoted from the Chicago" Standard:" There is still another readjustment needed; and now I appreciate the fact that I am treading upon dangerous ground. I refer to the work of the theological faculty. In what I say, however, I have nothing in mind which is peculiar to the work of our own divinity school. The organization of instruction in the theological schools of all Christian denominations is practically of one type. The variations are very slight. This type is that which has come from the New England theological seminary. There is not time this evening to enter upon a specific criticism of this type of organization and arrangement of work. It is sufficient to say that the environment in which it had its origin has utterly changed, while the thing itself stands almost unchanged in a hundred years. There is great unrest in the minds, not only of practical men, but as well of those who view the matter from the point of view of scholarship, with respect to the present character of the theological seminaries of this country. There is just ground for the complaint, which is now becoming general, that the whole question of theological instruction, its tendencies and its methods, deserves a full and complete investigation. The theological seminaries are not in touch with the times. They do not meet the demands of the times. They are not preparing men for the ministry who are able to grapple with the situation in which the Christian Church to-day finds itself. These men are prepared, perhaps, to solve the problem of rural parishes, but they are for the most part unfitted to deal with the urban problems. The old and artificial distinction between Old Testament exegesis and New Testament exegesis, ecclesiastical history and dogmatics, is one which cannot be maintained. The Old Testament student takes up no problem that does not require of him the use of the New Testament, and the New Testament student cannot deal intelligently with a single subject who has not considered that subject in all its details from the Old Testament point of view. The introduction of Biblical theology as distinguished from dogmatic theology has produced confusion in the organization. One-third to one-half of the time of the theological student is wasted in this vain effort to accommodate himself to the requirements of the so-called departments, involving artificial distinctions which exhaust his patience and his time. A new order of things is demanded, and the indications seem to point to the introduction of this new order of things in the opening years of the coming century; but meanwhile we are drifting, and precious time is being lost. I raise the question whether our divinity school may not be one of the pioneers in readjusting the work of training men for the ministry to the new conditions which exist to-day. To do this will require courage and great skill. I do not have in mind the question of creed or doctrine. My thought relates exclusively to the form and method of work, the external situation which has developed, and the eradication of what seems to me to be the artificial method now employed in most of our divinity schools and the substitution of a true university method. A Church School Its sewing-school is The Church of the Holy Communion in New York has long since established its right to be considered one of the pioneer churches in philanthropic work. It also may claim to be one of the first churches to apply the best scientific knowledge to its work; to place all its teaching on the pedagogical foundation; to grade its work wherever teaching is done, whether intellectual or manual; and perhaps to this application of the best principles to church work may be traced its great success in all its secular work. now in its fourth year. The sessions of the school are held on Saturday morning, and the teaching done covers the whole subject of sewing from the first stitches to the cutting and making of dresses. The school has also made a connection that enables it to carry on its work in connection with the near-by working-girls' club under teachers from the Teachers' College. In connection with this special department of sewing music has a prominent place. In the primary and intermediate departments of the sewing-school kindergarten songs are taught, and in the advanced department at each session the pupils are given the opportunity to hear the best music rendered by the best piano performers that can be secured. In the lower grades of the sewing-school each child contributes the sum of one, two, three, or four cents, according to the grade in which she is placed. In the embroidery course the pupils give their services as teachers in the other courses. In this way each is made to feel that she is paying at least in part for what she receives. The school is in session at the Parish House, 49 West Twentieth Street, from ten to twelve. Visitors are cordially received. A Church for Deaf-Mutes There is no more beautiful Christian work than that among the deaf-mutes. In this line of service the Rev. Thomas Gallaudet, D.D., is beyond doubt the foremost individual in this country. On Monday, December 27, Bishop Potter conducted the consecration ceremonies of St. Ann's Church for Deaf-Mutes, in One Hundred and Fortyeighth Street, near Amsterdam Avenue. Of this church Dr. Gallaudet is the rector. In the audience there were about two hundred deaf-mutes, and all that was said was translated into their language for them. There was no singing, and the church has no place either for choir or organ. This new church has been erected with the proceeds of St. Ann's old church in Eighteenth Street. It is a beautiful building, with a seating capacity of about three hundred. Under the auditorium is a large room intended for social work. Other men in New York have wider fame and others are in receipt of larger salaries, but it is doubtful if any minister in any denomination has ever been permitted to do a more Christlike work than the venerable rector of St. Ann's, who has so long and so devotedly served those who are so largely secluded from communication with the outside world. Death of the Founder of the Fulton Street Prayer-Meeting For many years, we believe since the remarkable revival of 1858, the Fulton Street Prayer-Meeting has been one of the institutions of New York. In its way it has exerted an influence for good which can hardly be estimated. It was started by Mr. Jeremiah C. Lamphier, who died of old age on Monday, December 26. Mr. Lamphier has been a very interesting figure in the religious life of New York. At one time he was a tailor, but that was in the days when the retail business of the city was in the region of Maiden Lane. His religious life began in the Broadway Tabernacle while the Rev. E. W. Andrews, D.D., was pastor. Mr. Lamphier was a member of the choir in that church, and later of the choir of Dr. Cuyler's church, then located in Market Street. In 1857 he gave up his business and began to devote himself entirely to missionary work in New York, under the direction of the Consistory of the North Dutch Church. After that time he gave himself entirely to city mission work until old age compelled him to retire from active service. In the Fulton Street PrayerMeeting he was a familiar figure, and in its success was always deeply interested. He was a good example of what earnestness and devotion to a single object may do in the way of promoting the religious life of a great city. Missionaries and Christian Unity The missionaries of the Christian Church are not only the pioneers of Christian work on the frontier of civilization, but many of them are among the best scholars and the ablest leaders in all those great movements which have to do with the kingdom of God throughout the world. In many ways these facts have been proven. Missionaries, as a rule, are not narrow men. Contact with unChristian nations seems to enlarge their horizons and give them a truer perspective concerning their own religion. The missionaries in China have just issued a notable declaration concerning Christian unity. The signers represent almost every Protestant denomination and nearly every Christian nation. The inception of the declaration is said to belong to Dr. Griffith John, the great English Congregational missionary, and his name heads the list. The apparent difference in religion due to the diversity of sects is always an obstacle to Christian work, especially in the foreign field. To meet, and, so far as possible, to counteract this influence, this statement is issued. It is signed by ten Congregationalists, six Baptists, eighteen Presbyterians, thirteen Methodists, thirteen Wesleyans, and one Anglican. The declaration is as follows: We, the undersigned missionaries, desiring to express to the world our heartfelt unity in regard to the essential points of our Christian religion, and longing to fulfill the desire of our blessed Saviour and Master, expressed in His prayer, John xvii., verses 11, 20-23, that His disciples should be one as He and the Father are one, hereby declare that in our united services, as well as in our daily intercourse with each other, we realize ourselves to be one in the Father and in the Saviour. Christianity is not so much a system of doctrines as it is a new life, born of the Spirit of God, a life of vital union with God through the Saviour. All those who, by the grace of God, have received this new life are living members of Christ's body, and are therefore one. CHRIST HIMSELF IS THE CENTER OF OUR UNION. We may still have different views and opinions on several minor questions of our religion, and may follow different methods of Church policy and Christian work, as each one's conscience directs him, but yet we feel WE ARE ONE by the Blood of Jesus, our only Saviour and Mediator, and by His Spirit, who moves our hearts. We are like different battalions of one great army, fighting under one great Captain (ie., our conmon Saviour and Master) for one great end-the proclamation and establishment of Christ's kingdom throughout the world. IN CHRIST WE ARE ONE. An Opportunity to Help Atlanta Atlanta University is one of the most useful institutions in all the South. It has a noble history, and its President and professors are working for humanity through it, in a way which must command the admiration of all who love their country and their fellow-men. We quote from a circular-letter recently sent out by the Executive Committee. In giving publicity to the detai s of this appeal we are making an exception which an intimate knowledge of the circumstances seems to us to justify : At the recent public meeting in the Brick Church in New York, in the interest of Atlanta University, a gentleman was present who happened to be stopping in the city over Sunday and had seen the announcement of the meeting in the paper. So interested was he in the exercises of the evening that, a few days later, he not only sent his check for $1,000, but offered in addition to become one of ten persons to give $1,000 a year for two years. His desire was that the Trustees shou'd plan to find contributors among those who, like himself, had not previously manifested any special interest in the work of the University, so that the help thus secured might be in addition to the regular income annually received. It was to relieve this strain and bridge over a short period in which some more permanent endowment might develop, that he made this generous offer and gift. The plan is both desirable and practicable. It ought to be realized. The names of the Executive Committee issuing this appeal are: President Horace Bumstead; George G. Bradford, of Boston; Atwood Collins, of Hartford, Conn.; Daniel Merriman, D.D., of Worcester, Mass.; the Rev. Joseph H. Twichell, of Hartford; Arthur C. Walworth, of Boston, and Dr. Charles Cuthbert Hall, of Union Theological Seminary, all of whom would be glad to receive communications on the subject. Surely there ought to be nine other men or women in the United States able and willing to help this noble institution to the extent of one thousand dollars each for two years. Evangelization in France The current number of the "Huguenot Quarterly," published in the interests of the evangelization of France, shows more work done than is generally known. Through the Christian Endeavor Societies, the Young Men's Christian Associations, the various mission chapels and Reformed Churches, a goodly scattering of the seed is being mare, and the prospect is brignt. The present political crises have brought the Protestants into grave peril, for the priests and Ultramontane party have been trying to stir up the politicians and the people against them. "This year President Faure traveled through resentative of the Reformed Church, being the west of France. In each place the reppresented to him, seized the opportunity to by the Church in the press, in lectures, and protest against the accusations brought forth approval of the President, who promised that in pamphlets. The protests received the his government would enforce religious freedom." That such protests were deemed necessary shows the bitterness of the feeling, and indicates that a crisis may be nearer than we think. To offset it, however, is the report from La Rochelle, the old Huguenot stronghold that was besieged and destroyed by Richelieu. There the Catholic Bishop himself, in addressing the President, advocated tolerance, and predicted that it would be the law of the twentieth century. Whether a demonstration is made against Protestants in the near future or not depends on which one of these parties in the Church gets the immediate control. Last year the Woman's Huguenot Auxiliary of New York contributed over $2,500 to the work in France. The "British Weekly " The two great religious weeklies of Great Britain which represent Nonconformists are the "Christian World" and the "British Weekly." The former has the larger circulation, and is much older. It is invaluable as a religious newspaper. No event of importance in the ecclesiastical world often escapes its search. The British Weekly" is more literary, and makes a feature of its editorials and occasional contributions. The Christmas number is used by the editor as an occasion for a partial review of what the paper has tried to do and what it has suc |