LITERARY NOTICES by Editor

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Jan 13, 1904

LITERARY NOTICES.

By Editor

“By Land and Sea through Five Continents.” By G. C. Tenney. Illustrated, 392 pp. Price, $1.50. Review & Herald Publishing Company, Battle Creek, Mich.

Starting from the interior of this country the author journeys westward through the Golden Gate, carrying us with him to the islands of the Pacific, including Hawaii and lonely little Pitcairn, “Brighter Britain,” and the “Southern Continent” of Australia, to far-off India, to Egypt, to the Holy Land, to Southern Europe, and back to America. The conductor of our journey observes keenly, passes lightly over the longer traveled paths, and treats more fully the unfamiliar. It is profusely illustrated, is full of information which can be depended upon, is good in moral tone, and entertaining.

“The Best American Orations of To-day.” Compiled by Harriet Blackstone. 292 pp. Cloth, gilt title and side stamp, $1.25. Hinds & Noble, 31-35 15th Street, New York.

This book contains seventy-five different selections from the best prominent public men in America. It aims to present their best thoughts, in which the compiler has had the co-operation of the authors. It is a useful and helpful compendium.

“Cogitations of a Crank.” By Septimus Winner, author of “Listen to the Mocking Bird.” Published by Drexel Biddle, Philadelphia, Pa. Cloth, 112 pp. Price not given.

The contents of this little book of poems is very different from what the title would indicate. While not polished in style, the compositions are elevating in character. The poetry in some instances comes very close to crudity; but under the roughness of the expression there generally stands a frank, manly truth. The poems are religious in character, and well worth reading.

“The Being with the Upturned Face.” By Clarence Lathbury. Cloth, 179 pp. $1.00 net. Funk & Wagnalls Company, New York City.

This book is noticed here not because of its intrinsic worth—the well written and tastefully printed and bound—but because it is symptomatic of a condition widely prevalent just now. There is a movement from beneath whose tendency is to deify the human and bring the divine down to our level; and such is the teaching of this book. The author calls this movement “the transmutation of matter into divinity.” It is in reality an attempt to make a new Bible with man for its god, with power in himself to bring about any necessary renewing of his physical, moral, or spiritual faculties. That the author hardly believes in the necessity of any such renewing is shown by such expressions as these: “It is fitting for us to unloose our shoes and bare our heads before the majesty of ourselves;” “We must be approached with awe, measured by love, reverence, faith;” “Every person is a new incarnation of Deity;” “We are coadjutors of the First Cause;” “We are not so very far behind Him.” These are the bold assertions of man to prove that man is even a greater and more perfect being than God really created him—an attempt to make the race believe our experience in sin has done for us what Satan declared it would do, and in this to make the plain declaration of God untrue. To further this absurdity, the author of necessity links with it the falsehood of the tempter uttered in Eden, the immortality of man. Satan declared, “Ye shall be as gods.” The author of this book declares, “Fundamentally all are divine.” “The mingling of God and man is not strange, because His nature and ours are identical.” Satan’s contradiction of God in Eden was not more pronounced than is this; for this is but a repetition of that, a perpetuation of the self-worship, which has brought into the earth. This book with the movement for which it stands, is but another of those influences which are to be expected in these last days. Christ asked: “When the Son of Man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?” Such works as the book above referred to are doing all they can to make a negative answer necessary.

“Tittlebat Titmouse.” A revised edition of Samuel Warren’s novel, “Ten Thousand a Year.” Edited by Cyrus Townsend Brady, and published by Funk and Wagnalls, New York City. Cloth, illustrated, 464 pp. Price, $1.50.

This book is a novel—probably good as novels go—a class of literature which we have neither time to read nor inclination to recommend.

“Twelve Letters to My Son.” By G. J. F., D.D. Published by the Nunc Licet Press, Philadelphia and London. Cloth, large type. 193 pp. Price, 75 cents, net.

This book purports to be a series of twelve letters, which a father writes to his son concerning the Bible. It is in fact simply a setting forth of Swedenborg’s attitude toward the Scriptures, his views of scripture inspiration and his method of scripture interpretation. It is too bad to see these delusive errors perpetuated under so deceptive a title.

“Tolstoy and His Message.” By Ernest H. Crosby. Cloth, 93 pp. Price, 50 cents net. Funk & Wagnalls Company, 30 Lafayette Place, New York City.

This little book is a condensed interpretation of the doctrines of Count Leo Tolstoy, by one of his American admirers, prefaced by a short sketch of Tolstoy’s life and works.

“Builders of the Beautiful.” By H. L. Piner. Cloth, 5x8 1/4 in. 303 pp. Price, $1.50 net. Funk & Wagnalls Company, New York and London.

The effort of the author is to show that man makes of himself in ugliness or beauty what he is. As he expresses it, “Properly analyzed, all men are what they seem to be.” This may in a sense be true, but not absolutely, else why all the deceptions in this world. The entire book is a mixture of half-truths and grand truths in false settings. Its general trend is away from the only faith which can save, belief in and union with Jesus Christ.

“Half-a-Dozen Housekeepers.” By Kate Douglas Wiggin. Illustrations in colors. Decorated cloth, 162 pp. Price 75 cents. Henry Altemus Co., Philadelphia, Pa.

This book is a story for girls in which half a dozen girls spend a two weeks’ vacation from seminary life taking care of themselves at the home of one of the girls while the parents of the young lady were themselves on a vacation. The amusing experiences of the young women in keeping house by themselves are told in an entertaining manner, as also the various amusements which they instituted for their own and their visitors’ entertainment. The book is remarkably free from the sentimental gush so dominant in the light literature of the day. Its aim is simply to entertain, and it is done in a clean way.