398 OUR MISSION. There is work we might be doing, If we wish some showy bauble If we wait for some great mission Say not that we have no mission, ney quick enough-indeed I would! At first the fire wouldn't draw at all. The kindlings all went out, and left the coal in the grate. Then I took out the coal with the tongs, piece by piece, and poked the finer ones down, and put on lots of kindlings, and it acted just as contrary as a-man! It would sort of kick and jerk, and then try its best to go out. Then it would spit a little, and sputter-sputtering is a kind of inanimate profanity-and then crack, and try to commit suicide and put itself out. Well, it put me out thoroughly, at least. I flew around and said it should burn-I'd make it burn-for I was in a hurry, and couldn't dress in the cold. So I opened the door a little ways, and it began to die for certain. Then I shut the door, and lifted the window-sash and propped it up, and drew a quilt around me, sitting down to watch what it would do. Then it saw it had to burn, and it got real mean. It began to smoke as wickedly as ever it could; and it filled my eyes till they smarted, and choked up my throat. I I jumped up don't like the thing a bit. and shut down the window-still it smoked. Then I opened the hall door, and it smoked still. Then I poked it up, and it puffed out volume upon volume in my face. Then I put in a kindling, and that that every thing will go wrong this morning, blazed a minute, and then it smoked too. whether or no. Here I am, nearly freezing, Then I fanned it, and tried to blow the chilled through and through to the bone, smoke in when it puffed out; but it only puffed out the more dreadfully. Now, I half dressed, the breakfast-bell rung ten minutes ago—all the rest of the folks down give it up, and sit here in the cold, shivstairs—and it is provoking enough that this ering. Let it smoke all it wants to-I See that!-puff! don't care! I'll pull the chimney down! chimney won't draw! puff! puff!—right out into my face, filling Well, I reckon it can't help it, either. the room with smoke, staining every thing It's that east wind blowing that makes every thing crooked and contrary. It's yellow, and making it smell sooty. It acts my opinion that the March and April just like a human being for stubbornness and impertinence. It won't draw, just because winds have never been converted; that you want it to; and it will smoke just be- they are possessed of evil spirits; for they tempt and try us poor mortals and us cause you don't want it to. Look at that! "aff, puff, again, clear out into the room, poor fires and chimneys terribly. There, now! Why, it has stopped smoking; it is were a boy, doing that sauciest of cy things, sticking his horrible blazing, and I believe it's going to burn! out at you and making faces. II guess the flue has got heated up. It noke was a boy, and I could hold it wasn't its fault so much; it was that hateful east wind! EMMA C. KENNEDY. THAT CHIMNEY.-It does seem to ne in the chim The Revelation of Explanatory, o both Pastors a COWLES, D. I ton & Co. R nati. About a year ble notice of Writings of S greet the pres interest. In introduction, authorship, of Revelatio Its ideas an to render t tical and, t carding th that its v tended to the auth and skill to the s and en which prophe all ful OUR BOOK TABLE. ition of John, with Notes, Critical, | ters, that "the time is at hand"-"the tory, and Practical, Designed for stors and People. By Rev. HENRY , D. D. New York: D. AppleRobert Clarke & Co., Cincin 0. year since we gave very favorae of the Commentary on the of Solomon, by Dr. Cowles. We present production with increased In a very compact and thorough on, covering fifty pages, the date, p, character, and interpretation tion is most admirably discussed. are fresh, attractive, and such as the sacred book thoroughly practo our notion, intelligible. Dishe theory so generally prevailing, visions and prophecies were inspread over all time to the end, or argues, with great simplicity , that the whole book was revealed even churches for their strength ouragement in the persecutions were soon to follow, and that its ies, comprehensible to them, were lled in the early times. To this endeavors to show that John was 1 to Patmos in the reign of Nero, - D. 65, instead of under Domitian, 5, and that the visions foretell the Jerusalem and Rome, and other which were just impending. The of Christ is supposed to be the adthe dispensation of the Holy Spirit anied by the Jewish overthrow, as in xiv; the present foreshadowing the advent, the type setting forth the spensation which is referred to in the chapters of Revelation. In taking und the author dwells with particuphasis upon the plain and repeated tions in both the first and last chap things which must shortly come to pass," and to the indications of the same in different portions of the book. Appended to the commentary is the dissertation on the "day-for-a-year" theory, which was published in the Commentary on Daniel. It is an admirable argument, and we think almost irrefutable. We have not seen the Commentary on Daniel, which we would like to examine. But we may say that after very careful reading of this volume on Revelation, we seem to have clearer light and more satisfactory intelligence as to the practical meaning and lessons of this prophecy so greatly obscured by many former interpreters, than we have ever gained' from any or all the predecessors of Dr. Cowles in its explication. If the views herein set forth can be justly maintained, and we do not see why they should not, the students of this portion of the divine word will be able to realize the peculiar "blessing" promised to him that readeth and those that hear the words of this prophecy. We speak candidly and earnestly. when we declare our opinion that this volume is one of the most valuable, as well as attractive, contributions to Biblical literature of modern exegesis. And we trust our ministry will hasten to examine its position and compare it with the views of standard commentators. English mind. This book shows that bias and prejudice do not warp the judgments and dwarf the fraternal feelings of all the foreigners who visit our land, and that the narrowness of the British isles does not incapacitate all their citizens from appreciating the immensity and variety of American scenery, and the freshness and originality of the American character. themes of this volume are chiefly from the FROM CARTERS, through Sutton & Scott, we have a series of discourses upon "The Lord's Prayer," by Rev. H. J. Van Dyke, Dr. Van Dyke is a D. D., of Brooklyn. model preacher of the pure gospel type, and these chapters on the several petitions of the "Model Prayer" are doctrinally instructive, practical, devout, and, we may add, unusually fresh. Almost every ister preaches a course of sermons on it, and then neglects to use it statedly in public worship. The perusal of this volume should quicken public conscience as to its frequent use, as it sets forth its wonderful compass and power in new light. min Chips from a German Workshop. By F. Max Müller. Vol. 3. Essays on Literature, Biography, and Antiquities. New York: Charles Scribner & Co. For sale by Geo. E. Stevens & Co., Cincinnati. New York: D. Appleton & Co. Sold by Is a new edition of one of the standard novels of a half-generation since. In RUTH HAWTHORNE, an attractive vol- cation. The brief preface better describes The above quaint title. is, despite its quaintness, a not untruthful description of the work. Max Müller is a German, now and for twenty years past Professor of "Modern European Languages and Literature" in the University of Oxford, England. He is also widely known as an oriental scholar of great accomplishments and learning. Other works have been issued by him upon the themes which have given him his renown. The "Chips" are a series of volumes, of which the one before us is the third, giving us the miscellaneous writings of the great German. They are excursions into other fields of literature, thrown off by a prolific pen; and embrace essays in literature, biography, and antiquities. As we might expect in such a volame, there is great inequality in the subjects discussed, some evidently the result of The Broken Bud; or, Reminiscences of a Be- To many a stricken heart this volume The Human Feet showing their n construction; condition; and toes, and other or corrected, w them elegant hints upon va whole subject 202 pp. Pric Wells, 389 B Who has no or ill-fitting sh woman, broug say with tru sound, and fr sible to hav and this wo plain, practi and mechan scientific, p Heart-ease, anthor o two vol & Co. Cincinn This is ingly go fore the romance fuence survive lives o tion t shows unart one. alon love Let real P di C an Feet, their Dress and Care, their natural, perfect shape and ction; their present deformed on; and how flat feet, distorted d other defects are to be prevented ected, with directions for dressing elegantly, yet comfortably, and pon various matters relating to the ubject, with illustrations. 12 mo, Price, $1.25. New York: S. R. 389 Broadway. as not suffered torture from tight ng shoes or boots? What man or rought up in civilized society, can truth, that his or her feet are d free from blemish? It is poshave sound feet on sound bodies, work shows how. Written in a actical manner, with physiological hanical illustrations, it is at once philosophical, and instructive. se; or, The Brother's Wife. By the of "The Heir of Redclyffe." In lumes. New York: D. Appleton For sale by Robert Clarke & Co., nati. s not a new story, but an exceedod one, worthy of being kept bepeople. The point of the whole is to show the increasing good inof a noble Christian life-how it the death of the individual, and a joy and blessing from generageneration. Our popular taste increasing appreciation of simple, cial, and home-life stories like this is a good sign. Loyalty to nature truth in art or literature, and the such loyalty is the love of truth. have all that is sweet, and pure, and t let us eschew the red pepper and Let us apply to literature the f Tom Corwin, when asked by his ostess whether he would have cons in his tea. "Only sugar and madam-no pepper or salt." Austen's Diamond. Eagle Crag. Belle s' Locket. Shawny and the Light above-named books are all from Carter & Bros., admirably gotten suitable for children and Sundaylibraries. Youthful Explorers in Bible Lands-Joppa and Jerusalem. Prepared and published under the auspices of "The Scholars' Holy Land Exploration" of the United States. By ROBERT MORRIS, L.L. D. Chicago: Hazlett & Reed. We learn from the preface that this is the first of a series of six books to be issued by the "Scholars' Holy Land Exploration," the grand aim of the series being to interest young minds in the land of the Bible; especially to publish the results of recent researches in Palestine in a style adapted to youth. Dr. MORRIS is known to the readers of Our Monthly as the author of the interesting papers on "Ancient Coins Found in Holy Soil." The pictures he has given of Joppa and Jerusalem, in the form of journals kept by young travelers are both instructive and entertaining. The mechanical execution does no particular credit to the Garden City. Opportunities; A Sequel to "What She Could." By the author of "The Wide, Wide World." New York: Robert Carter & Bros. For sale by Sutton & Scott, 178 Elm street, Cincinnati. We have no great liking for books that, like Melchisedec, are without "beginning of days or end of years”—a sequel to something else, and an unfinished something that demands another sequel. Miss WARNER writes very prettily. She wrote exWide, Wide World," but ever since she ceedingly well when she gave us "The has been working on a lower level. We suspect "Opportunities" will not float very far, even on the tide of "The Wide, Wide World." Books, like people, fail to flourish very long on their relatives. Isaac Phelps, the Widow's Son; or, the Rugged Way Made Smooth. By M. M. B. Boston: Henry Hoyt. For sale by George Crosby, 41 West Fourth street, Cincinnati. Price $1 25. More attractive-looking books for the young than those issued by Henry Hoyt do not come to our table. Incidents, trials, and victories of boy-life make up a story that has a good lesson on many a page, and that will, as the author hopes, help the young reader "to get bravely on in the battle of life." clearly to them. They venerated him as the prophet of the Supreme Deity, and, in this belief, developed before all other tribes the Apolline art of divination, in order to learn the divine will from auguries, sacrifices and dreams, and out of the mouth of inspired sybils." We shall look forward to the successive volumes of this learned work with much interest. It gives promise of being one of the best of modern contributions to that higher history which is not a record nor a chronology, but a science. The style is direct, perspicuous, manly, and the publishers' part is, as usual, all that could be desired. THE press generally is complimenting very highly a small volume-MY SUMMER IN A GARDEN, by Charles Dudley Warnerpublished by Fields, Osgood & Co.. Boston. These letters were originally written by the editor of a Hartford paper, for his own columns. Mr. Warner starts much as did Timothy Titcomb. His style is very quaint and humorous-of that gentle, subtle humor which is suggestive and stirring, not broad and overdone. The troubles of a gentleman gardener, especially in the line of early rising and "pusley," bugs, chickens, and other enemies of vegetable prosperity, are set forth very movingly. The readers of this book will certainly laugh and grow fat. The main objection we have to it is an introduction, by Henry Ward Beecher, which is not equal to the book itself. This thing of introductions has had its day; and we modestly suggest that Mr. Beecher is a little overworked. We welcome this first volume of a popular history of Greece, which will supply the want in regard to the literature of Greece which Mommsen's admirable history has just supplied in regard to Rome. The present volume brings the history down to the Persian wars. The chapter on the "Pre-historic Ages of the Helenes" is especially ful! and suggestive, and, under the light of the modern science of language, gives some new ideas touching the origin and composition of that most brilliant of early civilizations. The historian finds unmistakable traces of Monotheism in the earliest forms of Greek worshiptraces whose faint marks may be seen in the days of Paul on the altar dedicated to "the unknown God." Upon this point Dr. Curtius says: "Thus, through all the centuries of Greek history, the Arcadian Zeus, formless, unapproachable, dwelt in sacred light over the oak tops of the Lycæan Mountain. Long, too, the people retained a pious dread of representing the Divine Being under a fixed name, or by symbols recognizable by the senses. For, besides the altar of the 'Unknown' whom Paul acknowledged as the living God, there stood, here and there in the towns, altars to the 'pure,' the 'great,' the merciful' gods, and by far the greater number of the names of the Greek gods are originally mere epithets of the unknown Deity." The hints concerning the Trinity, which Prof. Tyler and others have pointed out in Greek history, is thus noticed by our author, without, however, any reference to its theological bearing: "The Lycians are especially familiar with the conception of Zeus as one in himself, but ruling the world in a three-fold form of Zeus Triopas. With this conception was combined the adoran of Apollo, in whom they thought - nidden Zeus revealed himself most THE STORY LIZZIE TOLD, by Mrs. Prentiss, author of "Stepping Heavenward," has reached us from A. D. F. RANDOLF, New York. It is a sweet and touching story, told by Lizzie, a poor humpback of London, of her short life and the reformation of her father through the influence of her sickness. Two beautiful illustrations heighten its impression, and it is exquisitely printed. As the price is only thirty-five cents, prepaid, by mail, we advise our lady readers, especially, to send for it. It is a gem. Nurse Grand's The author to his serm WE ha |