The Ascent of Woman. By Roy Devereux. 188 pp. 12mo, 90 cents; by mail, $1.00. Social Forces in German Literature. A Study in the History of Civilization. By Kuno Francke, Ph.D. 577 PP, Indexed. 8vo, $2.00; by mail, $2.21. In the Heart of the Hills. A Book of the Country. By Sherwin Cody. 294 pp. 12mo, 90 cents; by Six Modern Women. Psychological Sketches. By Laura Marholm Hansson. Translated from the German by Hermione Ramsden. 213 pp. 12mo, Herbart's A B C of Sense Perception, and Minor Peda- gogical Works. Translated by William J. Eckoff, Ph. D., P. D. D., author of "Kant's Inaugural Scientific and Intuitional Palmistry. By J. J. Spark, The Evolution of Bird-Song. With observations on the Influence of Heredity and Imitation. By Charles A. Witchell, author of "The Fauna of Glouces- tershire." 253 pp. Indexed. 12mo, $1.35; by The Education of Children at Rome. By George Clarke, Ph. D. 168 pp. 32mo, 57 cents; by The Ascent of Woman. By ROY DEVEREUX. I wrote "The Ascent of Woman" in the endeavor, doubtless vain, to kindle in the heart LONDON, August 6, 1896. Roy Devereux Elements of Deductive Logic. By NOAH K. DAVIS. I wanted a text-book on logic which, by clear and correct statements, would save me the annoyance of being pumped by querists, and my pupils the irritation of stumbling over blunders. Hence my essay. UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA, August 14, 1896. Social Forces in German Literature. Noah K. Davis. By KUNO FRANCKE. My aim in writing "Social Forces in German Literature has been to give to the American public a view of the great social movements which have shaped the development of German literature; to point out the relation of mutual dependence between German literature and the intellectual, moral, and religious condition of the German people in the successive ages of its history to represent, in a word, the history of German literature as an expression of the ideals of German civilization. HARVARD UNIVERSITY, Cambridge, Mass., July 10, 1896. КипоДалека Scientific and Intuitional Palmistry. By J. J. SPARK. My aims in writing "Scientific and Intuitional Palmistry" were to sift the wheat from the chaff on the subject; to place the study on a scientific basis as will appeal to intellectual people; to make the science and art easy of comprehension and practice; also to present it up to date. BOURNEMOUTH, England, July 22, 1896. J.J. Grovel In the Heart of the Hills. By SHERWIN CODY. You ask for "the figure in the carpet ❞—as Henry James expresses it in a recent story. His hero refused to disclose it, because it was so obvious. Mine is equally obvious, yet no critic has seemed to have an inkling of it. I will not be so hard-hearted as Mr. James's hero. "A book of the Country" I called it. I wished to incarnate in a book the true life among the hills, shirking none of its fitliness and sordidness and missing none of its beauty and sweetness. The first chapters were written as a protest against the unalleviated hardness Miss Wilkins has made us associate with all New England life, and as I wrote my ambition grew into the large one of realizing with absolute honesty the true country life. I suppose it is folly to expect that I have preserved the least glow of that impression I received on my first drive into the New England country. "This," I said, "is Paradise." My book gives the "corrected" impression. LONDON, June 13, 1896. Shenoin Cody. The Evolution of Bird-Song. By CHARLES A. WITCHELL. My purpose in writing "The Evolution of Bird-Song was not to call attention to the beauties of individual songs, which had often been done; nor to record their musical intervals, which had been frequently attempted; but I wished to prove that certain prolonged cries and songs can be traced to an origin in single notes, and also to direct attention to the family resemblances apparent between the cries of many allied species-a feature which, in view of the power of heredity in perpetuating the cries of certain kinds of birds, indicates a common ancestry between the species concerned. I was further desirous to indicate the influence of the environment of birds, in modulating their tones. In discussing these and many other matters incidental to bird song, I have endeavored to show that in any part of the world a person carefully observing the voices of birds might help forward the scientific investigation of this most interesting subject, which had never previously been treated in the way I have here briefly indicated. ELTHAM, Kent, England, July 18, 1896. Charlod Witchell. Six Modern Women. By Mrs. LAURA MARHOLM-HANSSON. In writing "Modern Women" it was not my purpose to contribute to the study of woman's intellectual life, or to discuss her capacity for artistic production although these six women are representative of woman's intellect and woman's creative faculty. There is only one point which I should like to emphasize in these six types of modern womanhood and this is the manifestation of their womanly feelings. They were out of harmony with themselves, suffering from a conflict which made its first appearance when the woman question came to the fore, causing an unnatural breach between the needs of the intellect and the requirements of their womanly nature. There are some hidden peculiarities in woman's soul, which I have traced in the lives of these six celebrated women. The Education of Children at Rome. By GEORGE CLARKÉ. is to place The object of my little book on the "Education of Children at Rome before persons interested in education a clear, and so far as possible, a full account of Roman ideas and methods in the moral and intellectual training of children, and to convey an idea of the status of teachers in the Roman community. Many of the questions under discussion among educators to-day were debated by Quintilian and other Roman teachers, so that the subject is one of practical, as well as historical interest to us. Montclair, Colo., July 13, 1896. George Clarke Herbart's A B C of Sense Perception. By WM. J. ECKOFF. Herbart is the watch-word of educational advance at present, as Pestalozzi was the watchword a half a century ago in the days of Horace Mann. Our public schools are on the Pestalozzian basis; they are endeavoring to reach the basis of Herbart. The present book condenses into a single volume a graded series of Herbart's writings, starting from the Pestalozzianism and culminating in the work made prominent in the title. It has been tested by practical application in our public schools. It is genuine Herbartian work in the classroom-not metaphysics; not psychology. NEW YORK, August 16, 1896. Uni J. Eckoff. The Monetary and Banking Problem. By LOGANʼG. MCPHERSON. "The Monetary and Banking Problem" grew out of my desire to outline the monetary subject in the perspective in which its passing phases can be seen and understood, which can be done by the light of evolution alone. This clear light, which the intellect of England's greatest philosopher has taught us how to use, makes plain that the present controversy as to gold and silver, important as it may be, is but one phase of a weightier and deeper problem which will press for solution through coming years. And I desired to point out the enormous power of the banks through the granting of discounts to confer benefit or wreak injury, a matter that is but little understood. PITTSBURGH, PA., August 14, 1895. TIMELY BOOKS ON THE CURRENCY. Interest in the currency in this country in the present campaign, centers on the free coinage of silver as a part of the broader controversy between bimetallism and monometallism. Even on this narrow issue, it would be easy to collect some three hundred titles published within five years and any extensive collection of the works, pamphlets and reports issued in the last twenty-five years since the question became a living issue, would be ten-fold this number. With this wide array of literature on the subject any list must be imperfect and any guide to readers must exclude a large number of works. The utmost that can be done is to cite the leading books now accessible. For any who desire to take a rapid survey of current opinion on the entire field of related subjects so as to get a general connected view of political economy, Prof. Hadley's "Economics" is the best American and Prof. Marshall's Principles of Economics" the best English work. The latter has had its first volume issued as Economics of Industry," and deals chiefly with the production of wealth. Mr. Hadley's work turns rather to exchanges in the wide sense and trusts, tariff, price, values, currency, transportation, etc., are fairly discussed in it. 66 "Money" by Dr. Francis A. Walker, published eighteen years ago, remains a most useful and most comprehensive discussion of the subject, particularly with reference to the history of economic doctrine. It is a large book and has also been issued in a smaller volume and its substance, in popular "Lowell" lectures, appears in “ Money in its Relations to Trade and Industry." Stanley Jevons' "Money and the Mechanism of Exchange," has been an authority for over twenty years. A more recent discussion, summarizing current doctrine, is Mr. Sidney Sherwood's "History and Theory of Money," based on lectures delivered in Philadelphia three years ago. "Money and Its Relation to Prices," by Mr. L. L. Price, is a short rapid summary of this phase, and the same subject, the effect on price of the change in the standards, is discussed in J. Shield Nicholson's "Treatise on Money,' from the bimetallic standpoint, being a reprint of his earlier work on money in 1888. of token or assumed money. Neither has attracted attention among political economists. In "A Breed of Barren Metal," another work which stands alone, Mr. J. W. Bennett shows that interest ought to be abolished altogether and both banking and currency "based" on all sorts of property. "Joint Metallism," by Mr. Anson Phelps Stokes, proposes the joint use of gold and silver in each payment on a plan never likely to be carried out. The early history of the origin of money has had its last full scientific discussion by William Ridgeway in his "Origin of Currency and Weight Standards," but no one is likely to read this who is not making an exhaustive study. Not so with Mr. W. A. Shaw's "History of Currency, 1252-1894," which represents the best discussion yet given of the historical facts in the use of money in Europe. Mr. Shaw's facts show that bimetallism has never really existed; but that countries have always see-sawed from gold to silver and silver to gold, as the real varied from the assumed ratio. Of an entirely different order are Mr. A. Delmar's "History of Monetary Systems and the "Science of Money." Both these works contain much research and they assemble a broad array of facts, but they need to be read with much discrimination and knowledge as to what statements can be accepted. The two leading pleas for bimetallism by economists of distinction are Dr. Francis A. Walker's "International Bimetallism" and President E. Benjamin Andrews' "An Honest Dollar." The former urges only international bimetallism and opposes free silver coinage. The latter urges free silver coinage The "History of Bimetallism in the United States, by Prof. J. Lawrence Laughlin, now at Chicago, reviews the subject fully, but only comes down to 1886. A short work "The Silver Situation in the United States," by Professor F. W. Taussig, of Harvard, sums the history of the metal in this country, but it does not take up the existing issue in a controversial spirit and is a treatise, though not long, rather than a mere campaign discussion. It is revised to 1893. "Silver in Europe," by the late Mr. S. Dana Horton, collects a number of speeches, papers, reports and proceedings of monetary conferences, etc., and gives a view of the situation on the subject of an international agreement in Europe down to 1893 by a man who believed it near. "Bimetallism," by Mr. H. D. Macleod is written from the English standpoint and Mr. Robert Giffen's "Case Against Bimetallism" is the strongest English argument against the step. Prof. W. G. Sumner's "History of American Currency," issued in 1873, revised in 1884, remains useful for reference and thorough reading, but for a survey of our past currency in all forms there is nothing better than Horace White's "Money and Banking." It begins with the Colonial period and in 468 12m0 pages, compact and accurate, reviews the entire currency problem; but the silver question only occupies the part in it which the issue bears to the whole field of money. Mr. Robert E. Preston, Director of the Mint, in "History of Monetary Legislation," has collected a number of facts and documents which illuminate the early adoption of monetary units in gold and silver by the United States and the work contains the speech of Mr. J. H. Echels, Comptroller of the Currency, on the present situation. "Cheap Money Experiments, reprinted from the Century, gives much of Colonial and continental experience in irredeemable money, cites Argentina and France, and has chapters on silver inflation, past and proposed. 66 "Money, Trade and Banking," by Mr. J. H. Walker, discusses the general principles of monetary exchanges from the standpoint of a banker, and its large sale has been due to the clarity with which banking principles are presented. The Principle and Practice of Finance," by Mr. Edward Carroll, on a larger scale, with a summary of banking laws, state and national, elucidates this subject, but it chiefly takes up the side of banking and the present issue is primarily one of metallic currency. The "Monetary and Banking Problem," by Mr. Logan G. McPherson, républishes three articles which appeared in the Popular Science Monthly for May, June and July, this year, explaining the working of bank credits in the conduct of trade and the exchange of commodities. In its closing chapters this work shows the relation between a fixed metallic unit of value and this fabric of banking credits. 66 A large part of the books just cited have been bred by the present situation. This is true of those by White, Money and Banking"; by Walker on International Bimetallism"; by Andrews on "An Honest Dollar"; by Taussig and Laughlin on "Silver in the United States," and Director Preston's work. There are also a large number immediately evolved by the current campaign. "Wages, Fixed Incomes and the Free Coinage of Silver," by Mr. Isaac Roberts, casts the argument against this step in a series of plain lucid dialogues, noticeably free from figures and perfectly comprehensible. It is one of the best which has appeared. A little 10-cent book, "Gold and Silver Question at a Glance," owes its chief value to its reprint of the "Evening Post Catechism," a most admirable piece of work, short and clear. "Gold and Silver," by Warner A. Miller, is a somewhat discursive argument against all money not of real value, silver or paper, and states both the argument and the record vigorously, though without much method. "A Coin Catechism," by Mr. G. K. Upton, reviews the whole issue as to basic principles, history and present condition in questions and answers. "Robinson Cruesoe's Money," by David A. Wells, is a fable which proved most useful in greenback days and it is now republished. "Coin's Financial School" is the most adroit and convincing book which has been written on the free silver side. Many errors and misstatements have been exposed in it, but it remains the leading plea on this side, and is a model of ingenuity. Mr. Horace White has subjected it to a drastic analysis in Coin's Financial Fool." "Bimetallism," by Mr. Wharton Barker, reprints the editorials in the Philadelphia American. It is an informed philosophical and sincere plea for the free coinage of silver. In this connection, Mr. Brooks Adams' "The Gold Standard," a pamphlet, and his recent work, a short 8vo, "The Law of Civilization and Decay," is by odds the ablest historical plea yet made against the gold standard. WITH THE NEW BOOKS. BY TALCOTT WILLIAMS, LL. D. The Talmud occupies much the same place in letters that Africa once did in geography. It was known to be large. It was much talked about. No one ever traversed it from end to end. One may add that in both cases the periodical discoveries of new travelers are always heralded as fresh facts and that the larger part of the area of both is a dreary and reasonless waste. Mr. Michael L. Rodkinson has begun the gigantic task of translating the Babylonian Talmud in ten or twelve octavo volumes of which the first on the "Sabbath" has just appeared. The translation is approved by the small group of men, not over five or six, competent to speak, and it is the first to be made in English. This comment on the Law, Mishna, with the comment on the comment Gemara, is written in a vein of episodical quotation which drives a western scholar, much more a reader, distracted. it is well to remember that the entire body of Mohammedan and much of Buddhist tradition has a like shape. Hellenic influence was nowhere more beneficient than in the different form it gave the New Testament although its soil and surrounding environment is reflected in the Talmud, whose chief occidental interest is reflected in this fact, though it is besides a vast storehouse of incident, habit, custom, shedding light to those who read its pages on all Semitic life. When this translation is completed a volume of selection should be com Yet |