this country a copy of a second-rate British affectation. Persons of the best education and the highest social position in England generally say eether and neether" (see also p. 179 of this work). But in the same work we have nothing to say for his introduction of such a word as scunner (p. 257), which we guess" (though only from the connection) must mean prejudice or whim.

JOSEPH COOK'S "SOCIALISM."*-Joseph Cook's eighth and last volume is entitled "Socialism," and is partly on that subject and partly on others of a kindred nature.

It discusses the theories of socialistic political parties, powerfully advocates self-help as the hope of the poor, describes the coöperative stores of England, and the coöperative banks of Germany, and treats of sanitary and educational reforms, tramp laws and temperance. It is not a treatise; it contains no thoughts directly addressed by the author to the reader, but rather a record of what the author said, on certain occasions, to audiences in Boston. This fact is, as it should be, kept before the reader's mind. At the beginning of each lecture there are given the time and place of its delivery, and its number in the course, while the word "applause," frequently recurring, calls the reader's attention to the fact that the author is not actually addressing him, but is permitting him to know in what manner he once addressed certain other persons and how they received what was said. This makes the book more readable rather than less so, for it places one, in imagination, in the audience, and enables him to enjoy rhetorical periods, and to kindle his own emotions from those of others.

It follows that the volume should not be judged as a treatise; the critic has only to make up his mind whether the public addresses here recorded were good, and what were their particular merits. Poor lectures might possibly make a good treatise, but good lectures make necessarily rather a poor one. Mr. Cook's critics would all doubtless admit the above principles in theory, but some of them have forgotten it in practice, and have talked about his works as if they were originally written for print.

The present work is far too oratorical for a treatise, but none too much so for a course of lectures. It would be a serious de

* Socialism. With preludes on current events. By JOSEPH COOK. Boston: Houghton, Mifflin & Co. 1880. 12mo.

fect in a treatise on the subject here discussed not to contain a careful and extended analysis of the nature of socialism. A brief course of lectures outside of a class-room may be obliged to dispense with close definitions. A treatise ought not to use terms unscientifically, as the author does when he classes as "coöperative production," "coöperative distribution," and "coöperative consumption," three modes of industry all of which fall, scientifically, under the head of production; yet it would be pedantic to demand too fastidious a use of terms in a public lecture, provided no misunderstanding were occasioned. In a treatise such strained comparisons as that of the donkey in the tip-cart overbalanced and hoisted into the air by his load, would be out of place; yet this figure seems, from the applause which followed it, to have done good service as actually delivered.

Observant persons must notice the tendency of the age to substitute organizations for individuals in the owning and managing of capital; and this is done in many different ways, of which political socialism is only one. In some industries the end is accomplished by corporations, in some by cooperative societies, while in others, as in the postal service of this country, and in the railroad and telegraph service of many countries, the end can be best secured by state intervention. There is thus at work a very general movement, including political socialism and much beside, for which general movement there is no better name than socialism in the generic sense. It is partly voluntary and partly political, and, taken as a whole, it is natural, as distinguished from artificial.

Mr. Cook means by socialism only political socialism of a radical kind. This he discusses and very ably opposes, while he advocates with equal ability such forms of what we have termed generic socialism as are non-political. He emphatically condemns the nationalization of land, but eloquently advocates coöperative stores, banks, and manufactories. State-help on the one hand, self-help on the other, mark the difference between what, in his use of terms, is socialism and what is not; while, according to the nomenclature above suggested, they mark the difference between political and voluntary socialism. In this part of the discussion a treatise might be, perhaps, expected to define, in principle, the limits which modern society places on self-help; a brief course of lectures can do nothing so useful as to advocate eloquently and powerfully, as the lectures do, self-help as opposed 18

VOL. III.

to state-assistance, and thus do all that is possible to foster a spirit of personal independence.

The latter lectures and their preludes render valuable service in attacking evils of modern society. With them Mr. Cook closes a three years' course of lectures, which, estimated as public lectures of a scientific character, must be admitted to be marked with a very high degree of ability. If he shall ever choose to reconstruct them sufficiently to make them into treatises, it will be the proper time to criticise them as such.

THE UNDISCOVered Country.*-This last serial story in the Atlantic, from Mr. Howells, promptly given in the book-form, where it can be better appreciated and enjoyed, seems to have been already accepted as his best work. It has his characteristic grace of style, minute observation of nature, delicate delineation of character, and skillful conduct of conversation. The repose of his manner and his occasional felicities of expression wear well with the best class of readers. But this work has the advantage over its predecessors of a sincere moral purpose which makes itself felt without being too obtrusive for a work of art. It is a kindly exposure of the current spiritualism'-or what should rather be less ambiguously called 'spiritism,' as some have named it in the person of a sincere and amiable enthusiast of that school. This character is the better understood and delineated by virtue of sympathy with his aims and motives-a condition required for the highest criticism. The lesson is needed in our day, and not in our country alone. The superintendent of one of our hospitals for the insane not long ago reckoned the believers in spiritualism in this country,-meaning all who to some extent respected its theories and methods,-as not fewer than one-fifth of our population. With allowance for possible or probable exaggeration in the estimate, it suggests occasion for just such expositions as Mr. Howells has here given. We wish, however, that he had attempted some fuller explanation of the phenomena in question, particularly of the strange incidents in the tavern. There are things in mesmerism and biology, so-called, which scientific observers would do well to examine and expound more carefully. And we cannot help thinking the part of Dr. Boynton somewhat overdrawn, now and then provoking us to wish he had * The Undiscovered Country. By W. D. HOWELLS. Boston: Houghton, Mifflin & Co. 1880. 419 pages.

not been made so much of a fool. It seems to us also that in this work, as well as its predecessors, the conversations are sometimes too long. One of the best artistic features of the story is the portraiture of Shakerism, after the author's happiest manner, full of fidelity and kindliness. We may add that the 'realism' of the narrative might have been more complete if we had heard something more of the luggage that went astray toward Portland, which we imagine Bunyan or Defoe would not have lost sight of in the circumstances, especially as Egeria's borrowed waterproof turns up not without effect.

FAITH AND CHARACTER.*—This journal has before commended (vol. xxxviii, p. 289) a volume of Dr. Vincent's Sermons, entitled "Gates into the Psalm Country;" and we take pleasure in referring in similar terms to the present collection, or rather selection, of twenty sermons from the same author, preached to his congregation" of the Church of the Covenant." As he tells us, they are not "the methodical development of a single topic," yet are "not devoid of a certain unity," for "the two thoughts of faith and character underlie the whole book." They are earnest presentations of evangelical truth in a clear and manly style, with happy illustrations. Publishers have learned that good sermons make popular reading, and these will be proved such among intelligent Christian people. As a matter of taste we prefer the old way of printing the text instead of detaching it from the discourse as here.

AMERICAN PROSE.-This compilation, in one neat volume, from the seven eminent writers named on the title page-Hawthorne, Irving, Longfellow, Whittier, Holmes, Thoreau, Emerson -at once speaks for itself as one of the choicest books to be selected for any parlor-table, or for a gift to any intelligent friend. It is not made up of many brief scraps strung together, like some collections of what are called "Beauties" of an author, but each writer is fairly represented by one or more whole tale or essay, as for example, Irving by "Rip Van Winkle," while a brief, condensed account of himself and his works is given in the introduc*Faith and Character. By MARVIN R. VINCENT, D.D. New York. Charles Scribner's Sons. 1880. 376 pp.

+ American Prose: Hawthorne, Irving, Longfellow, Whittier, Holmes, Thoreau, Emerson with Introductions and Notes. By the Editor of "American Poems." Boston: Houghton, Osgood & Co. 1880. 424 pages.

tion, with the advantage of occasional notes. It is noticeable that most of these writers thus selected as fitly representing "American Prose," are among our best poets also-contrary to a common impression that the same authors seldom excel in both kinds of composition. Might there not be a place also in some such compilation for N. P. Willis, who, if not as eminent as those here named (yet not less so than Thoreau), was remarkable as a lively and graceful writer both in prose and verse, in spite of some affectations, and for a time a favorite author with young people in what is called light literature?