Books Of The Day.

BOOKS OF THE DAY .

Books , Music , & c . intended Tor review , should be addressed to the Editor of the Freemason ' s Chronicle , at Fleet Works , New Barnet . — : o : — On Human iMature as an excuse for sin : an essay addressed to Christians . By Maurice C . Hime . LL . D ., sometime headmaster of Foyle College , Derby ( is ) . —T- and A . Churchill .

OUR distinguished Brother has here given us m permanent form the wise remarks which he delivered this spring before the Y . M . C . A . of Londonderry . The subject of which he treats is one to which it is always difficult to draw ladequate attention , and is perhaps , on the whole , more fitted for the study than the parlour ; but we should regard it as a good sign if we heard-that in the

study at least this little book were carefully read . There , is not too much really good literature of this description , and that little is seldom read . We would heartily advise those young men who are commencing the study of ethical subjects to read this admirable little book , and they will be dullards indeed if they fail to see that Dr . Hime has told them much in few words , and that what he has

said it always distinguished by common sense and ardent desire for the welfare of mankind . One of our millionaires should distribute copies of this book in every town—they will probably put their money to far worse usage . Dr . Hime has deserved well at our hands , and we trust he will see due reward for his philanthropic labours .

Molly . Bawn , By Mrs . Hungerford ( 6 d ) . —George Newnes , Limited . READERS of Mrs . Hungerford's story , and they are legion , will accord a hearty welcome to this cheap reprint . We can never have too much of what is in itself true and noble , and it is only fair to say that such qualities are always present in the stories of Mrs .

Hungerford . These is a briskness of action in the volume before us which never fails to attract , and a , deal of that natural , unsophisticated philosophy which is at once the salt and seasoning of prose fiction . Nor is "Molly Bawn" a story to be read rapidly and then thrown away for ever ; it should rather be carefully

reread " after many days . " For its characters are drawn by one who knows the world and its thousand ways and whims , and who can impart a charm to the commonplace and beauty to the prosaic . We must ' again congratulate Messrs . Newnes on a happy selection —a most excellent addition to a now famous series .

Captain Bluitt , By Max Adeler ( Charles Heber Clark ) . Illustrated ( 6 s ) . —Ward , Lock and Co ., Limited . THE return of Max Adeler ! There is hope for the world yet . Readers of " Out of the Hurly Burly" must have long given up all hopes of another book from the pen that wrote that incomparable miscellany ; but here at last is another volume by Max Adeler , and

one of good dimensions . We shall certainly discount no man ' s pleasure by " giving away the , show , " but will content ourselves by the bare assertion that Captain Bluitt is as good in his way as the worthy who figures in "A Master of Craft , " 'and Mr . Adeler will probably think that we can pay him no higher compliment . He has himself told us , in a word of preface , that he has changed his opinion on some matters since he wrote his early , his professedly it for

humorous books , and he seems to t ^ ke granted that readers will now regard him as a new writer . We venture to think that many of his readers will recognise the old hand , and will read " Captain Bluitt" and bless the gods who endowed them with life sufficient for the purpose . Alas for the books that he has NOT written during the last twenty years— " the books that never can be mine . "

New Century Library ( 2 s net per vol . ) . —T . Nelson and Sons . The Works of SIR WALTER SCOTT , Bart . Vol . xviii ., Redgrauntlet . THE doinsrs of Darsie Latimer and Alan Fairford , and the great lawsuit Peebles v Plainstanes , are likely . enough to furnish favourite reading till the crack of doom . It is difficult at times to

discriminate judiciously between what is ephemeral and what is of permanent interest ; but " Redgauntlet" contains so much which is true to nature and so much more which is peculiar to Scottish life and manners that it is not likely to be readily superseded . We confess to a strong preference for the first half of " Redgauntlet "; for we have always thought that Herries and Joshua Geddes are more real , more striking characters than the disguised Pretender .

But the whole book is one which no gentleman s library should be without : cela va sans dire . " It is full of rare and racy episodes , as , for instance , "Wandering Willie's Tale , " and the Quaker ' s Adventure with Little Benjie . The former is one of the most powerful short stories ever penned , and the writer who could contribute its like to a magazine would certainly come into the heritage of a great reputation . You have read this book before ; read it again .

Vol . xix ., The Betrothed , and Chronicles of the Canongate , & c , & c . TRERE is no accounting for tastes . "The Betrothed" has always seemed to us inferior to the short stories that are usually bound within the same cover— " The Two Drovers , " " Highland Widow , " and "The Chronicles of the Canongate . " It is doubtless

quite nossible that he who should . attempt to improve " The Betrothed " by re-writing it would find he had undertaken a difficult task ; but we usually judge the novels of Scott by his own standards , and not with the works of other men . We have always felt that this story of the Welsh Castle in troublous days is hardly worthy of the hand that wrote "The Heart of Midlothian " j but , on the

Books Of The Day.

other hand , we have seen the mark of the master in the slight , unpretentious , but truly clever story of the " Two Drovers . " It is indeed a brief tragedy so strongly conceived that it has claims

upon our notice which have hardly been yet satisfied ; it is simple , unadorned , and severe as . a Greek play . Messrs . Nelson , by reissuing the Waver ley Novels in so handy a form , have enabled us to carry about with us a world of entertainment in a small pocket .

Stories from South African History . Edited by Wm Moxon . Illustrated ( 3 s 6 d ) . —Griffith Farran Browne and Co . . Limited . A Double Choice . By James Baker ( 6 s ) . —T . Fisher Unwin .

BOOKS RECEIVED .

Jack Ralston or the outbreak of the Nauscopees . A tale of life in the far north-east of Canada . By Hampden Burnham , M . A . ( 5 s ) .- —Thos . Nelson and Sons . For the Colours . A boys' book of the army . By Herbert Hayens . With numerous illustrations ( 6 s ) . —Thos . Nelson and Sons .

Herb of Grace . By Rosa Nouchette Carey ( 6 s ) . —Macmillan and Co ., Limited . A Kentucky Cardinal and Aftermath . By James Lane Allen . With illustrations by Hugh Thomson ( 6 s ) . —Macmillan and Co ., Limited .

Old KingCole ' s Book of Nursery Rhymes . Macmillan and Co ., Limited . New Century Library ( 2 s 6 d net ) . —T . Nelson and Sons . The Works of J BVNYAN . The PiSgrrim ' s Progress , The Holy War , and Grace Abounding .

****************** There is a proposal in an English Province to form a Lodge for Aldermen and Councillors . It is pointed out that the London County Council Lodge , a similar Lodge in the Borough of Islington , and others , have met with success .

The gentlemen having the suffrage of the Municipality of Glasgow , from the Hon . Lord Provost down , are largely composed of members of the Craft . A City of Glasgow

Lodge , where our civic rulers could meet away from the strife of Corporation debate would , no doubt , do much to tone down the bitterness which occasionally arises in Council . — " The Mallet , " in " Glasgow Evening News . "

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