the reductio ad absurdum in dealing with the religious systems that obtain currency in the present circles of fashionable society; still the work will reflect no great credit on the author. The plan was evidently incomplete in his mind when he commenced his task; there are constant tendencies to extreme in his plotting of circumstances and portraiture of characters; there are too many personalities-the names both of places and individuals are such slight variations from the real ones, that it will seem to many little else than a series of personal attacks ; and the maintenance of the allegorical form is often accomplished only by the sacrifice of naturalness and force. The author has evidently mistaken his sphere, and misapprehended not a few of the conditions of success in the department of writing he has here chosen. We cannot predict for these volumes any long or wide popularity, as we cannot accord to them any very substantial merits. If Dr. Wayland feels himself particularly honored in having the work dedicated to himself, we think it must be on account of the author's friendship and good intentions, rather than from any gratification in having his name associated with this rather miserable imitation of the simple sublimity of the dreamer of Bedford jail. We wish Mr. Wood better success in his next attempt at authorship, for we have no doubt his merits deserve it.

CASTE: A Story of Republican Equality. By Sydney A. Story, Jr. Boston: Phillips, Sampson & Co. New York: J. C. Derby. 1856.

This title holds a sarcasm of the keenest character, and heralds a story of unusual skill in its plan, and of rare magnetic power in its development. It details the fortunes of a brother and sister, who live till they have reached early manhood and womanhood, are surrounded by the dearest friends, become highly cultivated, form connections with eminent and wealthy families, acquire large esteem, and then discover that their mother was a beautiful quadroon, and their father-her master. Then the vision breaks, their friends only pity them, they are spewed out of reputable society, and only gain equality by finding a home under a foreign monarchy. The features of Southern life are sketched with remarkable clearness, and the incidental pictures of slavery exhibited are likely to excite quite as strong an aversion as though the book were written with a purely anti-slavery aim. It is a book to enchain a reader's attention, and the impression it leaves is eminently a healthy one. It has less intensity than Ida May, but we think more genius; it shows fewer spasms, but more strength; and the convictions it creates against slavery will have less of passion, but more of permanent power. It is a chaste and yet brilliant production; healthy in its tone, and yet powerful in its grasp upon the feelings; calm in its spirit, while almost irresistible in the impulse it communicates. The unknown author need not fear to stand out and be seen.

PLAIN TALK AND FRIENDLY ADVICE TO DOMESTICS; With counsel on Home Matters. Boston: Phillips, Sampson & Co. 1855.

This is a very good treatise for its purpose, if it can only be made to serve it well. It is made up of directions to that somewhat important and increasing class of persons employed as domestics. It develops and enforces the principles by which they should be governed, points out the dangers which are to be avoided, shows the evil consequences of duplicity and unfaithfulness, and

This is a work upon which the Rev. H. W. Beecher has been e inconsiderable labor and time for some years. The poetry was vised, and arranged mostly by himself; the musical department tended by his brother, the Rev. Charles Beecher, and Mr. Zundel the Plymouth church, Brooklyn. There are, including doxol 1400 hymns, and 367 tunes. Its primary object, or perhaps it w say the controlling motive to the completion, was to contribute to ment of congregational singing, and thus to induce the performa part of the public worship by the congregation directly, instead o over by a proxy arrangement, to be done by a small select choir.

As to the object aimed at, we give it our warmest sympathy. tendency of choir singing is manifestly to a vicious extreme in t mere artistic display in the orchestra, which hinders rather than tional feeling. The singing hence becomes an exhibition of ta part of the performers, and calls out a finical criticism, or an irrev votional admiration from the listeners. The solemn and devout pr is no ambition of the performers, and no experience of the audien not say that this state of things is absolutely inseparable from ch either in theory or in fact; but both reason and experience prove its tendency and largely its operation. Besides, by this means, become powerful and exacting-making conditions perilous to the ests of the church, but which it is difficult to reject. And then competition grows fierce, and professional opera singers are alone satisfying the demand, and so they are hired to perform in the orch they have rehearsed on the stage; for they bring a large part of with them, only modified sufficiently to enable the stanzas in the to be sung to its strains. But we cannot now discuss the ques only say that, after no little thought and observation, we are decide of the congregational mode of singing in public worship; and that it is practicable; though its really efficient operation will require effort. We come to speak in a few words of this book.

As a collection of hymns, take it all in all, we think it decided) we have seen. It shows great research, the most careful discri making selections from any author, proofs of great labor in getti the fountains of song, a proper jealousy of attempted improvemen ern versifyers, strong evangelical sympathies, and yet a noble cath

are freighted with Christian thought and feeling, Mr. B. deems who launched them on the sea of affection. And the fugitive day have now and then offered a genuine lyric which he has not There is scarcely any religious doggerel in the book. Nearl can be read without torture, and sung without choking. T metres than is usual; though most of the hymns are in the As said before, we deem it superior as a collection of hymns to issued.

We are not quite as well satisfied with the music in this colle be that we have been mistaken in the ideal in our own mind, practicable which, after all, is only passible now as a conception. which Mr. Beecher mentions, viz., the impossibility of obtaining ber of the old standard tunes, as the holders of the copyrights them to be used in compiling such a work, we did not anticipate of the tunes that are absent from this collection which we exp are thus put beyond the reach of the compiler, we know not. not here, and their places are filled by others we love much les a large number of the old standard tunes are here; but there are ber of new compositions by Messrs. Beecher and Zundel; som dently composed through the necessity of having tunes adap peculiar metres, and the inability to find them ready for use; an posed, we conclude, because those gentlemen believed they c better tune than they could select. Some of these are good—1 compositions being especially marked by great delicacy of taste, great care and nicety to their proper execution. And then th large share of the music which a large congregation can hardly without the most careful training-we doubt if they can with course, the singing of a tune on a remote page, while the hym read from the page where they are printed, is quite perplexing must be read by the singer. And the difficulty of restricting t certain tunes to a choir when congregational singing is the rul be severely felt. The minister might not be able to tell when tion should be silent; the congregation might be quite as ignora low the choir to dictate would hardly be wise. The type, too the hymns are printed, is quite too small for the use of all ages

book would be unwieldy were it larger. Still, on the whole, this is a valuable collection, having high and substantial merits of its own; and nobly leading the way, as we trust, to a nobler and truer expression of public praise.

THE PARABOLIC TEACHING OF CHRIST; or, Engravings of the New Testament. By the Rev. D. T. K. Drummond, B. A. Oxon., incumbent of St. Thomas' English Episcopal Chapel, Edinburgh. Robert Carter and Brothers. 1855. New York. This is an elaborate work on the parables of the Savior. Trench, we presume, stood highest previous to this, but as we have just compared the two, we have grounds to express the deliberate conviction that Drummond will henceforth stand before Trench on this subject. They are both able, but if one must be selected, the choice will be without hesitation as we have said. It is decidedly one of the best books that ever fell under our notice on Biblical subjects. To the lover of the Bible it is a feast of fat things. It is not only able in its expositions in the letter, but it manifests a most remarkable spiritual insight on the part of the author.

EVENINGS WITH THE ROMANISTS: With an Introductory Chapter on the Moral Results of the Romish System. By the Rev. M. Hobart Seymour, M. A. Robert Carter & Brothers. New York. 1856.

This work is one which has sprung from the recent discussion of the papal question in England, and presents in striking light the Bible arguments against the man of sin. The chapter entitled, "The Moral results of the Romish System," states many stubborn facts. In Sicily, the papal States, and Naples, the murders, per million of inhabitants, range from 90 to 74, while in Belgium there are only 18, and in England far less, 4, a contrast that can but have its influence on reflecting minds.

We desire to call attention again to the faithfulness of this house in its republications. We all know how the Tract Society sins in the opposite direction, and, with this very book, the vicious example has been followed by a house from which we had a right to expect better things. We hope the press with united voice may come to condemn this species of injustice to authors and their readers.

SERMONS DESIGNED FOR THE SICK ROOM, FAMILY READING AND VILLAGE WORSHIP. By Jabez Burns, D. D., Minister of the New Church Street Chapel, Edgeware Road, London. 1854. Houlston & Stoneman.

We are indebted to a kind friend for a copy of the above work. It consists of fifty sermons. It is known to our readers that the author of this work has had before the public for some years "The Pulpit Cyclopedia,” “Sketches

and Skeletons of Sermons," and several other works which have been well received. Though for ourselves we never had any peculiar partiality for this kind of works, we mean "Sketches" and "Skeletons" of sermons, we have no doubt those put forth by this author have been extensively useful. They all breathe the right spirit, and are eminently Biblical. The present, we judge from the few hours we have been able to give to it, is decidedly in advance of the previous works of the same kind by this author. The sermons, though brief, have been skilfully condensed, and the topics well chosen,

the day laborer need, as well as those of somewhat more ample n would not employ a professional architect; and teaches them build tasteful and even elegant homes, at a cost scarcely if at all usually expended upon the more common and ordinary class The suggestions and directions are eminently clear, practica sense, and comprise in a very small compass all that concerns th and adornment of both the house and its surroundings. We one of the very best books for common and popular use that time come from the press-the best of its class, and a cl to make the dear spot of Home prettier, better, and more attrac

THE END: or the proximate signs of the close of this dispensation John Cumming, D. D. F. R. S. E., &c. Boston: John P. Jewett &

This title is significant in another sense than was intended His books have followed each other from the press with what w ly be a perilous haste for most book-makers. The public have inquired, with various feelings, when the end of this long series It is here in the title of this volume; though we find no assu Crown Court pastor is now to cease repeating and extending hi means of the types.

It is the design of this volume to present the consecutive arg port of the position that the end of the present dispensation i and unfold what the author deems the prominent circumstan that event. The matter appears in Dr. C.'s prevailing style sermon or religious lecture. There is in the book the same s the same catholic charity, and the same marks of haste in th and the same weak places in the logic, that characterize its There is not much that is new in the discussion, or that is unus pressiveness with which he enforces it. Like most advocates troverted point, he finds evidence where others would look though he is quite free from the dogmatism and the intolerance the pages of so many religious controversialists. On the whole, one volume where a reader would find the ground of this view stated with more clearness and force, and charity, and at the sa up so much of really valuable practical instruction.