TALK ABOUT BOOKS.
Bishop Foster is a vigorous writer, always clear and forcible. His last work, “Centenary Thoughts for the Pew and the Pulpit,”[E] will be regarded as one of his best productions; a book for the times, but containing much of permanent value. It evidently was not manufactured, but grew. The thought or germ took root in generous soil, and the growth was rapid. The volume is instructive, and must do good to the thousands who will be eager to read it. It was prepared specially for the members of the great Christian brotherhood known as Methodists, but will interest others, and lead to a better understanding of both the privileges and duties of Church membership. Its appeals are forcible, but made in great kindness. If there are sharp rebukes for delinquents and offenders, they are given with manifest tenderness, and in the spirit of love unfeigned.
The “Dictionary of Miracles,”[F] a unique and unpretentious volume of nearly six hundred pages, is a classified collection of legendary miracles and stories of saints taken from authentic sources. Dr. Brewer is a ripe scholar, in the fiftieth, or golden year of his authorship, and has earned his laurels. These extracts are made with great fairness, the author expressing no opinion as to the historic truth of the reported miracles, but presenting them in a compact form as evidence of the religious opinions of those among whom they are current.
To all who have been readers of The Sunday-School Times a book written by the editor needs no words of recommendation in order to secure it a welcome. All workers in the Sunday-school will find this book to be a helper and a friend. It is full of good, practical thoughts and plans on the work, and clearly brings before the mind what teaching really is, and the relation that a teacher should bear to his class. We make a short extract: “It takes two persons to make one teacher. You can be one of them; the other must be a learner.” “Teaching and Teachers”[G] is a book every teacher should have.
A very neat little book, which curiosity hunters will enjoy, comes bearing the title “Curious Epitaphs.”[H] Epitaphs on all sorts of persons; epitaphs containing puns and warnings, and miscellaneous epitaphs of all kinds are to be found in its pages.