The Spiritual Interpretation of Nature. James Y. Simpson, D. Sc., F. R. S. E. Hodder & Stoughton: New York. 1912. Pp. 383. $1.50.

The senseless conflict betweent Science and Religion has been age long in duration. The fruitage of this conflict has been widespread doubt on the part of the intellectual man as he has felt himself ground between the upper and nether mill stones of the arrant bigotry of the theologian and the cynical skepticism of the scientist.

The task which Dr. Simpson has taken upon himself is to arrive at religious certainty by correlating all the facts of human knowledge by way of explanation of God's scheme for His creation. He draws a clear-cut distinction between truth, which is fundamental and eternal, and human interpretations of that truth in the garb either of the laws of science or the canons of theology. Such interpretations are necessarily of temporary value, changing as they must under the pressure of additional facts. Science has long been pressing upon the attention of thinking man the natural history of spiritual things and Dr. Simpson renders a unique service by inditing for us the spiritual interpretation of nature.

He discusses at some length the principles of biology, evolution, heredity and environment with their sociological and religious bearings. The chapters on science and miracle and evolution and immortality are particularly clear in their treatment of much mooted subjects.

The book is a piece of compelling reasoning which clears away many obstacles from the pathway of the intellectual man in search of religious conviction. The faith of the Christian is strengthened as he follows the blood red line of the divine potency up through all the forces of nature to the higher reaches of his own spiritual life, and he feels a new thrill of power as he becomes conscious of keeping time with the stars.

Every thinking man who is willing to do some real mental sweating will want to read this book. For real enjoyment

the reading requires considerable of a background of science and philosophy. W. J. CAMPBELL.

Outline Studies in the Book of Romans. Ward W. Adair. Association Press. Pp. 71. A seventeen lesson study of Paul's book to the Gentiles. In the words of the author, "it aims to give a birdseye view of this masterly Epistle." It aims not to give minute detail but to call forth general study. It should make students work out details for themselves. The course is well outlined, a lesson to each chapter, with an introductory lesson besides. A good bibliography follows each lesson. FRED M. HANSEN.

The Way to the Heart of the Pupil. Herman Weimer. The Macmillan Co.: New York. 60 cents. Pp. 178.

"A boy learns willingly from a teacher he loves." That this is true, Weimer convinces us beyond question in this volume. The really successful teacher is not one who secures the loyalty of the students simply because of his office, but it must be his personality, a personality that will command their love and esteem as a man rather than as a teacher only.

The author goes into quite a detailed discussion of the place that love has in the school room and the use of punishment by the teacher. When, under what conditions, and of what nature can and should punishment be inflicted.

There is a chapter on "Uniformity and the Individual" that is worthy of close study, and will give us many sidelights as to why our present day school system is so evidently failing. Another chapter takes up the discussion of the vital relation of the home to the school.

The book is well written and is well worth the reading by everyone who has any interest whatsoever in our present educational system, or has anything to do in any way with the teaching and training of youth. The school teacher especially will find much that is of practical value to them, for Weimer speaks not

from theory only, but from many years of practical experience in the school room. B. R. RYALL.

Testing Seed Corn in School Every rural school teacher should send to the experiment station in her state and secure whatever bulletins may be available on testing seed corn; also to the Office of Experiment Stations, U. S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D. C., for Circular 96. This circular is one of the best guides that we have seen for this use, as it is prepared especially for teachers and pupils. It tells just how to choose the sample grains for testing; how to lay out the trays for the test; how to keep the records, etc. It makes a number of suggestions that will be useful in the work of the class in school agriculture.

The Home Mission Task. Edited by Victor I. Masters. Home Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Church, Atlanta, Ga. Pp. 331.

"The Home Mission Task" gives a comprehensive view of the mission work of Southern Baptists from its beginning in 1840 to the present. While sectarian in its character, the testimony of the Baptist ministers shows the demand for mission work in our own land both among the white and colored races.

Dr. Gambrell, of Dallas, Texas, states that the white man and not the negro is the real peril of the South. The domirant race in this part of our country will elevate or degrade itself as it uses ΟΙ abuses its opportunities for teaching its less happily born colored brother the lessons of honesty, personal purity, industry and religion.

The handling of the immigrant is a vital opening for real missionary work. The hospitality of the church should be no less inviting than that offered by the saloon and other demoralizing attractions. In many places in the South mission work must be carried on without church buildings, and as one writer says, emphasizing the need for places of worship, “education, industry, government embody themselves in a public building. A church building is the embodiment of the religious idea." More men, more money, more enthusiasm is needed to carry out a program large enough to vitalize the religious forces at work in Southern missions.

The country church with its numerous problems comes in for its share of con

sideration, and there is marked emphasis on the social mission of the church in both city and country.

It is significant that the book recognizes in the home mission task that there must be a proper understanding of economic conditions and that industrial education and socializing influences go hand in hand with the preaching of the Gospel. HOWARD HUBBELL.

Lincoln, the Man of the People. Wm. H. Mace. Rand, McNally & Co.: Chicago. 29 cents. Pp. 191.

Anyone working with boys would do well to call their attention to this little volume full of interesting and catchy pen pictures of the life of Lincoln. Pioneer life is vividly presented and Lincoln's early life touched with just enough fancy to please. The incidents are well selected and no attempt is made to moralize. lustrations and pictures are particularly good. The book can scarcely fail to awaken or stimulate interest in the man and that for which he stood. F. P. K.

Cato and Varro As Farmers

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In a volume entitled "Roman Farm Management" we find an excellent translation of a collection of notes written in his grim old age by Marcus Porcius Cato, the famous Roman general and senator, and also a translation of a carefully elaborated treatise called "Rerum Rusticarum," written by Pompey's friend and supporter, Marcus Terentius Varro, whom Quintilian rated "the most learned of the Romans." The translations are the work of one "F. H.," who describes himself on the title page as "A Virginia Farmer,” and he invites attention to them from the intelligent farmer, who, he says, will find in them background for his daily routine, and knowledge that two thousand years ago men were studying the same problems that confront the agriculturist of to-day, and were solving the problems with intelligent reasoning. The great lesson these ancient writings contain is the desirability of thoroughness. The translator wisely remarks that while the American farmer undoubtedly will find instruction in the practice of the Roman farmers as set forth by Cato and Varro, he will be apt to derive greater benefit from contemplation of their agricultural philosophy, a cardinal principle of which is that what is worth doing is worth doing well and in the right way. (Macmillan Company, $2).

History of the North American Young Men's Christian Associations. Richard C. Morse. Association Press. $1.00. Pp. 290.

"The History of the North American Young Men's Christian Associations," by Richard C. Morse, is written with the freshness and interest that we would naturally expect from one who has been so intimately in touch with the world wide activity of the organization, and who has personally had no small part in its guidance.

The book is not burdensome in detail, and yet it gives an adequate survey of the origin of the movement and those events that have been milestones in its progress.

While it is especially adapted to class work, yet it is a volume that any man interested in the work of the Association would read with pleasure and profit.

Mr. Morse takes up in a very comprehensive manner the early years of experimentation and foundation building, the development of the work in America and other countries, and the shaping of the present policies of the federation. The later chapters of the book are devoted to a history of the development of the city work, the vital problem of the employed officer, his recruiting and training, and, lastly, the extension work, namely, the army and navy work, the railroad men, rural work, foreign work, etc.

Every Association secretary can well afford, in fact, can scarcely afford not to avail himself of this opportunity to secure an adequate knowledge of the history of our organization. B. R. RYALL.

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. Rand, McNally & Co.: Chicago. 38 cents. Pp. 314.

A convenient form for school use with about the right amount of notes and a few good suggestions to teachers. Language forms changed to that of present general use. FORREST P. KNAPP. Ry

Lantern Slides for a Lecture The Bureau of Education has several duplicate sets of lantern slides to illustrate a lecture on the consolidation of rural schools and the transportation of pupils at public expense. These will be loaned as far as practicable, for a reasonable length of time, to rural school superintendents conducting campaigns for consolidation. The slides will be accompanied by an outline lecture and printed ma

terial concerning consolidation.

Express charges, both ways in all cases, must be paid by those ordering the slides. Persons borrowing these slides must agree to follow carefully the directions inclosed with the slides, to pay for all slides broken while in their possession or in transit on the return trip to the office at the rate of 271⁄2 cents per slide.

Applications for use of the slides should be made to the Commissioner of Education, Washington, D. C., stating the date or dates on which they wish to use them and giving the express office to which shipments are to be made.

R

A Country Life "Association Monthly" The Association Monthly, the national magazine of the Young Women's Christian Associations, will for one month turn itself into a country life periodical, and those who remember the November number of Rural Manhood, which was edited by the women's movement, will be interested in this further contribution in behalf of the women's side of the whole country movement. The Association Monthly for March, 1914, will be a Country Life Number. The significant thing about it is that it is aimed as straight as a die at the college girl, for it seems that a large and picturesque share in this work may be carried by young alumnae or even upper classmen, through the National Board's plan of "Eight Week Clubs." This scheme, involving college preparation in the spring for a short-lived but vigorous club work among the girls into whose lives the more privileged college girls go back in the summer is fully explained in this magazine. Under the leadership of Mrs. Jessie Wilson Sayre and Miss Jessie Field, of the National Board, it has already been enthusiastically received and worked. Among the outstanding articles will be "The College Girl's Debts," by Miss Abbie Graham, well balanced by "The Country Girl's Heritage," by Miss Alta Hooper; a discussion of the essential relation of the men's and women's Christian Associations in this field, by Mr. Henry Israel; a picturesque paper on "Country Life in China," by Miss Estelle Paddock, and a wealth of "human interest" stories from the Young Women's Christian Associations that are doing live country work. The magazine will contain about thirty illustrations. Copies can be secured direct from the National Board, 600 Lexington Avenue, New York City, at ten cents each.