stated in exact terms and literally, the rules for modern social life. The new obedience would therefore lead to immediate surrender of all the present financial and material foundations of society; no man could take interest for his capital, no man could receive rent. This, as Mr. Hale affirms, would "disturb all values, it would upset the world." He claims this was the intention of Jesus, and the gist of the new obedience. History of Dogma. By Dr. Adolph Harnack. Roberts Brothers.-This second volume in Dr. Harnack's most valuable work may roughly be said to treat of the establishment of the apostolic standards of Christian doctrine through the work of Irenæus and Tertullian; the transition to the hierarchical idea of the Church; the gradual Hellenizing of Christianity; the beginning of an ecclesiastico-theological interpretation of the Christian gospel; the transformation of the ecclesiastical doctrine into a philosophy of religion.

The last chapter has a wider interest than that which engrosses the attention of the church historian merely: it is a masterly summary of the growth of scientific theology, through Clement and Origen, in its overthrow of Gnosticism and its ultimate justification of doctrinal Christianity.

History of the Hebrew People. By Charles F. Kent. New York: Scribner's Sons.-Prof. Kent published a "History of the Hebrew People" in March, 1896, which dealt with events up to the death of Solomon. In that event such a complete change came about, through the division of the Hebrew kingdom, that a new historical era was established. The present volume, therefore, takes up the story with the two kingdoms of Judah and Israel widening their differences. Although Prof. Kent most modestly claims only the desire to quicken others to deeper research, yet the ordinary reader will find, even if he be somewhat of a student, a very thorough and satisfactory and, certainly, most readable a history, in these two volumes, of the whole subject of the origin, development, and dissolution of the Hebrew nation.

The Power of Thought. By J. D. Sterrett.

New York: Charles Scribner's Sons. An entertaining work on a technical psychological subject is surely an unusual blessing. Such, however, is this inquiry into what thought is and what it can do. It is not in the least what is usually understood by a popular work (for it is not watered or pictorialized science), but it is boldly conceived and vividly, almost dramatically, expressed, while the substance is a profound study in modern psychology.

Mr. Sterrett's interesting illustrations of the power of ideas as they gather in the childmind are original and striking; and his conclusion that will is only the "force of our last reason" is so carefully "fought up to" that the position seems carried.

History of Ancient Peoples. By Willis Boughton. Putnam's Sons.-An admirable book for the class-room or for the general reader. It is a sort of digest of the "Story of the Nations" series, a summary in clear and comprehensive language of recent knowledge, especially the results of archæological discovery. The chapters on the Hittites, Egyptians, and Semites, give a very available and novel outline of Hebrew history.

Sermons from an Albany Pulpit. The Unitarian society of Albany, NY., have begun the publication of a series of sermons by their pastor, Rev. W. M. Brundage. Number one is before us, entitled "The Real Jesus of History." It is a very concise and forcible presentation of the Unitarian view of the life of Jesus, and will be found of great service in missionary work.

These sermons are published monthly by the Post-office Mission Committee of the First Unitarian Society of Albany, N.Y., for circulation among those who wish to know something of the spirit and teachings of liberal religion.

Subscription price for the ten numbers for the year, fifty cents. Regular subscribers, so desiring, may have an extra copy sent free to their address. Single numbers, five cents. Post-office Missions supplied at cost. Subscriptions should be sent to Miss Mary E. Hawley, 158 Elm Street, Albany, N.Y., or A. B. Gilliland, 395 Broadway, Albany, N.Y.

The following are some of the books approved by the Ladies' Commission on Sunday-school Books since Dec. 1, 1896 :—

"The Animal Story Book." By Andrew Lang. (Longmans, Green & Co., 1896.) pp. 400. $2.00. Some of these stories are rather grewsome, and some incredible; but all are interesting for children of all ages.

"Christine's Career." A story for girls. By Pauline King. (New York: D. Appleton & Co., 1896.) pp. 263. $1.50. A story for girls between nine and fourteen of a little American girl's life in France and Boston. Specially approved.

"Nature's Wonder-workers." Being some short life-histories in the insect world. Illustrated. Kate R. Lovett. (Cassell & Co., 1896.) pp. 285. $1.50.

"The Oriel Window." By Mrs. Molesworth. (New York: Macmillan Company,

1896.) pp. 197. $1.00. Illustrated. A story for children under fourteen of an invalid boy and his helpfulness to others. Specially approved.

"Tommy-Anne and the Three Hearts." By Mabel Osgood Wright. Illustrated. (New York: Macmillan Company, 1896.) pp. 322. $1.50. A book for children of ten years, in the form of a story about the habits of birds, insects, and reptiles.

"Wagner's Heroines." By Constance Maud. (New York: Edw. Arnold, 1896.)

PP. 25. $1.25. A companion book to

"Wagner's Heroes," comprising the stories of Brunhilda, Senta, and Isolde. A good preparation for enjoying Wagner's operas. For readers over fourteen.

"A Son of Liberty; or, The Spirit of our Fathers." By Willis Boyd Allen. (Boston and Chicago: Congregational Sundayschool and Publishing Society, 1896.) pp. 262. An interesting account for boys over fourteen of the stormy days of the early Revolution.

"Star-land." Being talks with young people about the wonders of the heavens. By Sir Robert Stowell Ball. (Boston: Ginn & Co., 1896.) pp 366. $1.00. An interesting and accurate account of the stars for children over ten. Specially approved.

"The Century Book of Famous Americans." The story of a Young People's Pilgrimage to Historic Homes. Elbridge S. Brooks. (New York: The Century Company, 1896.) pp. 250. $1.50.

"The Wardship of Steepcoombe." By Charlotte M. Yonge. (New York: Thomas Whittaker, 1896.) pp. 309. $1.25. The adventures of two boys at the time of Wat Tyler's Rebellion, with some account of the Lollard doctrines. For older children.

"Solomon Crow's Christmas Pockets, and Other Tales." Illustrated. By Ruth McEnery Stuart. (New York: Harper & Brothers.) pp. 201. $1.25. Ten short

stories for older children of Southern life, full of humor and pathos. Unequal in merit.

"The Book of Wonder Voyages." Illustrated. Edited by Joseph Jacobs. (New York: Macmillan Company, 1896.) pp. 224. $1.50. Folk-lore legends, including Kingsley's version of the Argonauts. The others are drawn from Celtic, Arabic, and Icelandic sources. Suitable for children from nine to fourteen.

"Short Stories for Short People." Illustrated. By Alicia Aspinwall. (E. P. Dutton & Co., 1896.) pp. 254. $1.50. Twenty-eight short stories for little children. Entertaining bits of pure imagination, with a moral quietly introduced at the end.

"Seraph, the Little Violinist." By Mrs.

C. V. Jamieson. (Boston: W. A. Wilde & Co.) pp. 298. $1.50. A pretty story of a musical child, so charmingly impossible as to be really a fairy tale, with admirable lessons of obedience and self-restraint for any age.

"Frank's First Term; or, Making a Man of him." By Harold Avery. (New York: T. Nelson & Sons.) pp. 192. 60 cents. The story of a boy's life at an English boarding-school, with clear lessons of manliness and honor. Suitable for boys from nine to fourteen.

"The Release; or, Caroline's French Kindred." By Charlotte M. Yonge. (New York: Macmillan Company, 1896.) pp. 286. $1.00. A story of the time of the French Revolution, with accounts of convent life.

"Prince Little Boy, and Other Tales out of Fairyland." By S. Weir Mitchell. (Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott Company, 1896.) pp. 157. $1.50. Fanciful fairy tales for children of twelve and under.

"The Orcutt girls; or, One Term at the Academy." By Charlotte M. Vaile. (Boston: W. A. Wilde & Co., 1896.) pp. 316. $1.50. A wholesome story of the struggles of two sisters to gain an education. For girls of fourteen.

"A Medal of Honor Man; or, Cruising among Blockade Runners." By Charles Ledyard Norton. (Boston: W. A. Wilde & Co.) The story of a brave lad's adventures in our navy during the Rebellion. For boys of twelve or fourteen.

"Mac, a Dog's True Story." With portraits from life. By Mrs. Mary Johnson. (Boston: H. H. Carter & Co., 1895.) pp. 126. $1.25. An attractive story, with lessons of kindness to animals. For readers of nine and over.

"On the Irrawaddy. A Story of the First Burmese War." By G. A. Henty. (New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1896.) pp. 315. $1.50. A spirited story, with historical information.

"Stories and Legends from Washington Irving." Illustrated. (New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons.) pp. 312. $1.50. Ten stories for school or other reading.

“King Matthias and the Beggar Boy." Adapted from the Hungarian of Baron Nicholas Josika by Selina Gage. (New York T. Nelson & Sons, 1896.) pp. 124. 60 cents. An interesting book of adventure, with an historical basis of the time of the fifteenth century. Well written. Suited to boys over twelve.

"Midshipman Farragut." By James Barnes. (New York: D. Appleton & Co., 1896.) pp. 151. $1.00. This is an excellent story of Admiral Farragut as a boy, full of good lessons of courage and manliness. Good for boys from nine to fourteen.

The little glass bottle of salt that you see on the table every day could tell a most interesting story. It has made a long journey, and gone through many changes.

It was for a long, long time down in the earth hundreds of feet. Men discovered its hiding-place, and began devising a way of reaching it and bringing it to the top. Probably the salt on your table came from the salt-mines in the western part of the State of New York. If you should go there, you would find a small city, all the people in which were interested in the saltworks. Iron pipes run down into the earth. Down one of these pipes water is forced, which dissolves the salt in the mines, and forces it into elevated vats or tanks high above the ground. It is now brine. This brine passes first into a pan that is so hot that the water is driven out and the salt crystallizes. It is put into great casks that hold 1,000 pounds. Before it reaches the casks, it has

been classified as coarse, common, and refuse salt, according to the quality of the crystals. These casks of salt are subjected to another system, which separates the different quality in each cask again by a process of sifting or screening, as you have seen men in building a house sift the sand to get the finest for the mortar for the bricks. The kind of salt that is on your table is ground to make it very fine, that it may dissolve at once, with freedom, when sprinkled on or in food. When sacks by women and girls, and shipped to it is ground for the table, it is packed in the grocers. The coarse salt is used by farmers and in freezing ice-cream, ices, and frozen puddings.-The Lookout.

KITE-FLYING.

To

Kite making and flying have become a science. In New Jersey recently a kite was flown which stood twenty-one feet high, and required a windlass to control the cord, a long clothes line. There has also recently been flown on the coast of New Jersey a kite which carried up a light camera. this camera was attached a slow-burning match, which at a certain elevation lifted the shutter, and an instantaneous photograph was obtained of what was below. Another experiment was made by one of these expert kite-manipulators by enclosing a letter in a keg, then attaching a line from the keg to a large kite. So nicely adjusted was this kite to the direction of the wind, that the keg was landed but a short distance from the point the kite flyer intended. A boat has been towed across Long Island Sound from Port Jefferson to Bridgeport by a kite. The kites that accomplish these marvels are, of course, very large and strong, but it is worth while making experiments with small kites to discover what a small boy can do. The kite should be cov ered with silk paper well smoothed out. The secret of success lies in perfectly bal ancing the kite; and this cannot be obtained by direction, but is the result of intelligent experimentation.— Outlook,

Andover, N.H.-The spring term of Proctor Academy began Monday, March 22. Rev. S. C. Beane, D.D., recently delivered a lecture entitled "The Parson and Scholar of a Century Ago," referring to Rev. William Bentley of Salem. The character and the life of the time were effectively described, much to the delight and gratification of the audience. Lectures will be given during the spring season by Rev. C. J. Staples upon Robert Browning, and Rev. Frank L. Phalen upon Savonarola. Rev. Lyman Clark recently gave a Sunday evening lecture entitled "A Way to India," being historical with reference to the search for a way to India, which began more than four hundred years since by sailing to the south-east around Africa, followed by discovery of the way to the south-west around South America, the discovery of America being an incident. The discovery of northwest and north-east passages is quite recent. Two canals have been projected and the Suez Canal completed, the Nicaragua Canal remaining for future realization. The effect of this great search upon the history of mankind has been very great.

Ann Arbor, Mich.-Mrs. Sunderland has been devoting the winter, in her large Bible class, to a "Study of the Life and Teachings of Jesus in the Light of Recent Travel in the Holy Land." The Unity Club has just closed its public meetings for the season. It has had an average attendance of one hundred and fifty. In view of the hundreds. who have been turned away from the Sunday evening services for want of room, and the crowded parlors at the monthly socials and at the Sunday afternoon meetings of the Young People's Religious Union, many are saying, "What a pity that our church is not larger!" Mrs. Sunderland has recently lectured in Battle Creek on "Rome" and "Life in Germany," and in Detroit on "Mary Lyon, the Pioneer of the Higher Education for Woman in America." Mr. Sunderland has been speaking to large audiences in Detroit and Grand Rapids on "India."

Barnstable, Mass.-The interest in our church life has been ever on the increase since we reopened our doors three years ago. Our Sunday school has trebled its number. The children attend well, and show a lively interest and enjoyment with the help the teachers get from their meetings, which Mr. Bevington, our pastor, leads. They feel that the benefit is mutual, both for teacher and child. From the Sunday-school work has sprung the Sunshine Club, in which many of the young girls are active and which we feel may promise well for the future work of the church here. Then there is a boys' club which is very regular in its meetings and well attended. Although one of the mothers guides it, it is officered by the lads themselves. We have a Flower Guild which devotes itself to the adornment of the building and to working for, in other and generous ways, the temporal welfare of our church. Our Branch of the Women's Alliance is active, and doing all it finds to do in the Post-office Mission and Cheerful Letter and in sending out sermons and reading matter. As a matter of course, we have a Sewing Circle which meets regularly and works industriously, and does a good share toward the support of the church. Outside of the church, but still emanating from it, we have the Fortnightly Club, a society for the benefit of the social, musical, and literary life here. The village sewing-school is carried on with increasing ability and doing finely, and the mothers' meetings are growing in interest. We are kept busy and happy, and time flies on the wings of enjoyment. More work to be done looms up before us to cheer us on. During the Lenten season we have, besides our regular Sunday morning service, a vesper service, which is quite generally attended.

Berkeley, Cal.-Rev. W. R. Alger has arrived, and preached his first two sermons to large and delighted congregations in Stiles's Hall. Mr. Alger was in California five years ago, when Mr. Van Ness and Mr. Wendte began the movement at Berkeley,

and for a dozen Sundays preached to the little company of liberal believers, so that he returns as a friend as well as inspirer. On Sunday evenings he is giving a series of discourses on large questions of religion and life at the Oakland Unitarian church, and is already so much in demand for essays and lectures that he will soon be compelled to call a halt upon his kindly persecutors. He seems to enjoy thoroughly the sunshine and verdure, the magnificent panorama of sea and sky and mountains which Berkeley unrolls each morning; while the university life around him and the great city across the bay act like a tonic upon his New England reserve and scholarly habit.

Brockton, Mass.-The fifth monthly meeting of the Unitarian Club of Brockton and vicinity was held in the vestry of Unity Church, Thursday evening, March 18, and was a very enjoyable gathering. The supper was by Caterer Harvey Blunt of Boston. The musical features of the evening consisted of violin solos by Harold Miller, with Miss L. Louise Porter as accompanist, and banjo and guitar selections by Mr. and Mrs. Walter C. Bryant, which were well received.

Rev. George Batchelor, of Boston, secretary of the American Unitarian Association, was the speaker of the evening. His subject was "Three Stages of Religious Progress." These three stages are: first, the aspiration in the heart of a slave; second, the achievement of the free man; and, third, the atmosphere in which the free man lives and does his work. These stages are akin to slavery in religion, liberty in religion, and religion in liberty. It is the same in civilization. We see slavery, emancipation, and freedom in liberty as the stages progress. In old time the Church claimed to hold the keys of eternity. Any creed could be imposed that was thought of by the ecclesiastics. This became intolerable in

the light of the ninteenth century. Men began to reject the authority of creeds, and "Freedom in religion" became the cry.

Castine, Me.-Rev. H. H. Woude has been invited to the pastorate of the church in Castine.

Chelsea, Mass.-Rev. A. P. Reccord has received a unanimous call to the Third Congregational Society of Cambridge, and accepted it. Deep regret is felt in his resignation, which takes effect on the first of April. His pastorate at Chelsea, dating from September, 1895, has been one of inestimable service; and his resignation comes to the society with almost the shock of a calamity. In the upbuilding of the church

he has combined rare executive ability with strong spiritual power, and as thinker and preacher he stands with leaders. We feel keenly our loss, but we wish him God-speed in his new field of labor.

Chicago, Ill.-First Church: On the 21st of March, Mr. Fenn started for Cambridge, to fill his second term of service as Univer

sity preacher at Harvard. He is to be abhis place Prof. Francis G. Peabody of Harsent from his pulpit three Sundays, and in vard will preach at the First Church. Mr. Fenn is to preach at All Souls' Church in New York City on April 11, and immediately after will go to Meadville to deliver his lectures at the Theological Seminary. On Thursday evening, March 18, the regular monthly social of the Hyde Park Church was given at the home of Mr. Chamberlin, on Fifty-third Street.

Unity Church: On Wednesday evening, February 24, Miss Ida C. Hultin of Moline, Ill., delivered a fine address in the church parlors on "Our Opportunities." On March 21, the people of Unity had the pleasure of listening to Mr. G. W. Stone of Boston, treasurer of the American Unitarian Association, who delivered a most interesting paper on "Our Denominational Work," pointing out the broad field open to the Unitarian denomination, and describing the work that is being done in this field by The Ladies' Aid Society, the Association. which has been meeting weekly since the first of October, closed its meetings March 30. The Society has been in a flourishing condition during the year, and has made and distributed, of new and second hand clothing, over 300 garments, besides money and provisions. This society works with the Elm Street Settlement, formerly Unity

Church Industrial School.

-Third Church: Since the fire last October, which deprived the Third Church of its building, the morning services and the sessions of the Sunday-school have been held in the cosey chapel of the Lewis Institute, which the trustees of the Institute kindly offered for the use of the society the very day after the fire. Though the church was destroyed, the parish house, which adjoined it on the west, escaped injury, and the most of Mr. Blake's manuscripts and other valuable papers were saved. All the activities of the church have gone on without interruption, such societies as met in the church being provided for by the kindness of one of the parishioners, who offered her house for use whenever needed. The teachers meet with Mr. Blake every week to talk over the Sunday-school lesson, as has been the custom for several years. The Unity Club, divided into three sections, is studying Browning, Shakspere's Sonnets, and