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Springs of Action. By Mrs. C. H. B. RICHARDS, author of "Sedgemoor," "Pleasure and Profit," etc. New York: Harper & Brothers. 1863.

In a number of familiar essays on such topics as Health, Industry, Cheerfulness, Generosity, Patience, etc., Mrs. Richards has embodied a great deal of wise counsel to the young generally, but more particularly to those of her own sex. Her advice is kindly administered, and enforced in a sprightly though somewhat gossipping way, by illustrations drawn chiefly from her own circle of acquaintance, and, of course, recognizable by many who will read her book. But as we must suppose this to have been done with consent, the reader need not fear that any hallowed sanctuary has been carelessly invaded.

Mrs. Richards shows that keen insight into human nature, especially woman nature, which is the result of long and vigilant introspection, as well as of close study of character as presented in society. This power, in part a gift, but chiefly an attainment, has been usefully and prudently employed by her in the little volume before us: we cordially commend it to the young, and to those who have the responsibilty of training them.

Sermons, preached and revised by the Rev. C. H. SPURGEON. Seventh Series. New York: Sheldon & Co., Publishers.

1862.

A NEW Volume of Spurgeon will be regarded by many as a hazardous venture. The illjudged remarks of the author on the causes and objects of our great National Strife, have very naturally alienated many a former friend. But whoever has been interested or profited by his other volumes, will find this not unequal in its best elements, to any one that has preceded it. In the present volume, each sermon is preceded by a prefatory note, in which we are told when the sermon was delivered, for what purpose, and with what results, and in many instances are kindly informed what estimate should be put upon the discourse, should we proceed to read it. The smartness of some of these notes is a little amusing.

BIOGRAPHY AND HISTORY.

Memoirs of the Rev. Nicholas Murray. D. D. (Kirwan). By SAMUEL IRENEUS PRIME, author of "Travels in the East," "The Power of Prayer," etc., etc. New York: Harper & Brothers. 1862.

WHEN Dr. Murray was a youth fifteen years of age, he landed, in

company with a crowd of emigrants, in New York City. A poor, strange, and rather unpromising looking Irish lad, he sought employment through the city, till, by the good providence of God, he was taken into the employ of the well known business house of the Harpers and put to such work as he seemed best fitted for. He was not only taken into their book establishment, but received also as an inmate of their family; and it was from the pious example and religious instruction of the devoted Christian mother of the Harper brothers, that the young emigrant received his first impulse to seek for a pure Christianity. Educated in the faith, and to the devout observance of all the forms, of the Roman Catholic Church, he had yet, before leaving home, seen with his clear discriminating eyes much in the practice of his church to awaken doubt and invite inquiry. His mother, though undoubtedly a woman of much strength of character, was untutored and bigoted. When, in opposition to her wishes, her son abandoned first his apprenticeship, and then his country, she had him cursed from the altar, and on hearing of his conversion to Protestantism, she had masses said for the repose of his soul, and regarded him, ever after, as one dead. Such were the antecedents of the distinguished "Kirwan," who in his celebrated encounter with Bishop Hughes, put to silence his able opponent, and by his logic, his wit, and his acumen, challenged the admiration of the lettered world. His discussion has been translated into almost every language of Europe, and constitutes one of the standard works in defence of Protestantism.

The history of the early career of the good-humored, quick-witted Irish boy, is entertaining, and full of instruction to the young. We give an extract from the recollections of the Rev. J. B. Steele, a fellowboarder with young Murray while he was yet in the employment of the Harpers.

"In the winter of 1820, I resided with Mr. George Kirk in Liberty Street, and was a student in my senior year, in Dr. Mason's Seminary, receiving the instruction of Dr. Alexander M'Leod, Dr. Alexander McClolland, and Dr. Knox. Mr. Kirk was a Scotchman of the old school, very intelligent, pious, orthodox, and a great hater of Dr. Watts' Psalms and Hymns. He was a member of Dr. Mason's Church. There was also in the family a maiden lady of great intelligence and piety, Margerie M'Leod. She was a prim lady, wore a high turban, was very dignified in her manners, and a very kind-hearted woman. She still lives, and is over ninety years of age. She had a select school of young ladies from the best families in the city, the second school of the kind in New York after Mrs. Graham's. She had with her in her school her niece, an educated young lady. Into this family came young

Murray in the fall of 1821; he was seventeen or eighteen years of age. At that time he was a stout, thick-set, clumsy-looking boy. He was singularly dressed; had a round, open, generous face; was full of Irish wit, humor, joke, and blunder. His manners, though awkward, were soon overlooked, and he became the favorite of the whole family. At every meal we anticipated his good humor; and, while we all enjoyed his pleasantries, it was not long before we discovered that he possessed real native talent, and the high-turbaned lady was the first to say, That young man should be educated.' Mr. Kirk kept a store, which prevented him frequently from attending morning prayers, and sitting with his family at meals; and it usually fell to my lot to conduct the devotions of the family, ask a blessing and return thanks, according to the good old custom, when people had time to eat and thank the Lord. Murray at this time had made a profession of religion, and appeared to be a genuine Christian. He was always willing to listen to pious discourse, and much pains were taken to cultivate his grace and lead him to exercise some spiritual gifts. I had much conversation with him on subjects of this nature, and said to him on one occasion, Murray, I will ask you some day to return thanks at the table, and you must not refuse; you must serve the Lord openly, and now is a good time to commence.' A few days after, at the table, when we had just had considerable amusement, I turned to Murray and said Return thanks.' The company were astonished, Murray was confounded, and raising up both hands, he said:

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"Come Holy Spirit, heavenly dove,
With all thy quickening powers;
Come shed abroad a Saviour's love

In these cold hearts of ours. Amen.'

"The ludicrous scene was indiscribable. The high-turbaned lady and the whole company were in a roar of laughter as Murray left the room and ran to his bed-chamber. I followed, and found him in a perfect state of confusion, and said, Why, Murray, what have you been doing? When I ask you to return thanks, you should not repeat Watts' hyms; besides, if Mr. Kirk should hear you repeat Watts, he would turn you out of the house.' The only reply he gave me was, You took me by surprise, but I will try and do better next time,' and so he did. After preparing the family for his second effort, he expressed himself with great propriety. In less than a month he took his regular turn, and before the end of the second month he engaged in turn in conducting family worship, and at the end of three months he beld forth in prayer and exhortation at the social meetings in Dr. Spring's church."

In 1830 Mr. Murray was joined in marriage to the daughter of the Rev. Morgan Rhees, a distinguished Welch clergyman of the Baptist denomination. The cheerful piety of Dr. Murray, his unselfishness in all the relations of life, public and private, his faithful and successful ministry, and his eminently calm and happy death, furnish beautiful lessons, in part, unconsciously conveyed by his own letters and autobiographical records, and, in part, by the reminiscences of attached friends.

Mr. Prime's work was purely a labor of love, and is well executed.

Memoirs of Mrs. Joanna Bethune. By her Son, the Rev. GEORGE W. BETHUNE, D. D. With an Appendix containing extracts from the writings of Mrs. Bethune.

THE last literary labor of the Rev. Dr. Bethune, previous to his departure for Europe, and to his death, was the preparation of these interesting memoirs of his beloved mother. Mrs. Isabella Graham (with whose life many of our readers are familiar) was residing at Fort Niagara with her husband, a surgeon in the British army, when their second daughter, Joanna, was born. The little girl was but three years old when her mother, widowed and in poverty, returned to the home of her aged father in Scotland. There, first as the humble village school-mistress, and then as the admired head of a popular city boarding school, Mrs Graham brought up her children in the fear of God and with a view to their extended usefulness in after life. The youthful Joanna, now the playmate of Walter Scott, now the pet companion of the pious Lady Glenorchy, now pupil in a fashionable French boarding school at Rotterdam, and now assistant in her mother's celebrated school in New York City, was preparing by her varied experiences for that useful after-life, which so eminently exemplified all the Christian virtues, and which was protracted to so good and green an old age. Mrs. Bethune enjoyed till far into mature life, that priceless blessing, the love, example and companionship of an educated, Christian mother. They were associated together in the establishment and support of some of the most important charitable institutions of New York City.

These memoirs are a fit offering from a good and gifted son to the memory of a worthy and devoted mother. They furnish a lesson to young women exposed to the allurements of fashionable life, an example to Christian mothers anxious for the religious welfare of their children, and words of cheer and sympathy to aged pilgrims waiting in faith for their heavenly inheritance.

The Students' France. A History of France, from the earliest times, to the establishment of the second Empire in 1862. Illustrated by Engravings on wood. New York: Harper & Brothers, Publishers, Franklin Square. 1862.

THE series of works to which this belongs, is designed to be succinct enough to furnish text books for students, without falling into the barrenness of mere epitomes, and to be comprehensive enough for a full portraiture, without burdening the mind with details. The History

of France is the best of the series. It begins with the very beginning of French National existence, and descends to our own day. It chiefly follows, as authority, the history of M. Henri Martin, though with copious references to other authors.

To most of the chapters are added Notes and Illustrations, which will be especially serviceable to inquisitive students.

The Results of Emancipation. By AUGUSTIN COCHIN, Ex-Maire and Municipal Councillor of Paris. Work crowned by the Institute of France (Academie Francaise). Translated by Mary L. Booth, translator of Count de Gasparin's works on America, etc. Boston: Walker, Wise & Co.

The party which in France (and also in England) had always denounced the negro emancipation of the colonies had for some time been taking advantage of the natural reaction of opinion from one extreme to another, when, at the breaking out of our civil war, they became bold and decided in their public utterances. The London Times in 1861 ventured to say: "Our grandfathers committed the crime (of enslaving the blacks), our fathers repented it, to us belongs reflection; we may perhaps be mistaken." Nothing could be more opportune for both Europe and America than the publication of the work of M. Cochin. It deals with the whole question of negro emancipation in the double light of Christianity and of political economy. It is written in the spirit of a Christian, with the freshness of a man who is heartily in earnest, and with the scientific exactness of a statician and political economist.

The dedicatory introduction of twenty-four pages, addressed to M. le Duc de Broglie, is written as only an eloquent Frenchman can write, and the results of emancipation are detailed with a clearness and fulness of proof which are possible only after the most painstaking and laborious investigation. In the preparation of his work the author enjoyed the sympathy and co-operation of some of the leading minds of France, and on its publication was greeted with the most flattering testimonials from the Institute of France and from the Pope, who conferred on him an order of knighthood. We trust that the translator will by all means give us the second volume of the original work, which treats of the state of religion, of politics, of morals, of justice, of literature and of wealth, in the countries which still persist in supporting the institution of slavery. The volume we have will do a great and good work at the present juncture of our national affairs, the second volume would add to the effectiveness of the first.

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